Cupboard Cleanout

You can hide a lot of things behind closed cupboard doors, but everything still needs to be organized! Many of us neglect our cupboards during spring cleaning, but this year, why not take the time to do a major cupboard cleanout to make getting things in and out of them easier and more efficient? Let’s go! All you have to do is follow five easy steps.

Step 1: Everything out
The first step to reorganizing is to take everything out. This will make it easier to decide how and where to place your dishes, pots and pans to make your cupboard scheme more efficient.

Step 2: Scrub down
Wipe your cupboards down inside and out with a dampened cloth and an all-purpose cleaning product (appropriate for all surfaces).

Step 3: Separation
Separate the dishes, pots and pans into two piles: those you want to keep, and the ones you’ll get rid of. If there is a set of dishes or of pots and pans that you won’t be using anymore, you can decide to give it to your local charity, or to a friend or family member that would like to take them off your hands. Keep only the items you use often, or that are of great value to you.

If you have a lot of reusable containers, go through them and decide which ones are in good enough shape to keep, and which ones should go. Plastic is recyclable, so don’t toss them in the trash! Also, count how many containers of one type you have, and make sure you have the same number of lids; if you don’t, recycle the extra lids or containers so you have an even number.

Step 4: Placement
Look at the cupboards you have available, and consider their location in the kitchen, as well as how much storage there is in each. Decide where to place the different types of dishware according to the most practical layout. Here are some tips:

▪ It’s a good idea to keep glasses and mugs near the sink or fridge for easy access when getting a drink.

▪ Using the same type of logic, you may want to keep plates and soup bowls in the higher cupboards easily within reach, preferably near the sink or dishwasher to make it easier to put them back in place when clean.

▪ Keep service platters on a higher shelf, since they tend to be used less frequently.

▪ Keep reusable plastic containers together, and lids neatly stored in a drawer.

Step 5: Reorganization
Instead of keeping all the plates, bowls, and mugs from the same set together, stack them into different piles according to type: all the salad bowls in one (even if they’re from different sets), soup bowls in another, large dishes together, smaller dishes together, etc. It will make it easier to take dishes out of the cupboard and put them back in when they’re clean if, for example, you don’t have to lift a stack of bowls to get to the plates.

Make sure to stack the dishes so that the set you use most often is at the top of each pile.

Stack pans one on top of the other, and keep pots together as well.

Put all serving platters together, divided into different stacks by size.

Stack all reusable plastic containers of the same type and size together.