Smart Ideas for Organizing Your Kitchen

What are you going to do with a box of crackers that expired three years ago? (Don't even nibble them to see if they're still crunchy. Just don't.) Unearth these ancient objects taking up space in your pantry, cupboards and fridge and put them to rest once and for all.

Have trash bags ready to toss expired items, and boxes ready to donate extra food. And whether your approach is to remove everything at once, or tackle the area shelf by shelf, it's a good idea to disinfect each area before putting the non-expired items back.

Do you find yourself doing a unique yoga pose each time you reach for a popular staple tucked away in your cupboard? Save the stretching for the studio and apply some ergonomic principles to your kitchen instead.

Designate a go-to area where the items you use most often are easy to reach and close to where you'll use them. Less popular ingredients and tools can go on shelves above or below the go-to area.

If you need to create rows of items, consider labeling your shelves so you'll know what's hidden behind the item up front. Or, group similar items together, such as sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar.

Label items with chalkboard labels, and you can erase and rewrite when you change the contents inside the bins.

When you find yourself running out of room on your shelves and countertops, consider using vertical space (your walls and doors) to organize. Hang a labeled shoe organizer with clear pockets inside your pantry door. Putting it all away and out of sight couldn't be easier. . . you just simply close the door.

The over-the-door organizer comes in handy in other places, too. Use in the utility room to hold cleaning supplies, the kid's room for toys and even the craft room!

Use our square labels to label pockets on an over-the-door organizer to store your baking supplies, sauce packets, snacks etc.

Organizing items by task is another way to find everything you need all in one place. Keep cookie cutters on display in a glass jar, or hang them on a corkboard or pegboard. Gather pie tins and molds to form their own gang. And cluster your cake decorating tools so they're close by each other. When you find one, you'll find them all.

Turn your kitchen into the welcoming space it's meant to be. Make sure food items are fresh and unexpired, keep counters clean and pantry organized. With a clutter-free kitchen, you'll look forward to whipping up your next kitchen creation soon!