Is your kitchen feeling cluttered and chaotic? Are your countertops covered with items that don’t have a proper home? This seven-day kitchen organizing project is designed to help you reclaim your space, one manageable task at a time. By dedicating just a small portion of each day to a specific area, you’ll create a kitchen that’s both functional and peaceful. Let’s dive into this week-long transformation that will change how you experience your kitchen.
Day 1: Flatware and Utensil Drawer
Start your week by tackling the flatware and utensil drawer, the foundation of daily kitchen functionality. Empty the entire drawer, wipe it clean, and sort through every item, discarding duplicates, broken pieces, and utensils you never use. Invest in a quality drawer organizer or divider that keeps forks, knives, spoons, and cooking utensils neatly separated. Return only the items you actually use to the drawer, creating a system where everything has its designated spot and is easy to grab when you need it.
Day 2: Junk Drawer
Every kitchen has one—the notorious junk drawer filled with mystery items, old batteries, and forgotten receipts. Empty this drawer completely and be ruthless about what deserves to stay. Sort items into categories: tools, office supplies, batteries, and miscellaneous, then designate small containers or dividers for each category. This drawer should become a purposeful utility drawer where you can actually find what you need, from scissors to tape, without digging through chaos.
Day 3: Under the Kitchen Sink
The area under your kitchen sink often becomes a dark, cluttered wasteland of cleaning supplies and forgotten products. Pull everything out, check expiration dates, and dispose of any products that are old, dried up, or duplicates. Wipe down the cabinet interior and consider adding stackable shelves or pull-out organizers to maximize vertical space. Group similar items together—all dish soaps in one area, sponges and scrubbers in another, and cleaning sprays lined up neatly—making everything visible and accessible.
Day 4: All of the Spices
Spice organization can be a game-changer for both cooking efficiency and counter space. Gather every spice bottle from cupboards, drawers, and countertops, checking expiration dates as you go (yes, spices do expire!). Wipe down containers, consider transferring spices to matching jars for a uniform look, and arrange them alphabetically or by cuisine type in a drawer, cabinet, or on a wall-mounted rack. Creating a proper spice system means you’ll actually use these flavor enhancers instead of buying duplicates because you couldn’t find what you already had.
Day 5: Dishes, Glasses, and Cups Cabinets
Today’s focus is on the cabinets that house your everyday dishes and drinkware. Remove everything from these cabinets and evaluate what you truly need and use regularly. Stack dishes by type and size, nest bowls efficiently, and arrange glasses and cups with the most-used items at eye level. Consider whether items currently taking up prime real estate could be stored elsewhere or donated, keeping only what serves your household’s actual needs and creating breathing room in these high-traffic cabinets.
Day 6: Plastic Ware
The final organizing day tackles the often-frustrating world of food storage containers. Dump out your entire collection and match every container with its corresponding lid—any orphans should be recycled immediately. Keep only containers in good condition without stains or warping, and consider investing in a stackable set with interchangeable lids. Nest containers by size and store lids vertically in a separate container or file organizer, creating a system where you can quickly grab what you need without an avalanche of mismatched pieces.
Day 7: Rest and Reflect
Congratulations! You’ve completed six days of focused kitchen organization. Today is your day to rest, enjoy your newly organized spaces, and appreciate the clear countertops and functional drawers you’ve created. Take time to cook a meal in your refreshed kitchen and notice how much easier it is to find what you need. Your kitchen should now feel like a space that works for you, not against you.
Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we’ll tackle bigger and deeper projects like pantry organization. For now, enjoy the transformation you’ve achieved—one drawer and cabinet at a time! To achieve a quick results for any of the projects listed, consider “Tidy and Talk” – held the last Wednesday of each month
