There is one space in every home that accumulates the most clutter. For many, it’s the kitchen. Appliances are bulky and, in most instances, unsightly. Cabinets and drawers tend to hide the undesirable mess and perpetuate the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. It’s the ideal space for allowing things to get out of hand without even realizing it. While we’re still at home practicing social distancing, it’s the perfect time to tackle organizing the spaces in your home that have caused you the most stress in the past. Start with the least fun, but most satisfying - your kitchen.

How to organize your kitchen during quarantine

1. Make a mess - this sounds counterintuitive, but make a mess first. Bring the contents of your kitchen cabinets, shelves, drawers and pantry out into the open. This will allow you to see all of the items you have and assess your most- and least-used items. Depending on the size of your kitchen, perhaps start with the refrigerator and pantry items and then move to other areas so as not to overwhelm yourself.

2. Take inventory - start taking inventory of everything in your kitchen and notice any duplicates, broken items, never-used appliances, expired foods, non-perishable items that can be donated, etc.

3. Sort your items - you’ve already started categorizing your items, so start to sort them by categories: keep, toss/recycle, donate/sell. At this point you can ask yourself some questions: “how often do I cook,” “how often do I bake,” “how often do I make homemade pasta,” etc. Answers to those questions can determine the need for the items in your kitchen. In your initial inventory, you’ve also determined if foods are expired or appliances are broken. Do a further sort to see which foods might be compostable and which containers or appliances can be recycled or disposed of safely. Depending on the item, Best Buy takes some electronic appliances. You can also check your local Iron and Metal Salvage for their disposal policies. This is also a great time to gather up any non-perishable foods or lightly used appliances and kitchen tools that you can donate to local shelters.

4. Clean all surfaces - remember, we're in quarantine. Give your refrigerator and shelves a good wipe down with some disinfectant so your items have a clean place to return to.

5. Sort again & give everything a home - this time, sort the remaining items you're keeping by the area of the kitchen they’ll reside in. The kitchen is comprised of a food area, non-food area, cleaning area, prep area and cooking area. Determine which area your items fall under and sort accordingly. Then further sort by placing like items together such as plates or cleaning supplies.

6. Make use of containers & vertical space - for smaller items like spices, cooking utensils or storage containers, utilize organizational containers to keep like items together. Also consider utilizing organizers with steps or shelves to make the most of any vertical space in your cabinets and drawers.

7. Hide larger, lesser-used items - any appliances that aren’t frequently used or those that take up too much precious counter space should be tucked away in cabinets or closets.

8. Design & display the things you use most - we love the idea of open shelving in our spaces, so we show off our most-used dish ware and cooking utensils. In our pantry we also decant any dry goods and snacks into glass containers for easy access, longer-lasting, more aesthetically pleasing storage. Then sprinkle in some of the items you love most like cookbooks, cutting boards, citrus fruit, plants or flowers to style up and personalize the space.

While many of us are in an organizational kick due to being at home, challenge yourself to tackle the rooms or spaces that you’ve been putting off. Of course, organizing an entire living space isn’t for everyone, but if channeling your nervous energy into something that can benefit your everyday processes feels good - do it. You might find yourself getting creative in the kitchen or plating the meals you picked up from a local restaurant with curbside pickup with a new fervor!