Struggling With Messy Kitchen Drawers? Here Are Ideas to Organize Them Fast

Is your kitchen a disaster zone of cluttered, disorganized drawers? Do you waste precious time rummaging through utensils and linens just to find a spoon? Messy kitchen drawers crammed with a jumble of tools, wrappings and loose items can make cooking a chore. Read on for tips to quickly organize your kitchen drawers so everything has a handy home.

A tidy kitchen with smart drawer organization offers many benefits. You'll gain quick access to essential cooking tools, utensils and staple items, avoiding frustration from digging around drawers. Meal preparation and clean up will be faster and more efficient when you know exactly where to grab dish towels, tongs or parchment paper. Reducing clutter also provides a calming sense of order that helps you feel relaxed and focused in the kitchen.

Best Practices for Organized Drawers

Evaluate Kitchen Drawer Contents

The first step in organizing kitchen drawers is taking everything out for a full assessment. Remove all contents onto a table or counter and sort through each item. Toss anything that's broken, worn out or simply not used. Be honest about duplicates or "just in case" extras that just take up precious space. Group together like items, keeping frequently used essentials separate from occasionally used gadgets or linens.

This sorting process helps you see exactly what's lurking in those messy drawers. It also allows you to designate drawers based on specific categories. Frequently used cooking tools and linens should go in prime spots for easy access. Lesser used specialty items can get tucked in the back.

Categorize Drawer Contents

Once everything is sorted, it's time to assign categories to each drawer or drawer section. Logical groupings include:

• Cooking utensils and gadgets like wooden spoons, whisks, peelers
• Measuring tools such as cups, spoons, scales
• Food linens including dish towels, napkins, trivets
• Food wrapping necessities like plastic wrap, foil, freezer bags
• Flatware, cutlery and knives
• Spices, oils and pantry staples like flour, pasta

Be sure to keep cooking tools and linens that get used daily within easy reach. Food wrapping items belong near the food prep zone for convenience. Designate a entire drawer just for organized flatware. Keeping like items together makes everything easier to find.

Utilize Drawer Organizers

Drawer organizers help maintain tidy categories and neat storage. Options include:

• Adjustable dividers to customize sections for different items.
• Cutlery and utensil trays to neatly corral essentials.
• Spice organizers so jars don't get jumbled.
• Deep or expandable drawers to handle bulky items.
• Clear plastic bins and baskets to group small goods while still being able to see contents.

Invest in organizers specific to your needs and drawer sizes. Proper storage aids keep everything in its place.

Quick and Easy Ways to Organize Kitchen Drawers

Remove Clutter

Eliminating clutter is the Number One rule for organized drawers. Be ruthless in clearing out old, unused items taking up space. Toss anything that's expired, chipped or simply not essential. Donate extras of gadgets or linens to charity. The less crammed in a drawer, the neater it will stay.

Use Containers

Clear plastic bins or storage containers tidy up food staples, gadgets and other small items prone to getting jumbled. Matchbox sized containers are great for rubber bands, batteries and other tiny necessities. Visible contents make grab-and-go access easy.

Try Drawer Dividers

Adjustable dividers customize drawers for neat categorization. Vertical dividers allow you to store cooking utensils or cutlery upright to maximize space. Sections keep like items together and eliminate shifting around.

Label Everything

Use labels, chalkboard tape or markers to identify bins, baskets and sections. This avoids the guessing game of what might be stashed inside. Labeled storage keeps everyone organized.

Store Properly

Place items logically for visibility and easy access. Stand long tools like spatulas upright. Keep stacks of dish towels folded neatly. Return things to proper places after use so order is maintained.

Must-Have Items for Organized Kitchen Drawers

Cooking Utensils

Equip your kitchen with high-quality essentials like wooden spoons, silicone spatulas, stainless tongs, whisks and ladles. Often-used specialized tools like apple corers, meat thermometers and salad spinners deserve handy home too. Store cooking utensils together in a handy drawer.

Food Linens

Have plenty of absorbent dish towels on hand along with cloth napkins and multipurpose kitchen towels. Heat resistant trivets and oven mitts should be within easy reach of the cooking zone. Use a shallow drawer to neatly corral these linens.

Food Wrapping

Plastic wrap, aluminum foil and parchment paper are kitchen must-haves. Zip-top plastic bags in sandwich, quart and gallon sizes are great for storing leftovers and prepping meals. Keep these frequently used wrappings and supplies in a handy drawer.

Flatware and Cutlery

Dedicate a drawer for sturdy forks, spoons and knives. Use dividers, trays or inserts so flatware stands upright in neat rows. Quality knives deserve their own space in a knife block or sheath for safe storage. Arrange cutlery in easy access of dining space.

Pantry Staples

Keep flour, sugar, oils, vinegars, pasta, rice and other staples in sealable plastic or glass containers. Small bottles for spices like cinnamon and oregano can be neatly lined up in a drawer. This keeps food fresh while organizing essesntials for easy access.

Spices

Organize an array of dried herbs, spices and seasoning blends in a dedicated drawer compartment. Mini storage containers keep spices visible and sealed. Alphabetize if desired. An inventory helps ensure you can find and refill spices effortlessly.

A clean, organized kitchen starts with optimizing the contents of your drawers. Follow these tips to group cooking tools, utensils, linens and food staples into handy home categories. Invest in drawer organizers tailored to your space. Purge clutter, neatly store essentials and maintain order for maximum efficiency. With some effort upfront, your kitchen drawers can transform from messy to methodically organized!