Many of us have become more acquainted with our kitchens in 2020! We are going out to eat less, cooking more and doing a lot more cleaning. 

And believe it or not, there’s no need for huge renovations or DIY projects to make the heart of our home more efficient for that relentless food prep, cooking, and cleanup. We just have to do one thing—keep it organized.

Here we've listed five organizing hacks to help make your kitchen activities easier and a more pleasant experience:

1. Always keep your kitchen counters clear.

Freeing up space in the kitchen counters will make you feel more comfortable whenever you're starting your meal prep. So if your countertop is lined with small appliances and cooking utensils that you don’t often use, like the toaster or blender, see if you can put them away.

Also, keep out all the random things that don’t belong in the kitchen countertop—toys, keys, papers, brochures, etc. Designate a special basket or tray that will become your drop zone and will help keep clutter at a minimum. By always limiting clutter on your kitchen counters, you can keep the things you frequently use more accessible to you so you can spend less time looking for stuff and more on prepping and cooking.

2. Rearrange your pantry items.

By organizing your pantry items, you will always have a clear view of your most-used items and will make things easier for you to find. To effectively rearrange the contents of your kitchen cabinets, pull out everything first and perform an inventory. Place the items you use every day on eye-level shelves, and save those fancy, special ingredients you only occasionally use on the upper or lower-level shelves.

3. Keep things in your fridge neat and tidy.

Experts call the refrigerator the “messiest cabinet” in the home for a reason. And with increased movements and production in the kitchen, there's never been a better need to keep things in your fridge neat and tidy. So don’t forget to clean through all your refrigerated foods. Toss everything that’s expired, any leftovers that you’re not going to eat anymore, and all other food and items that have dried out, gotten wilted or moldy. Also, give your refrigerator a good cleaning before putting everything back into place. 

To further utilize your cooler space, assign plastic containers and organization bins to specific food categories for quick and easy access. Remember to also add labels and expiry dates to the containers so it’ll be easier for you to throw out expired or old items.

4. Set up zones and add labels.

To easily create zones throughout your kitchen, think about everything you do there—from food preparation, cooking, to washing dishes and even brewing your favorite coffee. Then, organize the items that are used for a similar purpose in each area where you'll designate them. Introduce jars and boxes and add appropriate labels to help group these items together so you will know exactly where they’ll be when you need them next. 

This organizing hack won’t only make your kitchen look orderly but will also help you avoid buying duplicate products since everything will be placed according to its specific purpose.

5. Use drawer dividers to organize cutlery and go vertical for bigger, slender items.

How often do you find yourself rummaging through your kitchen drawers each time you need a specific tool or utensil? Save yourself from this hassle by using drawer dividers that will create boundaries for forks, spoons, knives, and other small baking tools and gadgets. 

Likewise, use a vertical wire divider for equipment like cookie sheets, cooling racks, and muffin tins and store them vertically like books. This way, you'll be able to pull one out easily without shifting the other items.