Office supplies to help
Who said office supplies can only be useful in the office? Vertical document trays make great storage for pans or glass lids. This design will not take up much space, and storing kitchen utensils will be much more convenient.
In addition, when the lids are kept in such an individual “box”, they will be less scratched, which means they will last much longer.
Rack with shelves
Many shelves on one plane are an ideal solution for storing jars of goodies. The rack can be placed anywhere (most often on the balcony).
The rack can be purchased ready-made, but for craftsmen it will not be difficult to make it with your own hands. When choosing a rack, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- material of manufacture (durable, reliable, it is best if the rack is made of metal);
- quality of fastenings (plastic is absolutely not suitable);
- length and width (selected based on where the rack will be installed);
- height of the structure (the most convenient option is 1.8 m).
Attention: Canned foods deteriorate when exposed to sunlight. When placing cans on open shelves, it is necessary to provide protection for them. As an option, you can use decorative curtains. Selected to match the overall style of the room, they will help to successfully fit the rack into the interior. Roller blinds fixed on a rack can also provide good protection from light.
Hooks or hangers
There is always a lot of empty space inside the cabinets, which can be made quite functional. To do this, purchase hooks for keys or a regular wire hanger for the hallway. Now you can always place your measuring spoons, steelyard, vegetable peeler and other small items inside the cabinet.
Hooks can also be attached to the door or side surface of the kitchen unit. The only thing you should remember is that you should not overload the visible space with small details, otherwise the kitchen will look untidy.
Sorting items
Things stored in the kitchen can be divided into three broad categories:
- cooking utensils;
- serving items;
- products.
Each of them has subcategories - items that are convenient to store together.
Note! Periodically, it is useful to declutter your kitchen and get rid of things that have not been used for a long time.
Place pots, pans and baking dishes close to the stove. Under the dinnerware - near the sink. Products are sorted by type: separately spices, cereals, pasta and tea. For large items, floor drawers (under the sink or under the countertop) are better suited; for small and lightweight items, wall drawers are best. Household chemicals are best stored under the sink. If necessary, containers for cleaning products and sponges are installed in the cabinet. Gloves can be hung on a crossbar or on a hook on the inside of the door. It is convenient to hide a garbage container under the sink. Storing items by category will make it easy to find what you need and give your kitchen a neat appearance.
Rails under the sink
The space under the sink is either not used at all or resembles a junk storage area. Try fixing the railing between the side walls of the cabinet.
Such a useful gadget will help significantly optimize your space. You can place a detergent with a spray bottle on it, as well as hang baskets for rags or sponges.
Where to put dishes and cutlery
The drawers or shelves on which dishes are stored can always be improved. And if there is not enough space, stands and other accessories will come to the rescue.
Storing pans and pots
For large dishes, special racks and hanging systems are suitable. Dividers for large drawers are also used. The lids can be folded there or on a stand designed for this purpose.
Pans can be hung like this...
...or like this
Pans on such a rack can be placed inside a large cabinet
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Sets of pans are the most compact, as they are usually nested inside each other like a nesting doll
Organizers for knives, spoons and forks
To keep knives at hand, attach a magnetic strip for them above the work area. If you have space on your work surface, purchase a set of knives in special stands.
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Knives on a magnetic holder: such sets are very space-saving
Spoons and forks, as well as knives and various cooking utensils - spatulas, whisks, ladles - can be conveniently stored in a shallow drawer with a divider. But there are other ways - place the cutlery in a metal bucket and hang it on the rail.
Vertical storage systems
As practice has shown, many items take up much less space when placed vertically, so by installing special organizers and containers, you can use the available space more efficiently.
Clothespins for rubber gloves
Ordinary clothespins glued to the locker door will help you forget forever about the problem of where rubber gloves are located.
You can also hang rags, napkins or other household utensils on clothespins.
Pull-out shelf
There are many secluded places in the apartment: between furniture, between doors and household appliances. These ten centimeters of space accumulate dust, but you can place a convenient pull-out shelf on them. A narrow but fairly high shelf on wheels will help hide numerous jars with homemade preparations for the winter from prying eyes.
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The pull-out shelf can be installed anywhere except:
- toilet;
- near the trash can;
- under the bath;
- in a very hot place.
Wardrobe up to the ceiling
If you decide to make radical changes and want to completely replace your kitchen unit, then it is best to choose a model in which the upper cabinets will reach the ceiling. Since many people have a bad habit of putting unused things on the closet. Over time, it turns into a small garbage bin.
Using closed tall cabinets will allow you to hide everything unnecessary. In addition, you will have additional storage space.
If buying a cabinet is not part of your plans, then you can put matching boxes or designer baskets on the cabinets.
What it is
Smart storage in the kitchen is a rational and comfortably organized space. All items in cabinets and drawers must be placed so that they can be easily and conveniently reached. Things should have their places. This will make it easy to arrange space in your kitchen and in the apartment as a whole.
Smart storage represents: rationality, compactness, spaciousness, beauty and functionality of interior design. These components will help save time and effort when the housewife spends time in the kitchen.
Devices that you use regularly should be visible at all times.
It is advisable to place frequently used dishes and accessories in kitchen cabinets at the bottom of the furniture. This will help you quickly get the necessary supplies.
If the area is small, then the storage system in the kitchen needs to be thought out so that the walls can be used. There are open shelves, hanging cabinets on which it is easy to place dishes, spices, etc.
Square cereal jars
To store bulk products, such as cereals, you can take identical square-shaped glass jars. Firstly, all the contents in such jars will be visible, which will allow you to immediately find what you need, and secondly, identical containers always look more neat.
In addition, by giving preference to square jars, you will save some space, since they fit much more compactly on the shelf than round ones.
As you can see, everything ingenious is simple, and if you use at least a few of these life hacks, your kitchen will become much more functional and comfortable.
Where to store vegetables
It is good to keep many fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator, in a special drawer, where a suitable temperature is maintained. We will devote a separate article to storing various products in the refrigerator. And here we will focus on other places that are ideal for vegetables:
| Storage space for vegetables | Advantages | Flaws |
| Refrigerators, built-in or free-standing | It is compact, vegetables can be stored in it for as long as possible | The cost of this technology is quite high |
| Thermal cabinet | Suitable for large volumes of vegetables and home canning | Doesn't fit in a small kitchen. Expensive. Not everyone needs it |
| Wardrobe “refrigerator” under the windows | Does not require connection to an electrical outlet | Such “refrigerators” have been preserved only in some old houses. In the summer, they become completely ordinary cabinets. |
| Pantry | In addition to vegetables, it will fit many other products and things | It is not always possible to do it |
| Cellar | It’s always cool and dark here - not only vegetables and fruits love it, but also wines, canned food, and some other products | Available only in private houses or on the first floors of some high-rise buildings, however, in the latter it is quite rare |
| Pull-out metal baskets | They take up little space and are at hand. They can be replaced with wicker or plastic baskets, placing them on shelves. | They are at room temperature. |
| Rack against the wall or whatnot on wheels | Beautiful, comfortable | They require additional space |
| Canvas bags | Good for storing root vegetables. Lets air through. They don’t take up space—the empty bag can be folded compactly. | Vegetables in them are difficult to sort by type |
Several life hacks for storing vegetables in the kitchen:
- Before storing fruits and vegetables in a drawer or refrigerator, do not wash them.
- Store different types of vegetables and fruits separately.
- Ensure good air circulation in containers.
Vegetables in special bags will not expire prematurely
