For many families, entertaining and eating is done right in the kitchen, which means that not only do you want a clean kitchen for cooking, but you’ll also want space for having company over. For those that have small kitchens, having the space necessary means making use of every nook and cranny.
These simple kitchen hacks will help you maximize your storage space, allowing you to keep your kitchen organized… but that’s not all! We also have some handy kitchen hacks that make cleaning super simple and quick! When it comes to cleaning around the house, the kitchen should be your priority. Why? Because it’s where the FOOD is!
Use Magnets
Organize your spices in a clever way by making use of magnets. You can also use magnets for storing knives so that you don’t have to use a knife block… just make sure you use a strong enough magnet so that your kitchen doesn’t rain knives.
Make Freezer Shelves With Magazine Holders
Take some magazine holders and turn them on their sides for some great shelves that can be used to organize and protect flat-ish items.
Over The Sink Cutting Board
Preserve precious counter space with an over the sink cutting board. Not only do you save on either counter or cabinet space, but with these boards you can prevent a disaster on your kitchen counter or floor. Saves a lot of clean up with food prep! As an added bonus you can also use it to hide dirty dishes when an unexpected guest comes over.
Add More Storage By Hacking “Unopenable” Drawers
Cabinet and drawer space can come at a premium, especially when working with a small kitchen, but fear not! Make use of those un-openable drawers that are beneath your sink. Additionally, you can build toe-kick drawers under your base cabinets.
Use A Tension Rod To Hang Cleaning Products
A tension rod can be a great way for storing and organizing spray bottles so that you have additional space in an otherwise cramped under-sink cabinet.
Use A Collapsible Wine Rack For Storing Bottles
Place a collapsible wine rack on the lower shelf of your refrigerator to keep bottles (wine, soda, water, etc.) on their sides.
How To Keep Your Sponge Dry and Mildew Free
Keep your sponge from becoming gross and unusable with a simple alligator clip. Just place the sponge upright which will prevent it from sitting in water as well as help it air dry fast.
Rid Your Kitchen Of Foul Odors (At Least For A Day)
If your kitchen smells a bit funky or you just want to bing back memories of mom’s chocolate chip cookies, grab some vanilla extract. Put two caps full into an oven proof dish and in your oven for an hour at 300 degrees. The smell will encompass your kitchen as well as other parts of your home for about a day.
Clean Your Wooden Cutting Boards With Lemon And Salt
To freshen up your cutting board and ensure that it’s clean, sprinkle some coarse salt and then use half a lemon (cut side down) to scrub the board. Make sure to squeeze some lemon juice as you go – let it sit for 5 minutes. Scrape the dirty liquid off and then rinse with some water.
Freshen Your Dishwasher
It’s probably never occurred that your dishwasher needs to be cleaned since it’s constantly cleaning itself and the dishes every time you run it, but every so often it’s a good idea to freshen it up. Just run a cycle with vinegar and then do another for rinsing!
Adapted from www.lifehack.org
