Is your kitchen utensil drawer a jumbled mess of spatulas, ladles, and who-knows-what-else? An unorganized utensil drawer leads to frustration and wasted time digging around to find what you need. The solution? Get your drawer neatly organized with some simple planning and drawer dividers. Read on to learn the easy steps to transform your chaotic utensil drawer into a model of efficiency.
Organizing your kitchen utensil drawer has many benefits. You’ll be able to instantly find the right tool, avoiding buying duplicates while getting rid of old and unused items. An orderly drawer just feels satisfying and provides a little sense of control in a busy kitchen. Follow the tips below and you’ll soon have a utensil drawer that is tidy, sorted, and a pleasure to open.
Before You Organize: Make a Plan
Don’t just start shuffling utensils around in the drawer. Take a thoughtful, planned approach for the best results. First, take measurements of your drawer’s length, width, and height. This allows you to shop for dividers that will fit nicely. Next, take stock of all your utensils and group them into categories – cooking spoons, spatulas, whisks, etc. Finally, make a plan for what items will go in each divided section. Having a layout in mind makes installing dividers and sorting utensils much easier.
Handy Tools for Measuring
A tape measure or ruler lets you quantify the precise length, width, and height of your utensil drawer’s interior. This allows you to shop for dividers guaranteed to fit. Be sure to measure the height to the top of the drawer to ensure your organizers don’t make the drawer too tall to close.
Decide on Utensil Categories
Group all your utensils into categories before installing dividers. For example, cooking spoons, spatulas, whisks, and serving spoons and forks. Keeping like items together makes them easy to find later. Assign each planned category its own section in the drawer.
Buy Dividers to Fit Your Drawer
With your measurements and plan in hand, you’re ready to shop for dividers. Look for removable, adjustable dividers so you can modify them later if needed. Get a variety – some tall dividers to separate big categories and some shorter dividers to further divide sections. Amazon has an extensive selection of drawer organizers in lots of configurations.
Removable, Adjustable Dividers
Opt for dividers that are removable and adjustable rather than permanently fixed. This gives flexibility down the road to reconfigure your layout if your needs change. Look for dividers with sliding panels that allow you to customize compartments to any size.
Mix of Sizes
Purchase dividers in a variety of heights. Tall dividers are great for separating major utensil categories. Shorter dividers can further divide sections into smaller compartments. The ability to mix and match divider sizes lets you cater the organizer to your specific utensils.
Install Dividers and Organize Utensils
You’ve done the prep work – now it’s time to put your organizational plan into action. Install the dividers according to the manufacturer’s directions, adjusting them to create your planned compartments. Then sort utensils into groups and place each category in its designated section. Stand long utensils like spatulas upright to conserve space.
Install Dividers
When installing dividers, follow any included directions. Typically, you just slide the adjustable panels into slots to form compartments. Adjust divider placement as needed to create the right sizes for your utensil groups.
Assign a Home for Each Utensil
With dividers installed, the fun part begins – putting the utensils into their new organized home. Place each planned category of utensils into its assigned section in the drawer. Within each section, arrange utensils from largest to smallest. Position most used items near the front for easy access.
Maintain Organization in Your Drawer
Set up some simple habits to keep your newly organized utensil drawer looking neat and tidy. Always put items back in their designated spots after washing. Periodically purge unused and duplicate utensils that have snuck back in. And don’t be afraid to rearrange dividers if needed as utensil needs change over time.
Put Things Away Properly
Preserve organization by developing the habit of putting utensils back in their assigned compartment after use and washing. It only takes a few seconds but makes a difference in maintaining order.
Check in and Reassess
Over time, unused utensils tend to accumulate again. Every few months, review your utensil drawer contents and get rid of any duplicates or utensils you don’t use. Reconfigure your dividers if your needs have changed.
With some effort up front to install dividers and sort utensils, you’ve created an efficiency powerhouse in your kitchen. Locating the right cooking tool quickly is a breeze. Your organized utensil drawer will make meal prep smoother and easier every single day.
An orderly, neatly arranged utensil drawer just feels satisfying. You’ll get a little spark of pride each time you smoothly grab the right utensil. No more rummaging through a cluttered mess! Bring order and efficiency to your cooking routine with a beautifully organized utensil drawer.
