I bought a plastic-bag organizer recently, and the other day, as I was shoving a grocery bag into its neat confines, I felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. It was an emotion that was hard to place, one that resided somewhere between calm — all too fleeting these days — and, dare I say it, joy?
So maybe you don’t have the energy for a full Marie Kondo-style purging of your household, but if the novelty of home cooking has worn thin as the pandemic continues, consider a kitchen overhaul.
Here’s a roundup of cheap — mostly free — tips for inspiration. If they sound like no-brainers, well, maybe they are. But both my husband and I have noticed how these minor adjustments have made our lives noticeably better — and easier. And who couldn’t use an easier life right now?
1. Do a deep cleaning.
It may sound like a drag, but put on some dance music and see how much pent-up aggression you can work out. Do all the crummy jobs: Get in the corners; clean the grease off the tops of the cupboards; pull out the stove and the refrigerator. Getting rid of that blanket of dust on the fridge motor will make it function more effectively too.
2. Rearrange your refrigerator.
Yes, clean it and throw out the long-expired condiments. But then, take a look at the shelves. Are you always struggling to find a spot for the milk? Consider reconfiguring them to eliminate minor daily hassles.
3. Rethink your drawers and cabinets.
What other annoyances could you eliminate with a bit of rejiggering? Where else could you put the tongs that make the drawer jam every time you open it? How about employing a little-used vase as a utensil bucket so you don’t even need to open a drawer for those tongs?
Could you streamline your movements around the kitchen if you shuffled what you have in your cabinets? I’m not sure how I chose the cupboard for my plates when we moved in; I suspect it was the one closest to the box where the dishes were packed. Moving the plates made my prep area more efficient and saved a few steps — which may seem minor, but who has even a few steps’ worth of energy to spare these days?
4. Engage in some gentle KonMari.
As you reorganize, think about what you have and whether you really need it; if you can shed it, get rid of it. Note what’s worn out and needs to be replaced. If you can afford to replace that dull can opener, do it; if not, put it on a list for down the road.
5. Invest in a few organizers for convenience. Here are my picks:
• A small, cardboard box (free). Back when I tested a bunch of meal kits, one of the companies sent its produce in a small cardboard box (think shoebox), which I saved to keep onions, potatoes and other root vegetables in a dry cupboard. Should something rot in there, it can easily be discarded and replaced.
• Hooks, hooks, lots of hooks ($3-$20). Consider magnetic ones, 3M Command hooks that stick on with double-sided tape, or racks of hooks. I installed a large rack in our wastebasket closet for grocery tote bags, and a smaller utensil rack over a countertop.
• A bin for pot lids ($6.99). I tried a few different options for organizing pot lids — all of which either didn’t work as promised or chewed up too much space. I settled on a plastic file bin. The lids that used to spill all over two shelves of a cabinet, regularly crashing out onto the floor, are now neatly contained in less than a quarter of the same space.
• A rack for plastic wrap and foil ($8.99). I resisted these racks for a while, thinking a drawer was fine, but then I thought of all the other things that could go in that drawer if I didn’t have the clutter of boxes for parchment paper and foil and whatever else. It’s a good way to make use of dead wall space or the insides of doors.
• A plastic-bag organizer ($14.99). I always thought these were ridiculous objects, especially since I’d tried to phase plastic bags out of our lives. But then we had a child. Our organizer installed with double-sided tape in about three minutes, and has been brightening our trash closet ever since.