Most kitchens don’t get messy because there isn’t enough storage. They get messy because everyday bits don’t have a clear place to land – and when you’re mid-cooking (or rushing out the door), it often means leaving the kitchen in a bigger mess than you found it.
If you want kitchen organisation ideas that last longer than a weekend, focus on three areas that affect the whole room: the bin setup, the sink space, and the drawers.
Start With How You Use The Kitchen (Not How You Want It To Look)
Take a normal day and think about where things naturally end up:
- Shopping comes in: where do bags and packets get put down?
- Tea and coffee is made: where do spoons, mugs, and sugar drift to?
- Dinner’s cooked: where do used utensils and packaging pile up?
- Washing up is done: where do cloths and sprays gather?
Those “landing spots” are the places to organise first, because they’re the ones you’ll notice every day.
A Quick Reset That Doesn’t Turn Into a Full Clear-Out
Pick one cupboard and one drawer.
- Empty them onto the worktop.
- Move anything that doesn’t belong there straight back where it does belong.
- Make small, simple groups (snacks, baking, breakfast, cleaning, food storage).
- Put the most-used items back in the easiest spot to reach.
You’re not aiming for perfection. You’re setting up an arrangement that makes putting things away feel obvious – and easy.
Measure the Awkward Spots Before You Buy Organisers
The places that catch people out are nearly always the same: under the sink, narrow gaps, and unexpectedly shallow drawers.
Measure the inside of the space you’re organising (not the drawer or door front), then allow a little breathing room so items slide in and out without snagging. You’ll have to be a little savvy under the sink – first, eyeball where the pipework sits, then measure the usable area around it.
Three Simple Changes That Make A Kitchen Feel Calmer
Bins: Make Waste And Recycling Easy, Not Annoying
If the bin is awkward to reach, hard to open, or always in the way, it becomes a constant irritation – and the kitchen feels messy and unorganised even when it isn’t.
That’s why shopping around is crucial to find a bin setup that suits your space:
- A compact bin where floor space is tight
- A slim bin if you’ve got a narrow gap beside a unit
- A separate recycling sorter if you’re regularly splitting waste
- An under-the-cabinet bin to keep waste out of sight
Form and placement matters more than style. If you can scrape plates and throw packaging away without moving something else first, you’ve got the location spot-on.
One small thing that makes a big difference: keep bin liners close to the bin. If they live in another room or a random drawer, (let’s be honest) the bag won’t get changed when it should.
Caddies: Stop The Sink Area Turning Into A Clutter Shelf
The sink side is often the messiest part of the kitchen because it attracts lots of small items like sponges and cloths, washing-up liquid, and rubber gloves. And no matter how hard you try, they all end up in a soapy pile and left to smell damp.
A neat sink space usually comes down to one decision: what stays out, and what gets put away.
Keep out only what you use daily:
- Washing-up liquid
- One brush or scrubber
- Hand soap (if you keep it by the sink)
Everything else is easier to manage when it’s grouped together.
Under-sink caddy idea: keep backups and less-used items in a handled caddy or a basket you can pull forward:
- Spare cloths and sponges
- Sprays
- Dishwasher tabs
- Gloves
When those items are collected in one place, you’re not chasing them around the cupboard, and the counter stays clear and neat.
Drawer Dividers: The Quickest Route To Drawers That Stay Tidy
Drawer organisation usually falls apart because everything slides into everything else and creates a giant “grab bag” situation. Dividers and trays stop that drift.
A few drawer setups that work well:
Cutlery drawer
- A cutlery tray that fits properly
- A small section for everyday tools (peeler, bottle opener, can opener)
Utensil drawer
- Longer sections for tongs, spatulas, and wooden spoons
- A smaller section for measuring spoons, bag clips, thermometer
Wraps and bags drawer
- Separate cling film, foil, and baking paper so rolls don’t collapse together
- Keep food bags in a small box so they don’t bunch up
If you open the drawer and can’t see what’s in it, it’s either overfilled or trying to do too many jobs. It’s usually better to split one messy drawer into two clear ones, so you can grab what you need without jumbling up the entire contents.
Cupboards That Don’t Swallow Your Groceries
Give Cupboards A Job, Then Keep That Job Simple
Instead of “this cupboard is food”, try:
- Cooking staples
- Baking
- Snacks
- Breakfast
- Food storage tubs and wraps
When cupboards have a clear purpose, items are easier to put away quickly – and easier to find in a dash. Baskets or tubs help here because you can pull a whole category forward, grab what you need, and slide it back without disturbing everything else.
Make Deep Cupboards Less Frustrating
Deep cupboards become messy because things disappear at the back – we’ve all found a box of cereal that expired 5 years prior, haven’t we? If you can pull boxes forward, you’ll use the space properly, without wasting money well spent.
- Group packets in a basket
- Keep tins together in a sturdy tub
- Store heavy items where they’re easiest to lift without straining
It’s less about “more storage” and more about not having to rummage.
Keeping It Tidy Without a Big Weekly Overhaul
A kitchen stays organised when it gets small resets, not big reorganisations. Use five minutes per day to save time spent on hour-long organisation sessions at the weekend. In this short time, you can easily:
- Clear the sink side back to the daily items
- Put away the handful of things that have drifted onto the worktop
- Realign the cupboards and drawers you use daily – move the freshest stuff to the front
That’s it. The system does the rest. Looking for everything you need to keep your kitchen in perfect order? It all starts with YTC – browse our range of kitchen organisation essentials.