This aticle is is reprinted from this website, for more details, please refer to this blog (https://www.monkeybarstorage.com/blog/organizing-cluttered-cabinets-and-shelves).

There are lot of organization tips that I have written about investing in cabinets and shelves. Sometimes these solutions only solve half the problem. I have a personal problem of just throwing items in my cabinets and on shelves, without giving any thought to how messy it looks. A cluttered cabinet also has made accessing items more difficult than it should.

For some of us, organization requires an extra mile of effort before we’ve conquered the clutter problem. If your kitchen cabinets, junk drawer, or book shelves need an overhaul, here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Establish Zones

The first step is to evaluate where the clutter is and move all of the items out. Re-arrange all of the items in new locations and allocate logical storage zones. One cabinet for plastic bins, one drawer for cooking utensils, one shelf for cookbooks, and so on. You probably have some shelves that were less cluttered than others. The process of removing everything and re-organizing allows you to work with a clean slate and distribute items more evenly.

Storage by Height

My rule for what goes where is this: everyday items within arms’ reach and less-frequent items stored up high or down low. Make sure to keep heavy items lower to reduce the risk of dropping them when bringing them down – especially true for open shelves where heavy items could drop when bumped into or shaken.

Drawer Organizers

These are the savior to every junk drawer. Drawer organizers help with two things: 1) they automatically establish zones for each item and 2) force you to not stuff them and move excess items into another location. The Container Store has some great drawer organizers worth checking out.

Cabinet Hooks

An idea to improve accessibility is installing hooks inside the kitchen cabinets or outside the box. Cups, utensils, and cooking ware can be hung on hooks. This provides an easy way to grab daily-use items and reduce the amount of stuff sitting in the cabinets.

Pull-Out Organizers

Some pull-out systems include mini-organizers to separate the shelf into sections, others are wire baskets for holding small trash cans and cleaning supplies for under-the-sink cabinets. Pull-out organizers are a neat option to look into to ease lower cabinet access.

These ideas should help you with the re-organizing ritual. If your cabinets and shelves are still cluttered, you may need to try storing additional items in another, adjacent room or purchase some more shelves. If new shelves isn’t an option, then the last approach to use is to stack items by weight and store items inside other items. For example, measuring cups and plastic containers can be stored inside pots and pans.