Housekeeping systems

When we had a garage with a door from the breakfast room really large cooking pans used once in a blue moon were stored, wrapped, in large plastic boxes on a shelf in the garage. Easy access when needed.

Now in a tiny bungalow we only have what we use regularly. Saucepans are in a deep drawer, other pans in a top cupboard, we’ve no need now for extra large pans.

Recently I’ve found those see through plastic trays useful for keeping dried foods and tins tidy, just pull out the one I want. They also stop me keeping more than we need as once they are full they are full. Also use them to organise the fridge and the under sink cupboard. Things like flour and sugar are in lock and lock boxes in a narrow pull out cupboard. Spices are arranged alphabetically in two slide out plastic trays.

I’ve (finally!!) found I enjoy a tidy, organised kitchen which has encouraged me to be ruthless, anything not used is moved on.

We’re all different. Mr C prefers what he calls organised chaos - not in the kitchen he doesn’t . Good luck finding a system that suits you fancythat. Might be worth experimenting for a bit and not worry if it’s not right first time. I’m about to swap some items about in top cupboards because it just might work better and will have no qualms about moving things back if it doesn’t.

Two large pans used infrequently are kept in a deep drawer in the oven housing.
Mainly, if something hasn’t been used for a year it goes, reducing clutter helps keep everything tidy.

My massive pans are all on top of high kitchen units.

I have a huge (yes, 100kg or more) yarn collection which is stored largely in the really useful boxes but I know I'm terrible about putting things away in them - especially if they aren't the very top box of the stash! I do use them though as it is for my work and I can put anti-moth things in them to protect the wool, cashmere, silk etc....

I'm with Lathyrus3 though about these boxes if you are a bit undisciplined like me!

I don't really have a system. I like cupboards where I can shove things away and pretend I am an organised person.
I am determined to do a big clothes sort out very soon. It's almost top of my to-do list for the new year.
Generally I am always trying to reduce my belongings and shall continue with that hopefully. Going around the house with a bin bag now and then seems to help. And being strong willed about getting rid of stuff.

Horses for courses. books on shelves, kitchen stuff in cupboards. Easier to wipe down a greasy kitchen door than all those shelves and the items on them,

mian solution is to be ruthless and get rid of anything that you do not need or use and then just keep things tidy. ie put things back where you found them.

I think we all think and work differently, so we all need to find a system thata suits each of us individually.

No real system, except I changed all the random storage to lock and lock, very many years ago. The empty containers are stored with lids on, in an outside keter 570 litre storage unit. I got fed up of the randoms and the lock and lock are lasting very well indeed and are very useful

Really useful boxes are also amazing for storage. I use these in cupboards, in garage and under my beds. Bought those pre 2010 and more again for moving in 2019. Pizza bags for storing wood carving tools safely under a spare bed. I bought from amazon, lovely quality keeper folding storage crates when I moved. some used now for storing summer shoes etc under a bed, other crates folded as they are too good to remove

My mission is to use what I have these days, hopefully making a little space now and then, it all adds up

I use the large tubs with lids usually purchased from the likes of B&M and other home stores. They are very useful and stackable and you can see what is in them.

Some ideas I may be able to use in that post. Thank you.

I don’t find tubs or boxes work for me because fundamentally I’m too lazy to open the box and put something back in🙄 So stuff gets draped or stacked until there’s a pile of it waiting to be rehomed.😱

I like open shelves that you can just pop things on to. Open bookshelves, open shelves with mugs, pots, food items like olive oil etc in the kitchen, shelves in the study with stationary. It’s as easy to put them there as it is to dump them somewhere else.

Things that need to be concealed because they look messy (socks, underwear) I like to have in shallow drawers so again just open and drop in. The garage is shelved throughout with big wide shelves near the bottom for larger things (no I don’t put the car in there - it’s wider than the garage door!).

My final method is the trunk. I have a big trunk in the garage and I put things like pictures, ornaments, any kind of stuff that’s just sitting around. Once a year I open it and throw stuff away that I haven’t missed and didn’t even remember I had!