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Grocery Shopping & Kitchen Products for Going Green

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Grocery Shopping & Kitchen Products for Going GreenWith Earth Day coming up, you may be thinking of ways you can help the environment at home through reuse and recycling. Following last week’s popular blog topic of “Products for Organized Home Recycling and Composting,” I’d like to discuss ways to organize and streamline your grocery shopping and kitchen to be more green. As part of some organizing sessions, my clients are looking for methods, systems, and products to help them become more environmentally conscious. There are many storage and kitchen products available to help you to reduce the amount of plastic and paper you use on an everyday basis. Here are some kitchen and grocery shopping products for going green:

Storage Options for Recycling Plastic Grocery Bags

Wall Secured Stainless Steel Utopia Grocery Bag Holder, Saver & Dispenser

mDesign Metal Over Cabinet Kitchen Storage Basket

KINDPMA Plastic Bag Holder

Reusable Grocery Bags

Green BD’s Large, Heavy Duty Reusable Grocery Bags

Set of 5 Reusable Grocery Bags

P&P Alternative Unisex Heavy Duty Reusable Grocery Tote Bags

BagPodz Reusable Bag & Storage System

Reusable Produce Bags

Premium Reusable Mesh Produce Bags, (set of 9)

Elfioop Reusable Cotton Mesh & Canvas Produce Bags, (set of 7)

Reusable Freezer Storage Bags, Lunch Bags & Snack Bags

SPLF Leakproof Reusable Storage Bags (5 pack)

Reusable Paper Towels

Washable & Resusable Unpaper Towel

Bamboo Towels- Heavy Duty & Washable

Skoy Eco Friendly Cleaning Cloths

If you use reusable products, make sure you have a system for cleaning, storing and organizing them in your home. For a more detailed and personalized look at what will work best for YOU and in YOUR home, feel free to contact me for a free phone consultation to discuss my virtual organizing sessions, available nationwide, or in-person organizing sessions in the Raleigh, North Carolina area.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

My Favorite Kitchen Organizing Products

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My Favorite Kitchen Organizing Products

I love organizing kitchens because the transformation can really save time and improve productivity for tasks such as meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, dish washing, setting of the table and more. Kitchens always have items moving in and out of the space, with constant restocking, usage and cleaning taking place. There are many wonderful products available to help improve organization in kitchens. Take a look at some of my favorite kitchen organizing products:

Can risers

Pantry bins

Spice racks

Lazy Susans

Shelf liners

Fridge bins

Silverware drawer dividers

Over the cabinet door organizers

Hooks for over the cabinet door

Cabinet riser shelves

Roll out pot and pan organizers

Pan and pot lid organizers

A countertop cooking utensil holder

A recipe book and tablet stand

The exact size and style of organizing product you choose depends on the layout of your kitchen, the size of the space, and of course your personal organizing style. For a more detailed and personalized look at what will work for YOU and in YOUR kitchen, feel free to contact me for a free phone consultation to discuss my virtual organizing sessions, available nationwide, or in-person organizing sessions in the Raleigh, North Carolina area.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Kitchen Layout Tips

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Kitchen Layout Tips

Whether you’ve moved into a new home, or your reorganizing your kitchen, you may need to organize around the layout of the kitchen.  Unfortunately, unless you’re remodeling the space, appliances, countertops and cabinets cannot be moved.  This sometimes makes creating a well organized kitchen a challenge, but here are some tips for working with your kitchen’s design to become more organized.

Create Zones in Your Kitchen

No matter what size your kitchen is, you can create zones for the things you store in the kitchen and the activities that take place in there.  Create a zone (or cabinet or drawer) for categories of items such as bakeware, plasticware, utensils, plates, glasses, pots and pans.

Store Food Together

Have designated areas for storing food.  A pantry is ideal, but it you don’t have a pantry, set aside one or two cabinets for food storage.  It is often helpful to store all spices together in a drawer or cabinet near where you prepare food.

Create a Morning Coffee Station

Mornings are often hectic, so creating a coffee station in a section of your kitchen can save you a little time each day.  This is one area where you store the coffee maker, coffee mugs and tea cups, with tea bags, coffee beans, coffee grounds or K-cups nearby.

Designate a Food Prep Area

Choose one counter or area of a counter where you will prepare food, such as mixing ingredients or chopping vegetables.  Keep this area clear except when you are making meals.

Gather All Paper Together

Paperwork and mail can quickly clutter up kitchen counters.  Choose one area of your kitchen to collect all of this paperwork.  You may want to hang a mail sorter on the wall, or designate one cabinet to hold papers in your kitchen.

Streamline Dishwashing

Think about the number of steps it takes for you to get items from your sink or dishwasher area to the drawer or cabinet where you store dishes, glasses and utensils.  To save yourself time emptying the sink or dishwasher, relocate all regularly used silverware and dishes to cabinets and drawers as close as possible to the sink or dishwasher.

Organizing Spices

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organizing spices

An organized kitchen can allow you to cook more at home, resulting in healthier eating and saved time and money.  One small but essential area of the kitchen to organize is the spice collection.  There are hundreds of spices available in the baking aisle of the grocery store, but to be able to use them when needed, you must be able to find them in your kitchen.  Here are some tips on where and how to store spices in your kitchen.

Determine the size of the space needed

Gather all of your spices together and assess the amount of space these items take up, once you’ve done this, you can decide where to store the spices.

Choose a storage location

The storage location mainly depends on the layout of your kitchen and where you use the spices.  Some people prefer to store spices in a pantry, others in a kitchen drawer, and others in a cabinet near the main cooking or preparation area.  Try to choose a location that eliminates walking across your kitchen each time you need a spice.

Choose a type of storage product (here are some examples)

An in drawer spice organizer

An on the wall spice rack (this could be located on a wall or inside a pantry or cabinet door)

An in the cabinet tiered shelving system

A 2 tier lazy susan

Determine if you want to move spices to similar containers

For those that enjoy the visual look of similar containers, you may want to buy containers like these glass spice bottles for all spices and label the containers.

Store alphabetically

You can store spices in any order you’d like, such as how frequently you use them.  However, one of the easiest ways to sort spices is alphabetically by name.  This way, it will be easy to find spices and to return them to their designated spot in the kitchen.

Once you’ve got your spices organized, remember to check expiration dates on a regular basis.  Spices that have expired are less potent and may impact the taste of your meals.

7 Ways to Organize Kitchen Wraps & Foils

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7 ways to organize wraps and foils title image
When thinking about organizing a kitchen, people usually think of organizing food in pantries and refrigerators and dishes and cookware in cabinets.  Rolls of foils, plastic wraps,  parchment paper and resealable plastic bags are often forgotten about.  There are actually many options for storing these types of products.

7 Ways to Organize Kitchen Wraps & Foils

Inside a drawer

If you have a free drawer in your kitchen, designate a drawer or two to storing wraps and foils.

Stacked inside a pantry or kitchen cabinet

A kitchen wrap organizer like this can neatly hold 6 boxes of wraps and foils.

Inside a cabinet door or pantry door

Products like the Rubbermaid cabinet door mounted kitchen wrap and bag organizer storage rack or the Design Ideas pantry caddy can make it easy to store these items behind a door.

On an under-shelf holder

The Organize It All under shelf wrap holder can allow for wrap and foil storage under a shelf inside a pantry or cabinet.

On a wall mounted roll

Products like this Leifheit wall mount paper towel holder with plastic wrap, foil dispenser and spice rack can make great use of free wall space.

Be creative and re-use a magazine holder

The popular office supply, the magazine holder, can be reused to hold boxes of wraps, foils, parchment paper and resealable bags in a kitchen pantry, cabinet or counter top.

In decorative baskets or bins inside a pantry

Depending on your style, you may want to store these items in a rectangular decorative basket or bin inside your pantry.  Don’t forget to label the bin or basket.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Fridge Organization Tips

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fridge organization tips title

One area that is sometimes overlooked in kitchen organization is the inside of the refrigerator.  Your pantry and cabinets may be neatly organized, but a functional organization system in a fridge will help reduce spoiled food.  It will also make it easier to cook meals, and you will be able to make grocery lists more quickly.  The ability to know what needs to be bought at a glance will make your life simpler.

Fridge Organization Tips

Arrange Your Fridge by “Department”

Grocery stores have departments to make it easier to find items, and you should mimic this inside your fridge.  Designate sections of your fridge for dairy, vegetables, fruit, meats, condiments, bottled water, soda, juices, leftovers, deli meat, etc.

Adjust Your Shelves

Almost all fridges have adjustable shelves, so don’t hesitate to move shelving around based on your needs.  If you find you want or need more shelving, there are products such as shelf risers that can help.

Use Drawers & Sections as Intended

Most refrigerators already have drawers or sections set aside for storing eggs, vegetables and meats.  Use these drawers as intended, but make use of storage products to better contain these items.

Store Tall Items in the Door

Make use of the fridge door for storing tall items.  Most fridge doors have door pockets deep enough to hold 2 liter soda bottles.  Adjust your door pockets and fridge door shelving as needed.

Use Clear Bins to Contain Smaller Items

Linus Fridge Binz come in various sizes.  They are clear and perfect for storing items such as yogurt and condiments together by type.

Use Water Bottle & Soda Can Holders

Water bottle holders and soda can organizers are great products to save space inside the fridge.

Choose Stackable Containers for Leftovers

There are many different types of containers from disposable to plastic to glass available to hold leftovers. Choose whatever type you like, but get a matching stackable set so you can easily fit more in your fridge.

Label Leftovers

Labeling leftovers, containers, and even fridge shelves will make it easier for everyone in your home to find items and put them away.   Erasable food labels  or freezer label stickers make labeling leftovers simple.  You can label ziplock bags using a sharpie marker.  The date is the most important detail to put on leftovers, but you may also want to put a more detailed description or indicate who the food belongs to, such as “John’s lunch”.

Check the Fridge Before Grocery Shopping

Before a grocery shopping trip, always check your fridge for the freshness of items, clear out spoiled food, and make space for the new groceries.

Create a Fridge Cleaning Schedule

Routinely clear out your fridge, ideally weekly or before each grocery shopping trip.  Give your fridge interior a thorough wipe down and cleaning at least once every 3 months. Put fridge cleaning on your schedule, so you won’t forget.

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