30 things you can organise in under 30 minutes

We call them junk drawers, but they should actually be useful and not contain actual junk. The good news is that it’s easier than you think to organise one. First, dump out the contents of the drawer, and throw away any rubbish. Then sort the items that are left, deciding what stays and what goes. Search for things that are better stored elsewhere and move them to that room. (Yep, right now.) For the things that stay, organise them in a customisable drawer organiser, one that features many different-sized bins so you can get the exact fit in the space. It makes a huge difference. When you’re putting items to their rightful spots, make sure batteries aren’t among your stash.

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If you’ve ever reached for paprika but had trouble finding it (or anything else) in the disarray, your spice rack needs some TLC. Pull out all the spices, and as you do, check the expiration dates on the containers. Although most don’t spoil, it does lose its potency and won’t add any flavour to your dish. Return the ones you are keeping to the cabinet with the labels facing out. Adding a three-tier organiser allows you to fit more in the space, and everything will be clearly visible. Try storing it by frequency of use instead of alphabetically, so the ones you use most often will be upfront.

Kitchen benchtops are a common dumping ground for all sorts of stuff. Continually having to clear the benchtop is a waste of your time – plus, some items create breeding grounds for germs. Declutter the space and then keep it tidy with a multi-tiered corner organiser, which gives you lots of storage space but takes up barely any room. You’ll have a spot for pocket change, rubber bands, and even a basket for mail, or alternately, often-used kitchen supplies.

With the benchtops clear of clutter, you won’t want to miss these kitchen and dining room cleaning hacks.

It’s not your imagination: your pots and pans are taking over your cabinet, making it impossible to find anything – or get it out without toppling over half of the things in there. But you don’t have to grin and bear it. First, match up lids to pots and inspect them for quality. Non-stick pans that are bubbling or peeling should be discarded. Then, put aside any that you don’t use, for any reason – whether it’s too heavy, too light, or burns food easily. Return the ones you like to the cabinet. Storing them in an organising rack made specifically for them allows you to take one out quickly and easily.

If the tea towel drawer won’t close, it’s time to declutter. Pull them all out and inspect them for quality. Ratty, torn and threadbare towels can be used as cleaning rags or sent to textile recycling. Store the one or two towels currently in use over a cabinet towel bar, then rotate them with the now-easily-found fresh ones when they need a wash.

Thirty minutes might not be enough time to take everything out of the pantry and start from scratch. But it is plenty of time to organise whatever’s gotten particularly chaotic. Where to start? First, remove anything still in space-stealing packaging. Then, arrange sections based on grocery-store aisles; this makes it easy to write a shopping list and shop in the order of how the store is set up. Add a can-rack organiser to save space and ensure you are rotating your cans, using the oldest first. Make sure to turn everything so that you can see the labels.

Find out which foods you should never keep in your pantry.

Whether you store your kitchen utensils in a container on the benchtop or in a drawer, there must be a few you can part with. Toss any that are flimsy, melted or warped. The idea is to pare down to the ones in great condition that you reach for daily. A wall-mounted S-hook rail can save space and free up much-needed drawer space, and it gives you easy access to what you need. If there are tools you want to keep but don’t use daily, relocate them to a less convenient spot.

It is all too easy to collect enough water bottles and travel mugs to equip a small café. Remove them all and place a drink-bottle organiser inside the cabinet. This will give you a slot to store the keepers. It also gives you a limit as to how many you should hold onto. A good rule of thumb is two per family member. Toss any that leak or are missing a key component, like a lid.

When was the last time you organised this spot? It may feel daunting, but it won’t take long and you can create a ton of extra storage space just by cleaning out the clutter. The first task is to pull everything out. Once you can easily see what you have, return only the items that you use. Toss anything that is broken, expired or looks gross. Next, add customisable shelves that fit around the plumbing. Once you have proper shelving, it’s easier to keep the space tidy, since you won’t just toss everything into a dark hole.

Right now, we’re all cooking, prepping and storing more food than usual – and for many of us, that’s highlighted some serious deficiencies in our storage spaces. One thing you can do quickly: match food-storage containers and lids, tossing any that are cracked, warped, melted or don’t seal properly. Then, get an organiser to keep them all together. Move the ones you rarely use to a less convenient spot, so they are out of the way.

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