Reader's Digest: 18 Subtle Organizing Mistakes That Make Your Kitchen Look Sloppy

Feel free to leave appliances you use daily, like a coffee maker or toaster, on the counter. But anything you aren’t using every day should be stored in a cabinet to make more room on the counter. “Nobody likes to have to put the appliance away, but balance that against the precious countertop space,” says Maeve Richmond, founder and coach of organizing company Maeve’s Method. “There’s the convenience of having it out, but it’s more convenient to be able to chop more vegetables or have a cleaner space.”

Don’t let your shelf height define how you use your space. People tend to put cereal on a top shelf because that’s the one with the most space, but it’d be easier to reach on a lower shelf, says Watson. On the other hand, too much space for canned goods and you’ll probably start stacking items into an ugly, unstable pile. If your shelves aren’t already adjustable, buy shelf dividers to split one shelf into two, says Richmond. “Re-spacing the shelves takes away the messiness because things aren’t stacked,” says Richmond.

“Junk drawers need to be intentional,” says Richmond. “They’re intended to be for quickly grabbing things we need access to, but if something is not used for a while, it literally becomes junk.” Once or twice a year, go through it and take out anything you don’t use regularly. Leave smaller items in little boxes or ceramic dishes to keep it organized, she suggests. #junkdrawer

“The kitchen is still one of the first places we go when we enter a home,” says Richmond. “All the stuff of life that comes in the door accumulates in the kitchen.” To keep your meal space from becoming a catchall for your purse, wallet, and gym bag, Richmond recommends setting up a “drop zone” by your door to set those things as you’re walking in. You might make it a permanent home for your wallet and keys, and a temporary place to drop your workout gear while you’re putting away groceries.

Knowing which shelf items belong on is a good start, but take it a step further to stop tossing the food back in without a second thought. Richmond recommends using trays to separate shelves out even more. “Those are helpful because they show a visual blocking of space,” she says. “It makes it easier to go in and get what you need.” She likes acrylic ones because they’re easy to wash, but she says they come in all kinds of colors and materials to match your taste.

If you often bring out the salt and pepper when you’re serving food, they might deserve a permanent place on your table. But people often leave them out of habit instead of necessity, says Richmond. “Most people tend to cook with salt and seasonings to their likings, so it’s an old trend,” she says. “If you’re not actively using shakers for daily use for seasoning, tuck those away.”