Day 98: How to Declutter Your Pots and Pans
What: Pots and Pans
Why: Whether you keep them in the drawer below the oven or in a cupboard, pots and pans can be a frustrating mess. How do you contain your pots and pans when they are so big, bulky, and loud when you take them out? Here is a place to start:
How:
1. Take all of your pots and pans out, from wherever you store them.
2. Lay them all out so that you know what you are working with.
3. Ask:
- Do I use it? When was the last time?
- Do I have a duplicate?
- Do I have something else that will work?
- What is it’s purpose?
- It is worn out? (peeling, scratched, etc.)
- Is it deformed?
- Do I have a lid to correspond with the pot?
- Does it need to be fixed?
4. Donate the duplicates and those you no longer need
5. Store the pots and pans that you only use on occasion in another spot, if space is tight (such as large casserole dishes or large cooking pots).
6. Organize! You can organize by type of use – baking pans together, bowls together, and so forth. Find the best way that works for you, maximizing the space you have. You can also use a wire rack or hang them, if that works easiest for you.
7. Do not stack too high – one of the biggest hassles with pots and pans is stacking them so deep that they are a pain when you have to use the middle pan. Avoid burying your pots!
8. It may take a few tries to get the result you are happy with. The biggest thing is to not keep pots and pans for when you “might” use them someday – you probably won’t.
Confession of the Day: I used to have multiples of the same size pot and pan. I realized how much space they were taking up and I rarely used them both at the same time. What I do have is another pan that I can use just as easily – may be a little smaller or bigger, but it works. Living with less doesn’t mean just making due, but making the most out of what you have.
How do you organize your pots and pans?
