SPICE CUPBOARD (The After)
SPICE CUPBOARD (The After)
Yay! So much tidier and more organized.
Here’s what I did …
First, I assessed how realistically we tended to use the space. For example, I purchased what I thought was a beautiful spice rack that seemed practical a few years ago. Here’s the thing, for our family it’s not so useful if we don’t actually empty the spices into the jars after purchasing them. I had to come to terms with the way that our family actually does certain things and we are more likely to just keep our spices in the package they came in at the store which can come in various sizes and shapes. Over the last several years I gravitated toward putting the various spices into a clear bin (still in their original packaging) that I could pull down onto the counter and see exactly what I had.
Next, I purged. I pulled everything from the cupboard out and put it ALL onto the dinner table. There were duplicates of course because I couldn’t really see what was back there, so I either amalgamated them or gave away extras that I wouldn’t use. I also chucked anything that looked questionable into the trash. If there were small amounts of items in large packages I moved them into small baggies which would fit nicely into the tubs. And, after a quick wash, off to the donation bin went the beautiful spice rack. Hopefully, the next person will enjoy it, if that’s what works for them.
Then, I cleaned. While empty, I gave the cupboard a good clean with a soapy cloth … ew, it sure gets greasy up there! And I also gave a wipe down to any greasy packages or jars that I was planning to return to the cupboard.
Finally, I put everything back and organized of course.
Of course before I purchased anything I made sure to measure the cupboard to see exactly what would work. I purchased a lazy susan to store tall and/or frequently used items (from Home Hardware $6.99). And because the bin method worked so well for us in the past I purchased a few more of them (at Dollarama for $1.50 each), arranged my spices into like categories and labelled each one. Now, I can easily see and access what I have! As an added bonus, I think having them in sealed Tupperware should help preserve their freshness and keep the grease off of the containers.