Whether you intend for it or not high cabinets, especially in the kitchen, are typically where items go to never see the light of day again. Particularly for the shorter people among us (myself included), you won't even be able to see what is inside the cabinet without the help of a nearby chair or step ladder.
Since items stored in this place are out of a person's sight, you're going to run into problems fast if you haphazardly place anything and everything in there. That's why it's important to avoid the biggest kitchen cabinet mistakes and be aware of what you should and shouldn't store in these areas of your space.
I spoke to five professional organizers to find out which things we should avoid storing in high cabinets. Here's what they had to say about it.
1. Heavy items
It may make sense to store your 5kg spare bags of pasta and rice on a high up shelf in a kitchen cabinet or to keep your photo albums that are barely looked at tucked away high up in a cabinet. However, lifting these heavy items back down again may prove difficult in the future and cause strain and potential injury. Your high shelving may also experience strain as the weight can become too much for them to hold.
Mary Jo Contello, professional organizer and founder of Organized by MJ, says, "I try to always avoid putting anything that is super heavy and/or bulky in a high cabinet space as that makes it difficult to get back down, especially when I'm on a ladder."
Ann Lighfoot of Done & Done Home, importantly adds, "It can be a safety issue to pull down something heavy that is above your head."
Heavy items are often best kept in low storage spaces. If these heavy items are foods, you can keep them safe from damp by placing them into a storage container such as the Sterilite 160 Qt. Wheeled Storage Box from Walmart. Using this particular box is a great way to maximize the storage space in your kitchen cabinets or pantry, as having your heavier items on wheels will make the otherwise heavy loads easier to access, categorize, and move around; plus, as an air-tight container, it will help everything to stay fresh.
Some heavy items exclusive to a kitchen or pantry space that Tonia Tomlin, professional organizer and president of Sorted Out, LLC, particularly recommends storing somewhere lower down include crock pots, and instapots. "They are very bulky and heavy," says Tonia. "Someone could really hurt themselves if they tried to get these heavy items down in the pantry!"
Items such as photo albums can benefit from being stored on the low shelves of a cabinet or bookshelf, as they are easier to access and less likely to get lost in a high-up space in your home.
2. Items you use regularly
Storing items you frequently use high up in a cabinet is going to become an inconvenience fast. Think about it. If all of your cutlery was stored in the highest shelf of your pantry, what are you likely to do? Annoyingly scale a ladder or stretch every time you eat, buy more to replace it and then accumulate clutter, or avoid eating food that requires utensils. Life would be far easier if these items were stored at eye level, or the level of a pull-out drawer. So, that's where they best live!
Amy Trager, professional organizer at Amy Trager, LLC, says, "Items that are used daily are best kept as close to eye level as possible for easy access. If they are instead placed high up in a cabinet, accessing them will rapidly become an inconvenience."
There are loads of items out there that can help you to organize your everyday items in a way that makes them accessible but not look cluttered. For instance, you could use the Sorbus 2-Tier Clear Lazy Susan Turntable Organizer from Target to store your condiments in a corner of the kitchen or on your dining table.
3. Appliances
Most homes are guilty of having too many appliances, and many of them are unwanted gifts. They quickly become one of the most difficult-to-store items in your home as they are fuelled with a sense of obligation as they were gifted, and they aren't all likely to be put to good use. This is why we need to find some home storage solutions.
Banishing your appliances to high-up spaces in your cabinets will cause you to forget what you have and make you even less likely to use them in your home. Instead, keep the appliances you actually use on your countertop or in a designated space you can access without struggle, and create a pile of the rest to donate or give away.
Millie Naor of Bella Organizers further pointed out how appliances can often become heavy collectively, and can therefore be difficult to reach if stored in a high location. "Most of the time a standard cabinet is not sturdy to hold heavy items, so I always try to put these on a bottom shelf or, if there is enough space, on the counter," says Millie.
If you have lots of consoles and appliances in your living room or kitchen, it might be worth investing in an appliance organizer, such as the PXRACK 5-Tier Adjustable Metal Shelves from Amazon. Its neutral, sleek design helps the shelving accommodate the vibe of any space and it will help you to become more mindful about which appliances are deserving of their space in your home.
4. Cleaning supplies
When people seek to cultivate good habits they try to limit the amount of friction between actioning the good habit and themselves. For example, if a person wants to read more, they may keep a book on their bedside table. If a person wants to develop a better skincare routine, they might make it a ritual to do their skincare before bed.
If you make your cleaning products harder to reach, you will be less likely to clean. Coming in from a tiring day, knowing a bit of cleaning will lift your spirit, may not happen if you have to extend extra energy into getting your products back down from storage. Prevent these barriers that will make you say "I'll do it tomorrow" by keeping cleaning products in easy reach.
Millie shared where she keeps certain cleaning products to follow what people with nice-smelling kitchens always do. "I like to keep my cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink if possible, especially dish soap, hand soap, sponges, and gloves. You will use these items when you are using the sink, so it makes sense to store them close by to the sink."
The Dual-Compartment Cleaning Caddy — Made By Design™ from Target has two handy segments where you can store your cleaning products. If you struggle with having too many cleaning products, we recommend looking into multipurpose options on the market, such as The Pink Stuff, Miracle Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner.
5. Food that expires quickly
Unless you're incredibly diligent and have a great organization system going in your kitchen cabinets, it's not recommended to store food items with a short shelf life in a high-up space. It's one of the most common pantry mistakes.
"You will be more likely to forget that your food items need using up if you store them in a high cabinet space, and if they have a short shelf life they will go bad quickly," says Millie.
If you're able to freeze any of your short-life food items, it's a great option to extend their usage. But the easiest way to keep short-life food items stored is to keep them visible on your kitchen counter or in a designated, labeled basket. In my house, any food items that we notice have a short date are eaten immediately, frozen immediately, or placed in a basket by the fruit bowl. We all know that if an item is placed near this bowl it needs to be used, so we use those before opening up anything else available to eat.
The UPTRUST Fruit Basket, 3 Tier Bamboo Fruit Bowl from Walmart isn't only designed to store fruit. It could hold all sorts of small snacks, or even bread on its top shelf, that will be forgotten if stashed away somewhere higher. Alternatively, you could designate a Metal Stackable Wire Pantry Basket with Rubber Wood Handle White — Brightroom™ from Target for your short-use items to live in.
Now you know what items to keep lower down in your cabinets, why not extend your good practice by improving the overall functionality of more areas in your home? These six changes to make in your pantry will make the space much more accessible.
