7 Ways To Organize Your Kitchen For Christmas

During the holiday season, I think we can all agree that the kitchen is the very heart of our homes. Christmas is typically about family sharing food with each other, and spending quality time together. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to be, right? To me, organizing my kitchen for Christmas turned out to be the first step to a relaxed Christmas.

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Because the reality is that Christmas can be very stressful as well. My late mother used to be so stressed over Christmas. She would worry about the menu, the Christmas drinks, the topics to talk about, what to wear, and if everything was to our liking… et cetera. The result of all that worrying: we all had to tiptoe around her during the festive season and the fact that I tense up during this holiday, might have something to do with that all.

Therefore, this year I’ve decided I would celebrate Christmas with my own family the way I wanted. And I would prepare, organize, and plan ahead of time. Organizing my kitchen for Christmas turned out to be the first step to remain calm in this hectic time. Would you like to organize your kitchen for Christmas as well?

Here Are 7 Ways To Organize Your Kitchen For Christmas

1. Organize Your Countertops

The first thing you’ll want to do to prepare your kitchen for Christmas is to declutter all your countertops and give them – and everything that’s on it – a good cleaning. Even if you have specific items you want to place on your countertops during the rest of the year, consider placing them elsewhere during the holiday season. You simply need all the possible space to cut vegetables, prepare meals, or fill presentation platters.

Read more in these articles on organizing your countertops and deep cleaning your kitchen.

2. Prepare Your Workhorses (AKA Oven, Microwave And Stove)

Naturally, your oven, microwave, and stove will be doing the heavy lifting with all the cooking, warming, and boiling of all of the food and meals coming through your kitchen.

Therefore, it is no luxury to give them a good cleaning before the holidays.

Wipe down the tops and sides. Remove the racks and let them simmer in your sink in soapy water for a while before you really clean them. Use specific oven cleaners and stove cleaners to eliminate all residue of previous meals. Read more about Effective Ways To Clean Your Oven here.

And if you really hate cleaning the oven and microwave racks (like I do, oops), you may use these re-usable oven-liners you can easily take out and wipe clean before using them again. Especially when you have to use your oven meal after meal, this is an ideal solution.

3. Organize Your Pantry For Heavy Duty

Store your pantry in advance with baking supplies.
Throw away all expired food items.
Plan your meals ahead and use a meal planner to keep track of what needs to be purchased (and when).
Supply your pantry with never-out-of-stock items, the items you may use to throw together an easy meal in between the bigger ones.

4. Organize Your Fridge: The Holy Of Holies

Take everything out and throw away expired and near out food items.
Give the inside of your fridge, the racks, and storage containers a nice wipe down with a (preferable) disinfectant substance.
Re-organize the fridge shelves and storage containers (that turkey has to fit somewhere).

5. Be Prepared For Left-Over Food-Storage

Organize your food storage containers.
Have labels ready for left-overs.
Label the content and date of storage.

These practical food storage container labels have a classy look and feel and are perfect for labeling your Christmas meal leftovers. You may also want to use them for the food storage containers in your pantry.

And if you feel really Chritsmassy, you may opt for these festive food storage containers.

6. Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets And Kitchen Drawers

And then there are the cabinets and drawers…. To have an organized kitchen before Christmas, it is wise to give the insides of your cabinets and drawers a good look.

Take out anything that you haven’t used over the last year.
Also, remove anything that is broken, mismatched, or misses apiece.
Store the summery items away, like pop sickle holders, sippy containers, and picnic items such as plastic plates.
Wipe down the insides of your cabinets with gentle soapy water and a soft cloth.
Replace the seasonal summer items with the festively decorated items you’ll want to use over Christmas. Pre-clean them in advance.
Also, make room for all the serving platters you’ll think you’ll use.
Wipe down all the cabinet and drawer fronts and handles.
Organize your under-the-sink cabinet (read this article on the under-kitchen-sink organization).
Have clean tea towels, dishcloths, and kitchen sponges ready for use. By the way, did you know the sponge is the germiest thing in our home? Change it at least daily. And if you need a clean one asap, just wet it and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Be sure to let it cool a bit before you take it out.
Empty the dishwasher before guests arrive.

Read these articles on organizing kitchen drawers and organizing kitchen cabinets.

7. Bonus Tips To Organize Your Kitchen For Christmas

If you have a small kitchen (like I do), you may store big pans and pots you want to use over Christmas in your oven. But be aware: you have to check the inside of your oven every time you want to use it!
If you feel you may still need some more help having an organized kitchen for Christmas, you may download this Free Printable Holiday Planner. It contains to-do-lists, a party planner, menu planner, grocery lists, and much more.

For now, I wish you good luck preparing everything, and therefore a relaxed and organized Christmas!