4 Brilliant Kitchen Organizing Tips from Marie Kondo

Kondo believes that practically everything in your home should be stored vertically, from your clothes and your kitchen tools to your carrots (she confessed she stands them upright in a drink holder in her fridge). Why? Storing objects upright creates the illusion of extra space.

Kondo is officially giving you permission to toss all of those extra napkins, forks and packets of soy sauce or soy sauce substitutes. (No, you will not bring them with you for a picnic in the park.) Also, toss all but one pair of tongs. Most people have way too many.

Ahhh, the dreaded Tupperware drawer. Instead of piling in the odds and ends you’ve somehow accumulated, streamline by using the same brand of storage container. Stack all of the bottoms together and line up all of the lids vertically.

There’s a reason your spice cabinet looks cluttered: All of the different colored labels create a lot of noise. Invest in small, uniform bottles to streamline.