16 Kitchen Organization Mistakes Indian Homemakers Make (And Fixes)
The biggest kitchen organization mistake Indian homemakers make is treating the countertop as storage instead of as a working surface — and most of the other mistakes follow from that one habit.
Below are the 16 common mistakes covered in the video, grouped by where they happen in your kitchen, with the fix for each one.
Why is my kitchen countertop always so cluttered?
The countertop exists for cooking work — rolling roti, cutting, chopping, kneading. The moment you start parking unnecessary items there, you lose working space and cleaning becomes a chore because every item has to be lifted and wiped around.
The fix is simple: move large appliances off the main counter.
- Shift bulky items like the mixer-grinder and roti maker to a second counter, if you have one.
- Add an upper open shelf or wall cabinet for appliances you use weekly, not daily.
- If there’s floor space on the side, place a small cabinet for appliance storage.
- Keep only daily-use items on the main counter near the gas — knife, scissors, oil, tea, sugar, namak, and your everyday masaledani.
- Wipe the cleared counter in one stroke instead of working around obstacles.
What should actually sit on the countertop?
Only things you reach for every time you cook. That means the masala boxes you open daily, oil, salt, sugar, tea, a knife and a pair of scissors — placed right next to the stove so you don’t run across the kitchen mid-tadka.
Sink-area cleaning liquids and scrubbers should not sit on the counter in a basket. Mount a small rack above the sink instead, so the physical counter space below stays free.
Why do I keep buying duplicate kitchen items?
Most of us pick up extra knives, graters, spatulas and colourful trays from places like DMart because they look pretty — even when we already have enough. This is how clutter creeps in.
If you’ve already bought duplicates, don’t throw them out, but don’t display them either:
- Keep two knives out; store the rest.
- Box up extra graters and spatulas.
- Park extra trays in an upper cabinet or under-bed storage.
When you genuinely need them, you’ll know where they are.
How do I organize plates, glasses and cups in a small kitchen?
Group similar items together in one dedicated spot. In the video, plates get their own trolley, large coffee cups get their own shelf, and pressure cooker accessories like the jaali sit in a small dedicated nook. The rule: similar things in one place means you never hunt, and you never forget what you own.
How should cutlery and spatulas be arranged inside a drawer?
Don’t dump them all into one tray. Use small separate baskets:
- Small spatulas in one basket.
- Large spatulas in another.
- Forks and spoons in a third.
- Small oil containers in the same drawer if space allows.
- Bowls in their own dedicated drawer.
- Pressure cooker and large cooking containers in the bottom drawers, since they’re heavy and used often.
This stops the mid-cooking dig-through-everything problem.
What is a ‘dumping drawer’ and how do I stop creating one?
A dumping drawer is the one drawer where random boxes, loose lids and odd items get tossed because you didn’t know where else to put them. It looks fine until you need a specific lid — which will be missing.
The rule: every box stays paired with its own lid, covered. Use a drawer organizer so small items don’t slide and crash every time the drawer opens. One drawer can also be reserved for occasionally useful containers — for storing leftover food, for example — kept neatly, not piled.
Should I throw away old glass bottles and plastic containers?
No. The video makes a relatable point: the moment you throw something out, you need it the next week. Instead of discarding clean jam jars, honey bottles, and reusable plastic containers, store them inside a large steel container and stick a small label on top — “extra bottles” — so you don’t have to open and check repeatedly.
Large steel dabbas are actually better used for this kind of overflow storage than for grocery items, because you can’t see inside them. For groceries, use transparent containers so you can spot the contents at a glance.
How do I keep leftover-food boxes and kitchen towels tidy?
Small containers used for leftovers get dusty if left scattered. Put them all inside one larger container so they stay clean and grouped. Apply the same logic to extra clean kitchen towels — store them in a covered box so they don’t get dusty before you’ve used them.
Do I need to buy organizers for everything?
No. You don’t need to spend a lot to make your home look organized. Two zero-cost examples from the video:
- A thermocol piece from a recent packing was reused as the base for shoe storage, with a basket placed on top to hold loose shoes that were cluttering the floor.
- Cheap large baskets from DMart work just as well as expensive organizers for corralling stray items.
The more things lying loose on the floor, the more cluttered your home looks — fixing it doesn’t require an expensive shop run.
How should I approach reorganizing my whole kitchen?
The common mistake: pulling all the kitchen contents out at once. You end up staring at a mountain of items with no idea where anything should go, and the job takes hours longer than it needed to.
A better method:
- Decide first which drawer/cabinet will hold what.
- Write that on a small slip and stick it to each drawer.
- Move items section by section, not all at once.
- Measure your kitchen and sketch a rough diagram before buying any new organizer.
- Set up the kitchen, see what you actually need, then shop.
Every kitchen is a different shape and size — what suits someone else’s home may not suit yours. Don’t buy something just because it looked good in another person’s kitchen.
📺 About this video. This post draws on Jasmine Choudhari’s YouTube video 16 Common Kitchen And Home Organisational Mistakes We All Do | Small Kitchen Organization Ideas. Watch the full video for visual demonstrations of every tip.
Watch the video
Frequently asked questions
Why should I keep my kitchen countertop as empty as possible?
Because the countertop is your working surface for cutting, chopping and rolling rotis — every extra item blocks usable space and slows down cleaning. When the counter is clear, wiping it takes seconds instead of minutes. Move large appliances like the mixer-grinder or roti maker to a secondary counter, open shelf or upper cabinet so your main working area stays free.
What items actually belong on the kitchen countertop near the stove?
Only items you reach for every single time you cook — knife, scissors, oil, tea, sugar, salt and your daily *masala* boxes. Keeping these within arm's reach of the gas stove means you aren't running around the kitchen mid-cooking. Anything used occasionally should be stored elsewhere, not on the counter.
How do I store duplicate kitchen items I already bought but don't use daily?
Pack them away in an upper cabinet, under-bed storage or a back shelf — don't keep them on the working counter. If you have 3–4 knives, keep two out and store the rest. The same applies to extra graters, spatulas and trays bought from places like DMart. They stay accessible when needed, without creating daily clutter.
How should I organize cutlery and spatulas inside a drawer?
Use small separate baskets for each category so items don't mix up. Keep small spatulas in one basket, large spatulas in another, and forks and spoons in a third. This stops you from digging through a jumbled drawer mid-cooking. Small oil containers can sit in the same drawer if they fit neatly.
What is a 'dumping drawer' and why should I avoid one?
A dumping drawer is any drawer where you toss random items — loose lids, odd boxes, small tools — without sorting them. Avoid it because you'll never find lids when you need them. Instead, keep every box covered with its own lid, group similar items, and use drawer organizers so small things don't slide around when the drawer opens.
Can I reuse old glass jars and plastic containers instead of throwing them away?
Yes — store them properly rather than discarding them, because you almost always need that exact size later. Old jam jars, honey bottles and clean plastic containers can be kept inside a large steel container with a small label on top saying 'extra bottles'. That way they're out of sight but findable when needed.
Do I need to buy expensive organizers to tidy my kitchen?
No — you do not need to buy organizers for every single thing. Reuse what you already have at home, like a thermocol packing piece as a base for a shoe basket, or pick up cheap large baskets from DMart instead of pricey alternatives. Spending a lot is not required to make a home look organized.
How should I plan organization for my specific kitchen size and shape?
Measure your kitchen and sketch a rough diagram before buying anything, because every kitchen has a different size, shape and layout. What looks good in someone else's kitchen may not suit yours. Set up the kitchen first, see where you actually need storage, and then shop — not the other way around.
About Jasmine Choudhari
Jasmine Choudhari shares practical, no-frills ideas for organising small Indian kitchens and homes. Follow her on YouTube (600K+ subscribers · Silver Play Button), Instagram and Facebook. For collaborations: collab@jasminechoudhari.com.