By now, the surface areas of your kitchen are clean. Just a few more steps and youre done in this room!

11. Were gonna get down and dirty here: under your sink! Most people keep cleaning supplies under there; some keep garbage cans, and still others, appliances. No matter whats under your sink, tackle it! If its cleaning supplies, look and see what youve used and never used and whats just dried out and old. Pitch what you dont use, wont use, or is old. Organize your cabinet in the way thats best suited to youwhat you use the most up front, whats less-frequently used in back. If you dont have a dishwasher, remember to leave room for your empty dishpan to collect dirty dishes.

12. Next is your dish cabinet(s). However many of them you have, you probably dont use everything in them. Be brutally honest here: if you havent used it recently, you probably dont need it. And Im certain that if you offered it to someone else who was just starting out, they *could* use it. Consider looking up a Freecycle group in your area (http://www.freecycle.org) and joining. Its free and keeps things that still have life in them (but no use in your home) going around. Pare down to 8-12 place settings with your dishes; serving dishes are necessary, but no one needs 7 serving dishes that are the same size. If youre cramped for space, consider how much more relaxed youll be when you open your cabinets and can actually FIND what youre looking for! Organize your shelves in the way that best suits your family needsit doesnt have to be perfect, just useful.

13. Hit your spice cabinet next. I recently went through my spice cabinet and was shocked at how much I had (duplicates!) and didnt useand Im a born-organized person! Pitch what you dont use or is out of date. Consolidate in to smaller bottles, if possible. Use lazy-susans if applicable to your cabinet space.

14. Finally, go through your appliance/baking cabinet. If you dont bake cheesecakes, why keep the springform pan? Do you have 12 cookie sheets? Three or four is as many as one family needseven if you have two ovens, each only has 2 shelves. One sheet is on one oven shelf, so 4 would max out your ovens. Do you have broken appliances? Pitch em! Put what you use in front, and things used less-often towards the back, but still in reach.

Whoo hoo! Now your cabinets are organized! And by now, your entire kitchen should look as if its had a mini-makeover! Congratulations!