Zen and the art of clean kitchen cabinets

To give your kitchen cabinets a new lease on life, try these tips from those who know -- they're adapted from the de-cluttering experts at 1-800-Got-Junk.

Tell the truth

Denial is not just a river in Egypt. Just how bad is your kitchen cabinet situation? Ask yourself the following questions. The more times you answer yes, the more you need a kitchen cabinet cleanse.

1. Has this object(s) taken over your cupboards to the point that you avoid opening them up and feel sick thinking about cleaning them?
2. Are your kitchen cabinets filled with things you haven't used in more than a year?
3. Do you spend more than 10 minutes each day looking for misplaced items in the cabinet?
4. Do certain objects in the cabinet make the space feel cluttered?
5. Do you have a layer of dust or mildew in the cabinet?
6. Are there items in the cabinet you swore you were saving for a reason, but you can't remember what that reason was?
7. Do you want this item out of your home but have no idea what to do with it?
8. Does looking at these items make you frustrated or upset?

Admit it, you feel better now that you've told the truth, don't you?

Make a promise

Once you've realized that you really do need a kitchen cabinet overhaul and have committed yourself to the goal, set a specific date for completion.

Instead of bearing the burden of cleaning every cabinet in one fell swoop, however, try tackling one or two cabinets a day. To keep yourself accountable, create reminders like a note on the refrigerator or an alarm in your email calendar to keep you on task.

See it to believe it

You may not realize just how much old, expired, unused items you have until you take everything out of the cabinet for a good once-over. By grouping similar items into a pile, it's easy to see where you have duplicates or outdated items. Once your stuff has seen the light of day, follow these tips:

• If the product is almost empty, toss it.
• If the expiration date is within the next week, plan to cook a meal with the item this week.
• If you have large numbers of the same object (wooden spoons, can openers, muffin tins, etc.) cut the number down to just two.
• If you run across an item you never use or have not used within the past year, ask yourself, "Will I miss this item if it's gone?" If not, toss or donate it.

Begin at the beginning

Begin by clearing out a high-traffic cupboard you use every day that has become a hotbed of clutter and junk. By getting this high-priority problem out of the way first, you'll generate the momentum needed to move through the rest at a lightning pace.

Create space for clutter

"You need to accept that a certain amount of chaos and clutter is normal," says Nicolas Soergel, author of the book Happy About an Extra Hour Every Day. To create some space for kitchen clutter but keep it from creeping out of control, Soergel says:

• Keep a basket in or near the kitchen where magazines, newspapers and games can be tossed.
• Designate one drawer in the kitchen for random papers, objects and utensils.
• Go through your chaos zones once a week and give them a quick brushup.

Once you have your kitchen cabinets under control, you never know -- maybe you'll finally be ready to organize the bathroom cabinets!