Amany Abdel-Moneim helps you maintain a clutter-free kitchen Have you ever begun cooking a meal only to realise that you are out of rice or another necessary ingredient? Do you repeatedly misplace a can opener or can't find that tasty recipe? Maybe it is time to start decluttering your kitchen. A cluttered kitchen can cause a great deal of stress. It also means you won't use items efficiently and will have a hard time finding them, explains Somaya Kamel, a professor of home economics at Helwan University. The kitchen is one of the most intensively used areas of the house, yet a cluttered kitchen kills the desire to cook and can make you feel like a poor life manager, says Ahmed El-Azazi, a computer engineer and feng shui expert. For him, a cluttered, dirty kitchen has stagnant, dirty energy that interferes with a person's ability to cook and enjoy healthy, nourishing food. "When you are poorly nourished, your ability to work hard and earn a good income suffers," he says. According to feng shui philosophy, the kitchen is central to a successful life. The care and attention you give to enhancing this important area of the home creates a powerful, positive energy that supports the heath and prosperity of the family. El-Azazi believes that removing clutter is one of the principals of feng shui. Cleanliness and organisation are also imperative. And when the kitchen is clean, bright and welcoming, the heart of the home is also filled with good feng shui, he adds. To maintain a clutter-free kitchen Kamel believes it is essential to put everything in its place. This means that you are able to find and store similar things together, and the next time you indulge in shopping you will have a clearer vision of what you actually need. The key tip to organise your kitchen properly, according to Kamel, is to get rid of all your needless appliances. "Set a deadline for fixing or discarding broken items, and you will be impressed with the shelf area you will gain after eliminating needless items." Because organising storage space is a very important step in the decluttering process, Kamel recommends having a good look round the kitchen in order to decide which space-saving solutions to apply. She divides the kitchen into four sections, starting with the preparation area where food is usually prepared. There you can store items such as flour, seasonings, sugar, a food processor, cutlery and so on. The second section is the area by the stove, which is called the cooking centre. In this area, says Kamel, you need to store items such as pots and pans, cooking oil, a can opener and any food which you can pour directly into the pan. The third section, the coffee centre, is the most often used throughout the day, so it should be kept clean and organised. Things like a kettle or coffee machine, tea, coffee, sugar, mugs, cups and teaspoons are most probably needed there. The final section is the pantry where oil, vinegar, baking goods, canned goods, pasta, rice, etc. are stored. Keeping the kitchen organised is not an easy task, yet if everything is returned to its proper place daily, things will stay in order, Kamel says. "You have to keep in mind that prevention is always better than cure," she explains. The balance of feng shui energy of a well-organised kitchen will also flow out into other parts of the home, and the family will feel a sense of calm and well being as a result. Now that the clutter is under control and everything is organised, you can sit back and enjoy your endeavours. Some expert ideas to help organise the kitchen: - Store pots and pans without lids and put lids in a separate area to save space. - Stack pots, pans and saucepans separately in groups of three to five. - Put all baking measuring spoons, cups and so on into a transparent plastic box. Put this onto a shelf to avoid having things thrown together in a single drawer. - Place things you rarely use on top shelves. - Store things you want to keep but don't use often into rattan baskets on the top of kitchen cabinets. This creates extra storage space. - Clear and clean one cabinet at a time, moving in a clockwise direction around the kitchen to deal with decluttering the kitchen in an efficient way. - Try wrapping a piece of cling film around the top of your electrical appliances to keep them clear of dust. Feng shui expert Ahmed El-Azazi gives his tips to make the kitchen into the "healthy heart" of the home: - Keep stoves clean and ensure that they work well as they are sources of energy and their proper functioning is symbolic of the proper functioning of life. - Don't waste water and ensure that there are no leaking taps in the kitchen. These symbolise the draining away of wealth. - Ensure that the kitchen is well lit and ventilated, essential for the free flow of energy. - Hidden clutter counts: stale food has stale energy, even if the expiration date is not quite reached. Clean out food cupboards and the refrigerator regularly. - Good nutrition is also good feng shui, so add healthy organic fresh fruit and vegetables to the diet. - The position of the stove is very important, so make sure you have a full view of the kitchen while cooking. - When working facing away from the door, place a mirror on the stove so that you can see the door. This ensures that you are in control and symbolically gives you control over your life. - Keep the "fire elements" of stoves and microwaves separate from the "water elements" of refrigerator, dishwasher and sink. - A stove represents health and wealth, so use the burners in rotation. - Try to use the stove more than the microwave, as a hurried atmosphere in the kitchen is not a good thing for the flow of energy. - Eat slowly with the family and let the energy of the home be relaxed and calm.
