Considering how much time we spend in the kitchen, any hack that saves time and makes life easier is a win.

Today I have 31 clever hacks for your kitchen that help with cleaning, storing, food prep, and saving money!

Take a look and let me know which ones work for you.

1.Kitchen Cabinet Door Organizer

Source: @anawhitediy

My first hack instantly turns your kitchen cabinet door into additional storage space!

Try out your DIY woodwork skills and build a small door organizer. Use it to free up cabinet space and hold a paper towel, detergent, clothes pegs, and other small items.

2. Hanging Produce Baskets

Source: @ali_grace_morsell

How attractive is this gallery-style vegetable wall? This is easy to do by simply mounting classic wire baskets like these on your kitchen wall.

I love the ceramic wall decorations that the homeowner chose. I found some fabulous fruit and veggie-themed ceramic plates that will create a similar look.

3. Store Peanut Butter Upside Down

Source: @nichole_brothers_

Sugar-free organic/natural peanut has many positives going for it!

But, it also has a negative – the oil separates when it is stored and splashes all over your hands as you open the bottle.

This kitchen hack is genius! Simply stand the bottle upside down and no oil separation will occur.

4. Smoothie Meal Prep in Mason Jars

Source: @healthyfood.facts

Smoothie fans will love this clever time-saving hack for the kitchen.

Prep all the ingredients for your smoothies. Place them into mason jars like this, label them, and store in the freezer.

When you want a smoothie, simply grab the jar you fancy, empty the contents into a blender, add the required liquid, and you are done!

5. Pre Chop and Freeze Soup Ingredients

Source: @sixfiguresunder

Don’t be stuck cutting and chopping in the kitchen when the family is relaxing around the fireplace. Prepare your soup ingredients well in advance.

Chop up carrots, onions, and celery and freeze them in gallon freezer bags like these. They make a great base for potato soup, chicken noodle soup, or a hearty winter crock-pot stew.

6. Flat Freezing for Storage

Source: @freezeasy

Prepacked foods in fancy boxes and plastic display containers take up unnecessary space in your freezer.

Repack your food into ziplock bags that can be stored flat. You will be amazed at how much space you save.

7. Freeze Seasonal Produce

Source: @thewoksoflife

Are you craving juicy summer produce in the middle of winter, but it is nowhere to be found?

Get prepared by freezing seasonal produce like tomatoes in ziplock bags like these. When you need them, simply thaw, and add a fresh burst of flavor to soups, stews, or sauces.

8. Freeze Spinach in Ice Cube Trays

Source: @_emily_squared_

Before discovering this clever hack, I nearly gave up on my plan to drink a healthy spinach smoothie every day! My spinach turned slimy and unusable before the end of the week.

Try this easy hack  – blend the fresh spinach with water and a splash of lemon juice. Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray like this and freeze.

Store the frozen cubes in a container ready for use in smoothies, soups, stews, pastas, or sauces.

9. Sheet Pan Veggies for Easy Meal Prep

Source: @healthy.family.project

Prepping veggies in advance saves so much time. When I prep veggies like this on a sheet pan, it is a game-changer. (I should try to do it more often!)

Cut up your choice of veggies, arrange them on a sheet pan, and store them in the fridge or freezer ready for use whenever you need them.

10. DIY Non Toxic Kitchen Cleaner

Source: loveleafco.com

If you consider that store-bought kitchen cleaners are filled with chemicals, you will appreciate this clever hack to make a non-toxic kitchen cleaner.

Mix together –

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup distilled or boiled water

10-15 drops lemon essential oil

10-15 drops orange essential oil

The acidic properties of vinegar cut through grime and grease and the essential oils leave your kitchen smelling fresh and clean!

11. Clothespin Hack

Source: thesoccermomblog.com

Dishwashing gloves are there to protect your hands. So, when I find my gloves submerged in the dirty water, I am not happy.

Stacey from the Soccer Mom Blog has a super-smart kitchen hack to sort this out.

Buy some colorful decorative clothespins like these. Attach them to the wall with double-sided tape and hang up your gloves. Easy! 

12. Dehydrate Herbs in Air Fryer

Source: foodmeanderings.com

This clever hack makes use of an air fryer to dehydrate fresh herbs. I love this because my air-dried herbs tend to go moldy during the drying process.

Using an air fryer to dehydrate herbs preserves their flavor, nutrients, and aroma, and they are available all year round.

13. Strawberry Hack

Source: thesoccermomblog.com

After discovering this clever hack, I won’t toss mushy or bruised strawberries again. Simply soak in ice water for 20 minutes and they plump up and turn bright red.

Note – Strawberries that have turned black or moldy should not be revived – add them to the compost pile.

14. Peel Garlic in 5 Seconds

Source: diyncrafts.com

Cooking with garlic is a must! But, how do you stop your fingers from smelling of garlic for days?

Here is a clever hack using two small stainless steel bowls like this.

Place a garlic head into one bowl and use the base of the second bowl to separate the cloves. Join the two bowls rim-to-rim and shake wildly for a few seconds.

The peels magically fall off!

15. Save Vegetable Scraps to make Broth

Source: frommybowl.com

This clever hack saves money and turns you into a master soup-maker.

Don’t spend money on store-bought soups or veggies. Save your vegetable scraps (peels, end, and cores) and freeze them.

When you want to make soup, defrost, add water, cook for a few hours, and you have a hearty broth.

16. Clean Microwave with Lemon

Source: thekitchn.com

Did you know that lemon is a natural cleaner, ideal for grimy microwaves?

Add 1/2 cup of water and the juice of 1 lemon to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes and then let it stand for 5 minutes.

The combination of lemon and steam loosens splatters. Remove the bowl and wipe the inside well.

Your microwave will be sparkling clean and smell lemon-fresh!

17. Microwave Fried Garlic

Source: thesoccermomblog.com

I find that traditional frying is so messy! This awesome hack makes no-mess crispy fried garlic in minutes.

Peel and dice 1 head of garlic. Place it into a microwave-safe bowl like this. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable, canola, or coconut oil.

Microwave for 2-3 minutes and you are done. Save the garlic-infused oil – it is great for Asian chicken dishes.

18. Freshen Fridge with Tea Bag

Source: diyjoy.com

Fact 1 – Fridges can acquire less-than-pleasant odors that are difficult to remove.

Fact 2 – Teabags are great odor absorbers!

Place a few dry teabags into a plastic container and stand it in your fridge. The tea bags freshen your fridge by rapidly absorbing bad smells.

19. Thinly cut onion with spiralizer

Source: asweetpeachef.com

I love this hack because I can cut onions without shedding a tear!

Cut your peeled onion in half lengthwise but do not pierce through the center. Set your spiralizer to blade D, insert the onion, and twist.

You have perfectly thin-cut onions ready for salads, soups, tacos, and stir-fries.

20. Freeze herbs in olive oil

Source: @selfsufficientbackyard

This is another clever kitchen hack to ensure that you always have fresh aromatic herbs available.

Place your fresh herbs into an ice tray like this, fill the tray with high-quality olive oil, and freeze. Simply toss one or two cubes in a hot pan and add to your recipe.

21. Hanging Snack Station with Shoe Organizer

Source: momalwaysfindsout.com

Here is an innovative way to use an over-the-door shoe organizer! Hang it in your kitchen and use it to store snacks.

The compartments are the perfect size for snack packets, kids can choose what they like, and you can easily see which snacks need replenishing.

22. Add Salt to boiling eggs for easy shell removal

Source: @cooking_with_mildred

If your grandma didn’t teach you this hack – here it is!

When boiling eggs, add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. It prevents the eggs from cracking and also makes it easy to remove the shells.

23. Funnel to store dry ingredients

Source: @farimansoor

We have all faced the challenge of getting dry ingredients into a jar without spilling half of it on the floor.

Simply cut a large corner from an envelope and snip the end to make an instant funnel. So easy!

24. Stop boiling water overflow with wooden spoon

Source: @travelwithlaughter

I have another science fact for you … wood is a poor conductor of heat.

When you place a wooden spoon on top of a boiling pot, the hot bubbles touch the cooler spoon, condense and collapse, preventing an overflow of boiling water.

25. Dental Floss to slice cheese

Source: @aartipaartipics

This hack is a winner if you are trying to slice cheese, crumbly cheesecake, or fluffy baked goods. Even the sharpest knife causes damage, giving you slices that fall short of fine-dining status!

Use unflavored dental floss to effortlessly slice through fluffy, delicate products for a perfect cut.

26. DIY Fruit Fly Trap

Source: kiyafries.com

I don’t know about you, but I think sticky fruit-fly traps look so unappealing.

Follow these easy instructions to make a natural fruit fly trap using a jar, a funnel, a ripe banana, apple cider vinegar, and dish soap. Place it somewhere discreet and your kitchen will be fruit-fly-free.

27. Wine Bottle Rolling Pin

Source: @through_the_grape_vine_

Did you know that wine bottles make great rolling pins for dough? The cool glass won’t stick and the long round shape is easy to grip.

Best of all, glass washes sparkly clean, unlike wood which can become contaminated with bacteria and mold.

28. Tissue Paper to Avoid Mess from cooker

Source: @mommykapitara

If you love cooking but hate cleaning, this clever kitchen hack is for you!

Cut a round hole in the center of a piece of tissue paper and place it over the top of your cooker.

The tissue absorbs the mess, saving you cleaning time and giving you more time to enjoy your delicious food with friends and family.

29. Homemade Ginger and Garlic Paste for easy cooking

Source: @thespicemess

With so many of my favorite recipes using garlic and ginger, I was overjoyed to find this hack! Now I make my own garlic and ginger paste and always have it ready for use.

Simply blend equal parts of peeled garlic and ginger with a splash of oil until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge where it will last for up to two weeks.

30. Mason Jars for Dry Food Storage

Source: @portlandpersonalchefs

Mason jars like these are so versatile in any kitchen. This clever hack for the kitchen uses mason jars to store dry food.

They make such a pretty display when filled with an array of products.

Use them for nuts and raisins, pasta, candy, cereals, spices, rice, sugar, and more.

31. Clean Chopping Board with Lemon

Source: @harrietsofhove

Wooden chopping boards are known to breed bacteria and mold. But, don’t throw yours away!

Lemon is a natural acidic cleaner that will disinfect your board in a jiffy. Use half a lemon to scrub the board. Rinse well with clean running water and you have a sanitized board that smells wonderful.