Kitchen shelves: what we should never leave in plain sight

It is difficult to find a kitchen in which there is not at least one shelf in sight: shelves are one of the most common elements in the furnishing of kitchens. Sometimes, closing kitchen units take the place of shelving - especially in the kitchen. But whether we use open shelving or closed kitchen units, the things upon/in them, must be kept clean and tidy.

To help with this, it is best to avoid placing certain objects on shelves in the first place.

To avoid putting on exposed shelves in the kitchen: any worn-out objects

Crockery, kitchen utensils, decorations and furnishings: if any of these items are worn, discolored, cracked and so on, don't leave them in plain sight. Instead, move objects like this to a drawer or place inside a closing wall unit. In short, we keep our kitchen looking pristine and "hide" our worn (but still useable) items from view.

Keep only frequently used utensils out

Items we don't often use quickly get covered in cooking grease/oil residue and dust while standing idle on an open kitchen shelf. Frequently used utensils tend to stay clean over time.

Given this, avoid keeping sets of plates, glasses or other crockery on shelves when these items are used rarely. These items are better stored behind glass or placed inside closing storage units until they are needed. 

Household appliances: kept on the shelves or not?

The answer is not a clear yes or no: if they are bulky but often used, they can placed on the worktops, or perhaps on a sturdy trolley. However, if they are small appliances that we actually use every day, they can be place on the shelves.

In all other cases, find a place for them inside a closing kitchen unit.

Packaged food

For all the packaged food there is a pantry, drawers, closing kitchen units or the fridge. If, however, you have the patience to move the contents of the packages into stylish jars and containers, they can be placed on shelves. The important thing is to ensure the foodstuff are stored correctly (for example, some foods must be kept in a cool, dark spot).

Plants: a contentious issue

Plants look great almost anywhere but putting them on open shelves in the kitchen is perhaps not the best idea. This is because, inevitably, they will drop leaves, or flowers, pollen and seeds. This adds another cleaning chore to your sheet, but, as they say, the choice is yours in this regard.