If you have ADHD, there is a good chance that your kitchen is not the most organised space in your house. After all, kitchens tend to be a centre of activity, whether you cook every day or not. Without some kind of system of organisation, it's easy for kitchens to quickly become messy and overflowing with dirty dishes, unopened mail and piles of homework. Read on for some tips on how to turn your kitchen from slapdash to spick and span, and how to keep it that way.

If you don't use it, chuck it

A good first step is to go through everything in the kitchen and ask yourself if you really need it. Did you buy a fancy gadget to help you open cans that you've never used? Or do you have far more dishes than you could ever possibly use? Throw them away, put them in a charity bag or stick them on eBay. Clutter is bad, especially if you have ADHD. 

Check your cabinets

A good look through your cabinets will no doubt turn up a few more items you can get rid of. From chipped teacups to food that is past its sell-by date, you can probably free up a lot more room.

Clean your kitchen

Cleaning your kitchen will make it instantly feel less cluttered, and will help you feel more in control. If there is a lot to clean, that's fine, just take baby steps. Clean the sink one day, the floors the next; there is no rush. Once it's sparkling and feels brand new once more, try and keep it that way by having a quick sweep and cleaning the countertops and sink daily. Five to ten minutes of cleaning will make the kitchen a lot more of an inviting place to spend time, for all the family.

Find a home for clutter

From your kid's homework, to mail, to car keys, it will be a lot easier to manage a kitchen if everyday clutter has a home. Keys can go in a small bowl and mail and homework can be put into separate shallow wicker baskets; do this, and you can skip the time spent looking for lost items, plus it will help you keep on top of paying bills and making sure your kids have done their homework.

Decide on Activity Centres

Now your kitchen is starting to look organised and pristine, it's time to plan how you are going to use it more effectively when cooking. Have a designated centre for food prep, such as cutting and peeling, and an area for cooking, and have all the tools you'll need for both jobs stored in that area. So your food prep area will have your knives, peelers etc., stored in a jar, while your cooking area will have your pots and pans stored nearby, plus spatulas, sieves etc. Having areas set up like this will make cooking and the clean-up after a breeze.

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