Ditch Apartment Kitchen Clutter: This IKEA Storage Solution Is Perfect For Renters

The clutter in your small apartment kitchen is driving you crazy. The last time you tried to pull the slow cooker out of the cupboard, you knocked over the precariously stacked mixing bowls, backed into the open refrigerator door, and bumped the wobbly spice rack right into the sink as you thrust the slow cooker onto the counter. You know you need to get organized, but being a renter can feel extremely limiting at times. You need some simple tips to declutter your kitchen without going overboard or angering your landlord.

One such tip is using kitchen storage pieces that can be temporarily installed instead of permanently attached to the home. The SUNNERSTA kitchen organizer set at IKEA is a great example. It can be adjusted to fit snugly between the countertop and overhead cabinets and sit flush with the wall, so it takes up minimal space and doesn't require a drill. It also comes with hooks for hanging kitchen accessories and a dish drainer along the bottom. This rack happens to be white, a clean, neutral tone that won't clash with or overpower your existing aesthetic, which can be a sneaky source of visual clutter.

With a 4.1-star rating from 52 reviews, this product seems to go over particularly well with renters. One review says, "To maximize vertical space it functions great, wish it extended horizontally, too. This is perfect if you are renting and can't make any holes into the cabinets." Another reviewer mentions how much more storage space it creates on their kitchen counters and particularly loves that the detachable shelf is dishwasher safe.

While the SUNNERSTA kitchen organizer rack might seem fairly straightforward and singular in use, with a little creativity, you can find myriad ways to put it to work decluttering your apartment kitchen. To start, we're going to swap out those things making your kitchen look cluttered. Yes, we're talking about your bulky utensil holders. We know, they hold all your favorite spatulas, but they also take up half the countertop. Instead of shoving them all into what looks like a giant cookie jar, use the hooks on the rack to hang your utensils.

Snag a few of these SUNNERSTA compatible containers to add even more storage to the rack for those items that can't be hung. You can take it a step further and use a few of those containers to store your silverware. This gets it all out of the drawer, opening up that storage space for something else.

Alternatively, you can add drainage holes to those containers and turn the organizer into a space-saving hanging herb garden in your kitchen. Simply drill a few holes in the bottom of each container, fill them with potting soil and your favorite herbs, and attach the containers to the rack. If fresh herbs aren't your jam, you can purchase a couple more of the shelves instead of the containers and turn it into a spice rack. This gets all your jars of dried spices out of the cabinet, clearing out that space for extra storage. Plus, your spices will be visible and easily accessible while cooking.