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A new independent study released by Samsung yesterday (June 25) has revealed that the kitchen is the room of the house that triggers the most household disputes, with one in three (33%) of UK families falling out over the mess it ends up in.
The Samsung Happy Homes Report, commissioned to celebrate the launch of the Samsung Food ShowCase Refrigerator, found that rather than tidy up and organise our kitchens properly, more than one in four Brits (26%) often just piles up items in cupboards so they are out of sight, while a quarter (24%) don’t bother to clear out their refrigerators on a weekly basis to get rid of older food and drink items.
This makes our kitchens the messiest in Europe, as only one in seven Poles and Germans use the ‘out of sight out of mind’ tactic, while 88% of the French and 87% of the Italians spend time tidying their refrigerators every week. Nearly half (44%) of Brits admit they would be embarrassed if a guest opened the door of their refrigerator to see its contents, with nearly three-quarters (73%) admitting to cleaning or organising it before they a guest visits them.
The top three behaviours and decisions that trigger tension in UK kitchens are revealed to be: people putting empty packets or cartons back in the cupboard or refrigerator (53%); not being able to find something in the cupboard or refrigerator (52%); and household members not throwing things in the bin which are past their sell-by date (47%).
In response to this research, Samsung has announced that it is working with Vicky Silverthorn, declutterer to the stars and creator of life organisation company YouNeedAVicky, to launch Kitchen Concierge: a series of tips and advice ‘to help you better organise your fridge and therefore your home’.
Vicky said: “I’m a firm believer in the saying ‘it starts at home’. If the home is in shape, then the other parts of our life will follow. When it comes to the kitchen, having a streamlined fridge makes for a well-ordered kitchen, which can have a real positive difference to someone on a busy day, given the number of times we use our kitchens.”
Her tips include keeping the items you use most at the front of the fridge; the more visible the food, the more likely you are to use it up; store at eye level the food you want to eat most of; store childrens’ items which you’d like them to have access to at the lowest possible height; and make the most of flexible storage.
