Afraid to open your kitchen cupboards for fear of what could come crashing down?

Home organizer Megan Arthurs joins Annette Hamm on Morning Live with tips for decluttering the kitchen and maximizing storage space.

“The kitchen is the heart of the home,” said Arthurs, owner of H:OM Organizing. “It’s important that this space is highly organized, functional and ascetically beautiful. The fall is a great time to organize your kitchen. We’re stepping away from the warmer temperatures, which means less barbecuing and more pantry cooking.”

The first step Arthurs recommends is to take a look at everything in your kitchen and honestly ask yourself how often those items are used.

“When I work with homeowners, we find a lot of duplicates,” she said. “Ask yourself if you use all of them on a weekly basis.”

Once you get rid of unneeded kitchenware, Arthurs said to throw out expired food and empty packages. Then place pantry foods in clear containers so you can see what is left and eliminate food waste.

Arthurs also advises homeowners to group similar items together and store them in an easily accessible spot if they are used every day.

“So you’re really able to hone in on the quantity of items that you have and then you’re better able to establish a proper location for them in the kitchen,” she said.

When it comes to reusable containers, Arthurs said this can be the most problematic area in the kitchen.

“Be diligent with matching up the tops to the bottoms and then looking at the quantity.”