Is your Kitchen feeling a bit disheveled? Well maybe these 19 Super Simple Ways To Declutter Your Kitchen might help
Have you been itching to Declutter Your Kitchen but the thought of it is so daunting? Well how about taking it a little at a time? If you follow this simple list and check off one section a day or more if you have the time… you will be on your way to a decluttered kitchen in no time. Know that you will need a few boxes… bags and cleaning supplies before your start… oh yes and a nice fresh determined mind! One or two of those boxes should be for what you are going to donate… others can be for items that you are going to store elsewhere and some boxes or bags for items that are going to be discarded! Now you are ready!!!
Appliances
Sometimes we have way to many appliances.(I am raising my hand up high). All were purchased with the intent of using them regularly but as the saying goes “best laid plans of mice and men.” So if you purchased one of those items at 2 am in the morning because you couldn’t sleep and it made perfect sense to you then and now it just sits there… donate it to your local Thrift Shop…find it a home with a family member or friend… or there is always a Garage Sale. It’s also very smart to check you appliances once and awhile to make sure they are working. If they are not… dispose of them properly.
Specialty Appliances that you use a few times a year should have a special space that is not cluttering up prime Kitchen counter or shelf real estate. For instance… a pizzelle maker, a donut maker…etc. is used a few times a year so maybe store it in a closet or store it in a box in the basement. Then you have the room for the appliances you use most often like a Mixer… a great spot for that is in the pantry or in a Kitchen closet or shelf. Then you have items like your Coffee Maker that earns it’s position on the counter. By keeping all those appliances off the counter sure helps the space to look less cluttered. It is best to assess which appliances you use daily… weekly… once and awhile and let’s be honest… there might be some still in the box! (if you ever think you are going to use 4 waffle irons… you are most probably not going to lol)! Once you do this you will know where each one belongs. I personally have my coffee maker and Vitamix on my counter because they are used 7 days a week.
Another Villain of the counter is MAIL!!! The mail seems to gravitate to the counter often along with cookbooks, recipe cards and it piles up. Be sure to return everything to their proper places at the end of the day because that stuff is going to multiply like rabbits (I know from personal experience lol).
Decluttering the counter daily will save you from ever having to spend tons of time on it again.
Take-Out Items
Do you save all the napkins, silverware, sauce packets and more from your take-out nights? I hate to waste stuff… but all this stuff clutters drawers so quickly. If you are not going to use the items… just get rid of them and from now on ask the restaurant you are taking out from not to include them (that’s a win win). If you are going to use them then put them in a container or maybe a ziplock bag and keep them contained. Then if you don’t use them in a week or two… say good-bye. I no longer ask for chopsticks. I have a family set that we use all the time… so when I order I just say no chopsticks, we also have the sauces so I say no to them also. These are little things that can sometimes get totally out of hand… so just say no! Then there are the million and one menus… all of those menus are on-line… just call them up on your phone or tablet or computer… save all that paper mess. If you have a favorite place and the kids want to look at the real menu when ordering… that one can stay! I had a hard time getting rid of those menus that I may have used twice a year but once I did I never looked back.
Kitchen Sink
There is nothing that makes the Kitchen look more cluttered than dirty dishes in the sink. I actually have a spray bottle that I keep right under the sink that has diluted dish detergent in it… that makes it easy to wash just a few dishes or glasses as I go. If there are a few dishes there… I give them a little spray and wash the dish… dry it and put it away. If you do that throughout the day they just don’t add up. Also try to keep the drying rack empty. The dishwasher should be emptied daily also. At the end of the evening when you have finished up dinner. Just take an extra 5 minutes to clean the sink… wash around it and give the counter a nice cleaning. That way you wake up to a nice clean Kitchen each morning. Of course the majority of the dishes are usually done in the dishwasher… we all was some by hand. Believe it or not… I did not want to give up closet real estate in my Kitchen and I don’t have a dishwasher!
Gadgets
Gadgets can sometimes become an addiction and it is time you evaluate what you use and what you don’t! Do you have a strawberry huller but simply slice off the green hull with your favorite knife? Well then you don’t need that huller. If you have a good peeler and then about 7 other peelers you collected along the way and don’t have the heart to throw them out… put them in the donate box ok… you can only peel one thing at a time… hey maybe keep two when a family member is lending a hand! I have an apple corer but I allow myself to keep it because I literally core an apple every day for smoothies…I like it better than a knife because it gets everything out in a snap! (those are the kind of things you keep… the ones that make your life easier). If I didn’t use it so often I would probably put it in the donate bin.
Clean The Fridge
Sometimes the Fridge can get a bit crowded magnets, menus, and many other things. If you don’t need what is on the fridge… cleaning it off will give a much less cluttered look to your space. I love putting children’s artwork on the fridge and have made magnetized mats to put these little masterpieces in… it makes the little ones feel very proud of themselves and it gives it such a wonderful neat look and shows off the art even better! Just get a mat and glue little magnets in the corners… it’s that easy! You can even do that with think frames! Bottom line… the less clutter on the fridge… the cleaner things will look. I have to add… if you are a magnet collector and it brings you joy… DO YOU!!!!
Glasses, Mugs and Tableware
You know the cabinet… the one with all of the mis-matched mugs, plates and glasses. Most of us have one! Some of this stuff is awesome… some is not… some you don’t even remember where they came from and the list goes on. Then there are the glasses and special cups you pick up at games… vacation and a million other places! Let’s not forget the mis-matched plates of all different sizes and designs… so you pick up along the way… some are friends and family members plates that they brought a cake on and the plate stayed with you and the story continues… Go through them and only keep the ones you really really want! Donate the rest or return them! My family is so guilty of this… I can’t tell you how many mugs we have donated! Yet the huge Yankee Souvenir Giant Cup with a Helmet lid still takes up triple space in the closet and topples over every time I reach for something… lol!!! Somethings you just can’t part with. Give that cabinet a makeover… you will be glad you did!
Cookbooks
We accumulate many Cookbooks over the years! This decluttering tip is personally difficult for me because I am a book lover since I was a small child. I have an extensive cookbook collection that I went through a few years ago. I have been Vegetarian for 25 years and recently have gone Vegan… so there were many books that were just not applicable to my life style any more yet it was still hard to part with the books. If you have books that you don’t use any more… donate them so others can enjoy them like you did… share those pages and make room for some new ones in the future. If you are not attached to hardcover cookbooks… purchase your cookbooks digitally and you will never have to organize them again! There is still something about turning those pages for me though… so that collection will continue on and on.
Food Storage
You know that food container storage collection you have… does it include mis-matched pieces… containers without lids… lids without containers… containers that have a crack in them… containers from yogurt … sour cream and other assorted items that are in plastic form? Just bite the bullet and rid yourself of them … do it… you have no idea how freeing it truly is!!! These do not go in the donate bin… these go directly to recycle and don’t look back! This is something that I have been guilty of for years upon years and I am just finally curtailing it. I bought myself an assorted 40 piece set of glass containers with sealable lids that click and I am thrilled with them … I stack them… they don’t fall… I don’t have to look for lids and WOW are they awesome to clean and they always sparkle. I highly recommend treating yourself to a set (there are tons on line). I also understand if new ones are not in the budget you have to make due… but still go through them and discard the ones that are not functional! It is so nice to look for them and they all have lids and they are not sliding all over the place and falling out of the closet! Another great thing about glass is that you can see what’s in them without opening them! Treat yourself!
Utensils
Ah… all those wooden spoons, whisks, spatula’s and more that you use every day would love to be in a fabulous container for easy cooking access. Looks nice… and always within reach. PS… you don’t need 15 wooden spoons… you just don’t!
Pot, Pans and Baking Ware
Take a look at your pot/pan/and bake ware situation. Do you have too many… are there pieces that are beyond old… are there items you don’t use…are there pans that are burnt… you get it??? Streamline!
Drawers
Time to clean out the drawers. First attack the junk drawer with vigor! Get rid of everything you are never going to use and then some! Be RUTHLESS!!!! Trust me… you won’t even remember what you threw away the next day. Clean up the linen drawers and organize with dividers or just fold by size. The Bread Drawer should be checked each day. The Silverware Drawer will be nice and organized if you straighten each day and put things back where they belong. It’s amazing how much you can fit in a drawer when nicely organized.
Top Of The Fridge
If you can put items onto of your Fridge… beware… it can get very cluttered… very quickly. But… let’s face it… some of us need that space so just make sure it is organized and tidy. Once again this is where nice containers come in… they organize and clean things up wonderfully. Just take stock on what is up there every few days and keep it neat. You can also use it as a place to create a fun vignette
Inside The Fridge
This subject is a post within itself… so we will just go briefly over a few decluttering tips. First… everything that is expired hits the trash! Opened bottles… jars…etc that you haven’t used in 2-3 weeks means you will probably not be using them… so discard (not unless they are items you know you will be frequenting again and items that can handle that kind of time) Left overs… after 3-5 days (depending on what they are) go bye-bye before that Science experiment begins. Using bins and baskets to organize items is a great idea. I love the idea of having a snack bin so the kids can just grab and go. How about using a riser to double your space… sometime there is wasted space in height… so a riser will help. Wipe down the fridge each week and diligently keep tabs on what is in there! We will approach this in more detail in a future post!
Spices/Vitamins
Time to take stock of all the spices. The rule of thumb is to ditch spices that are 6 months or older. I personally don’t abide by that rule because some spices retain their flavor for a much longer time… taste and smell them… if the flavor and aroma is gone… ditch them! Using risers in your closet for spices is a great way to fit more and keep them organized. A spice rack is of course perfect and there are so many of them out there and I know you will find the one perfect for you! Now if you have vitamins in your closet… check those expiration dates out… if expired ditch them and also ditch the ones you haven’t use in 2 months while you are at it.
Hooks
There is a plethora of hooks on the market. Decorative, self stick and more! They sure come in handy when it comes to organizing and straightening things up! You can use them inside your closet doors to hang cleaning brushes… spray bottles and much more. The hooks are perfect in the pantry to hang aprons, towels shopping bags and the list goes on.
Clean Out Cabinets and or Pantry
Once a week take a survey of the food items you have in your pantry or in your cabinets. Check the expiration dates and also decide if you are truly going to use the items. If the food has expired… time to ditch it and for the unopened items you are not going to use… donate to a food pantry or share with a family member or friend. That goes for unopened pet food… if you have a case of something your pet is no longer going to eat… drop it off at your Local Shelter… they will be thrilled! You will be surprised how much space you will gain and it will be so much easier to maneuver all of your items. Clear Glass Storage Containers are excellent for all the dried goods from beans to cereals to rice and beyond! Getting rid of the bulky boxes with streamlined containers is a wonderful thing! If you do this often… it will never be a chore… but if you wait and let things accumulate… the job becomes exhausting! (speaking from experience). If this is a subject you would like me to delve deeper into… let me know in the comments!
Cleaning Items and Food Wraps
We all have tons of cleaning items and rolls of aluminum foil, cling wrap, parchment paper, wax paper and more… so it is totally wise to organize these items. For the wraps… it is great to take a magazine Holder and nail it into the cabinet door… simply slide the roll boxes in and you are ready to go! The cleaning items can be places on risers which will double the room for them or they can be placed in bins or even a handy dandy carrier tote for cleaning on the go!
Items you Don’t Use & Donation Bin
It’s time to check out your Kitchen for items you simply don’t use… donate and more on
Keep a donation bin in a place that is easy to access. That way when the spirit moves you you have a place to bring the item you no longer need! Without a big… it will probably go right back on the shelf!
Ways To Declutter Your Kitchen
Ways To Declutter Your Kitchen
Want to stay in the know? I’d really love that! (((HUGS))) |
Like … on Facebook | Follow … on Pinterest | Follow … on Instagram | |
Ways To Declutter Your Kitchen |