I could be wrong but it’s probably time to declutter your kitchen. Because the kitchen is often where we spend the most time; to gather, nourish, work and relax it may require more frequent decluttering. Consider what “enough” means to you as you move through each space decluttering your kitchen.
Working space by space instead of trying to do it all once will feel less overwhelming. And, because we don’t all experience clutter in the same spaces, they may not all be an issue for you.It will be different for everyone depending on family size, interest in cooking and other lifestyle factors. Take your time and if you get frustrated, check out these .
10 Kitchen Spaces that Probably Need Decluttering
Declutter these kitchen things and areas of your kitchen at a pace that works well for you. One space a day may work for some or move through all of them in a day if you have the time and energy. Donate or recycle items when possible. If you have trouble getting started, and .
1. Declutter your junk drawers.
Kitchen clutter may be hiding in your junk drawers. The junk drawer is usually where you put things that don’t have a place of their own but then you forget what’s in there and the stuff really does become junk. for decluttering junk drawers. By the time you empty out the junk you may decide you don’t need a drawer for it anymore.
2. Clean off the kitchen table.
If your kitchen table is also a dumping ground for mail, homework and other things that get in the way of you actually eating at your table, consider declaring the table a clutter-free zone. Once you declutter your kitchen, you’ll want to spend more time at the kitchen table enjoying a nice meal, cup of tea or coffee.
3. Declutter your countertops.
Declutter your kitchen by creating counter space to create. Kitchen counters get cluttered quickly. There’s nothing wrong with small appliances like a blender, toaster or air fryer but let go of the ones you don’t use and hide the ones you don’t use daily. Clear countertops make cleaning easier and preparing food more fun.
4. Declutter duplicate kitchen items.
From measuring cups and spoons to peelers, corkscrews, whisks, wooden spoons and spatulas, you may have more than you need. Kitchen appliances and utensils seem to multiply when you aren’t paying attention. Look at things like pots, pans, mixing bowls and daily dishes, cups and utensils. In some cases you may want more than one but challenge what you need by hiding all of the duplicates and extras for a while. See what’s it like to have one cheese grater or just enough plates to feed your family. If you only need extras for special occasions, keep them somewhere out of sight to improve the flow of your day-to-day kitchen activities.
5. Clean off the front of your refrigerator.
This one task will go a long way when you declutter your kitchen. Remove everything from the front of your fridge, even the cute and photos (for now). Put it all in a box or envelope for thirty days and see how it feels. You may not even notice you aren’t noticing it until it’s gone. Do you miss it? Do you want to display it all again, or do you want to display less or nothing?
6. Food storage containers (and the lids).
Declutter your kitchen in this area by starting with any orphaned items. You can easily let go of the lids that don’t have a matching container. Then assess your storage needs. Do you need as many containers as you have? This goes for canisters, jars, plastic containers and other storage like items in your kitchen. Less doesn’t mean nothing but paring down can help you create space.
7. Let go of the hard to clean stuff.
If you have things in the kitchen that you never use because they are a pain to clean, let go. You’ll release the item and the stress that goes along with knowing you have to spend extra time . As you declutter your kitchen, consider not only the space you are creating but the time too. Keep the things that make your time in the kitchen easier and more enjoyable. Let go of the rest.
8. Kitchen cabinets full of coffee mugs and water bottles.
Whether your coffee mugs are hanging on hooks, stored on shelves or hiding in a cabinet, they are a special kind of clutter. They are easy to gift or purchase and hard to refuse and let go of. The funny part is no matter how many cups you have, you probably have a favorite and would barely notice if the rest were gone. If getting rid of the ones you never use feels scary, hide them instead. See how long it takes before you need to dig a coffee cup out of one of your storage bins. When it comes to decluttering water bottles, I offer the same advice. Keep the ones you actually use and get rid of the rest.
9. Declutter your spice cabinets.
Spices seem to build up overnight. Open the cupboards or the pantry, take inventory and only keep the spices you use. Let the rest go or keep the ones you rarely use in a different area or towards the back of your spice collection so you don’t have to sort through them every time you cook. . There are likely only three to five spices you use on a regular basis and maybe seven to twelve you use often. If you collect spices like I did, you may have twenty to fifty sitting in your cabinet. Which might mean you have so many that you can’t find the ones you enjoy. This goes for the pantry items, too. When they build up, it doesn’t only make the ones you are looking for harder to find; it also makes going into that cabinet less appealing overall. Who looks forward to making dinner when it’s impossible to find what you need?
10. See what’s under the kitchen sink.
The cabinets under your kitchen sink may be a neatly organized space or you may have no idea what’s under there. Usually it’s one or the other. Empty out this kitchen space, wash it down and decide what belongs there and what doesn’t. Instead of investing in an expensive organizational system, see what happens if you store fewer items under the sink.
Bonus tip to enjoy your decluttered kitchen: Use the fancy dishes.
If you have a fancy set of dishes a family member passed down or other dishes you don’t use (but love), consider donating them or using them. As the saying goes, “life is short, .”
You may have noticed that clutter attracts clutter and calm attracts calm. A clutter-free kitchen will invite you to feel calm and maybe even looking forward to cooking and connecting. When the clutter feels overwhelming, shift your focus to how you want to feel in the space. Declutter your kitchen on a regular basis and you’ll begin to notice and less clutter so you can feel more at ease in a space where you spend lots of time.
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