The kitchen is often called the heart of the home. It’s where people tend to gather during get-togethers and where families snack, talk, and experiment with recipes handed down for generations.
But so much time spent in the kitchen also means it becomes a dumping ground for mail, gadgets, and other stray items. Combine that with all the new appliances we’ve come to rely on and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
If your kitchen clutter is beginning to get out of hand, here are a few simple ways to take back your space.
Put away appliances when you’re not using them
Many of our appliances sit out on the counter even when we’re not using them. But things like coffee grinders, slow cookers, electric kettles, and even toasters (once they’ve cooled down) can be put in a spare cabinet or pantry when not in use.
Putting things away only takes a minute (or less!) and can make your counters look much more spacious.
Adjust your shelves for maximum storage capacity
Most cabinets have shelves that can be adjusted. Next time you find yourself in a space crunch, see if you can rearrange them in order to store your more dishes and appliances.
You’d be surprised how much more you can hide away when you store things efficiently.
Get rid of refrigerator clutter
Perhaps your fridge is an elementary school art gallery and you like it that way. No problem!
But if you tend to stick things to the fridge just because you don’t want to throw them away, you might consider the nuclear option of taking it all down. See if you really need a constant reminder that your cousin had a baby 4 years ago or that you bought a silly magnet on your last vacation on impulse.
You may find that a clean fridge door provides a more peaceful feeling in your kitchen.
Put away cooking utensils
There’s no need to constantly stare at every utensil you’ve ever purchased.
Some of us need a nice canister with our most-used gear readily available, but most things can probably go in a drawer. You’ll likely remember them when you need them.
Clean out your junk drawer
We all have a drawer where stray tape, pens, safety pins, nail files, receipts, batteries, etc. live.
The junk drawer is a tough thing to clean, but could free up some space for things you actually need. You may not be able to throw much away, but simply getting an organizer and putting things in order will make opening it less of a nightmare. No one needs to spend precious moments of their lives digging through years of stray stuff just to find their old sunglasses.
Get rid of things you don’t use
Some things we don’t use have sentimental value and are tough to get rid of. But others just haven’t seen the light of day in years and maybe never will again.
One day, when you’re feeling brave, it might be a good idea to go through your cabinets and be honest with yourself about the things you really don’t need or use.
Donating them is not only a good deed, but a good tax write-off too!
Recycle that junk mail
Is there an entire section of your kitchen counter devoted to mail that can’t just be thrown away but that you really don’t care to open? You’re not alone.
It’s likely that you’ve got tons of expired deals and total garbage in that pile. And let’s face it, if you haven’t opened it in a few months, it couldn’t be that important. Just take a half hour to go through it and take back your counterspace.
Cut down on kitchen gadgets
Gadgets can make cooking so much easier and less time-consuming, but some are just kitschy gifts we never find time to use.
Cutting down on extraneous gadgets will free up space to store the things you actually do use and keep them off your kitchen counters.
Transfer bagged foods to airtight containers
Do you have dozens of crumpled little bags of food shoved in your pantry? Try investing in some airtight containers for things like flour, sugar, and cereals.
While they might take up slightly more space as they empty out, they’re much easier to stack and look far neater, allowing you to store them in visible places without your kitchen looking like a mess.
Cleaning the kitchen is a daunting task, but these steps don’t need to be taken all at once. Put aside a few minutes a day or each week to tackle these tasks and you’ll find yourself a lot less stressed when people want to hang out in your kitchen.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
