Recently, I went on a whirlwind decluttering tour of my kitchen. It was a lot of work — and some of the things I had to toss were pretty sentimental but it was also totally worth it.
My new streamlined space makes me feel so much happier when I cook and bake. And here’s the best part: Since decluttering my kitchen, I’ve found that it takes less time than ever before to get meals on the table every day.
| Takeaways to Declutter Your Kitchen |
|---|
| 1. Clear off your countertops by storing appliances and items you don’t use regularly. |
| 2. Use drawer dividers and labeled containers to keep everything organized and easy to find. |
| 3. Declutter your pantry and cabinets regularly, only keeping items that you use and enjoy. |
| 4. Implement storage solutions, such as shelves and hanging pot racks, to maximize your space. |
| 5. Take everything out of your cabinets and drawers and sort it into keep, donate, or toss piles. |
| 6. Create designated spots for everything, and make a habit of putting things back in their place. |
| 7. Minimize your collection of cooking tools and equipment to only the essentials. |
| 8. Regularly evaluate your belongings to ensure that you’re only keeping things that are useful to you. |
| 9. Donate or sell items that are still in good condition but no longer needed or used. |
| 10. Keep up with maintaining a clean and organized kitchen by doing quick clean-ups and regular deep cleans. |
Cut The Clutter
If you don’t know what to do with it, get rid of it! It’s that simple. Get rid of things you don’t use, and don’t keep things that are broken or useless.
Don’t hold onto things that are no longer useful or have been rendered obsolete by newer technology (e.g., cell phones). If they make you feel guilty because they remind you of someone special who has passed away, toss ’em!
Organizing your pantry can be challenging, but it’s essential for keeping your kitchen clutter-free and functional. Check out our tips on organizing your pantry to help you declutter and maximize your space.
Use The “One In, One Out” Rule
The “one in, one out” rule is a simple strategy that helps you declutter your kitchen. Here’s how it works:
Every time you bring something new into your home (books, supplies, groceries), you must get rid of an item from your kitchen or pantry so there’s no clutter accumulating in any room.
If you get rid of something, make sure to immediately replace it with something else. This will help prevent the accumulation of too many things that don’t fit well with each other and make everything look cluttered.
| Idea | Description |
|---|---|
| Donate unused items | Donate or sell items that you no longer use or need. Recommended organizations include Goodwill and The Salvation Army. |
| Choose quality over quantity | Invest in high-quality items that will last for years rather than purchasing cheap, disposable items. Recommended brands include Le Creuset and Vitamix. |
| Set a limit | Set a limit for the number of items you want to keep in a specific category, such as coffee mugs or wine glasses, and stick to it. |
| Take a picture | Take a picture of sentimental items, such as old recipe cards or cookie cutters, and create a digital scrapbook to save space. |
| Try before you buy | Borrow or rent specialty items, such as a pasta maker or bread machine, before purchasing them to ensure you will use them regularly. Recommended rental services include Rent the Runway and HomeAway. |
Toss Expired Food
As a general rule, if you wouldn’t eat it and it’s more than three months past its expiration date, throw it out. If you can’t remember when you bought the food in question, or if there are any questionable spots on the packaging (i.e., mold or discoloration), toss that sucker as well.
You can also use this method to get rid of foods that have been sitting in your refrigerator for years without being opened (or at least glanced at).
A small kitchen can quickly become cluttered and overwhelming. However, with a few clever storage solutions, you can make the most of your limited space. Check out our guide on maximizing storage in a small kitchen for some helpful tips.
Donate Old Appliances
Donating old appliances to charity is a great idea. You can also donate them to family, friends or use them yourself if they work well enough and you don’t want to spend money on buying new ones. You can also donate the appliance to a thrift shop or repair center.
Purge Your Pantry — And Organize It, Too.
Your pantry is one place that’s especially prone to clutter. If you’re like most people, it’s probably packed full of food that’s expired, past its prime or just not used much anymore. Get rid of those things by donating them to a local food bank or soup kitchen.
But don’t stop there! Purge any other expendable food items you have in your pantry too including things that are past their expiration date.
Next, organize your pantry so it’s easy for you to find what you need when cooking or baking. It’ll help make cooking easier on yourself if all the ingredients are organized according to type (i.e., dry goods on one side, wet goods on another).
Plastic storage containers are great for storing dry goods; use baskets or bins for the wet stuff like eggs and milk; jars work well with spices and seasonings; and bottles work well with oils and vinegars (just make sure they’re kept upright).
Go Through The Refrigerator And Freezer
Go through the refrigerator and freezer. Remove expired food and take inventory of what you have. Organize the fridge, then organize the freezer by date and type (meats, frozen dinners, etc.). Make sure to note anything that should be cooked soon so it doesn’t go bad.
If you’re struggling to keep your kitchen cabinets organized, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to declutter and make the most of your cabinet space. Check out our ultimate guide on organizing your kitchen cabinets to get started.
Unload Junk Drawers
Once you’ve cleared out the junk drawers, it’s time to get rid of the old batteries and paper clips. We know it feels wrong to throw away something that still works, but think about this: What are you going to do with all those batteries? Are they still good? Do you even remember what they are for? If not, it’s time to go.
The same goes for pens, pencils and rubber bands. They might be useful at some point in the future (or not!), but until then they’re just taking up space and making us feel guilty every time we see them in our junk drawer.
You can recycle twist ties if they’re metal or plastic—but if they’re cloth-covered wire (like those little rubber bands used by grocery stores), toss those too!
| Idea | Description |
|---|---|
| Organizing trays | Use organizing trays to sort and separate small items, such as paper clips and pushpins, in your junk drawer. Recommended brands include mDesign and Simple Houseware. |
| Battery tester | Use a battery tester to determine which batteries are still working and which ones need to be thrown away. Recommended brands include ZTS and Fluke. |
| Donate or recycle | Donate or recycle items, such as old cell phones or chargers, that are no longer useful to you. Look for local electronics recycling programs or organizations, like Best Buy or GreenDisk. |
| Digital declutter | Use a scanner or app, such as Evernote or Google Drive, to digitize and organize important documents and papers that clutter up your junk drawer. |
Create A Task List For Each Zone Of Your Kitchen To Make Decluttering Easier
Create a task list for each zone of your kitchen. This will help you keep track of which items need to be decluttered and where they belong, so you know what to do with them later on.
For example, if you want to get rid of old food in your refrigerator, write down the date on a post-it note or whiteboard that says how long it’s been in there (6 months is usually an accepted standard).
Then, when you’re ready to take action on any item that hasn’t been in there for 3 months or longer, put it back into its proper place and cross off the name from your list!
You can also use this method for other areas like the pantry or freezer—just make sure that whatever system works best for you is easy enough so as not to overwhelm yourself with too many tasks at once.
Countertop clutter can quickly make your kitchen feel chaotic and disorganized. Luckily, there are several simple tricks you can use to create more counter space and keep your kitchen clean. Check out our guide on creating more counter space for some helpful tips.
Designate A Place For Everything
The first thing to do is to designate a place for everything. This is the key, because you can’t keep your kitchen organized if you don’t know where to put things away.
You should have a drawer for utensils and appliances, another drawer for baking supplies and food items, an area in which you store pots and pans, and so on.
Your pantry should be stocked with dry goods such as flour, sugar, spices and more. Make sure each item has its own designated place—this will make it easier when it comes time to cook!
Utilize Vertical Space
Put away your pots and pans by creating a magnetic spice rack. Put them right on the wall, or hang them in the kitchen cabinet. Either way, they’ll be easy to grab when you need them!
Use vertical space. Do you have empty shelves in your pantry? If so, consider buying some plastic storage bins (or repurposing something else) and storing items like canned goods on there instead of taking up valuable floor space by stacking things on top of each other. Not only does it look better this way but it also makes it easier to reach what’s at the back!
Hang up those utensils with a shoe organizer hanging from one of your lower kitchen cabinets that has pegs for hanging coats on (like a closet).
This will keep everything off counters and make cooking less cluttered than ever before—plus this method is perfect for small kitchens as well because there’s no wasted space when stowing away dishes!
| Idea | Description |
|---|---|
| Magnetic spice rack | Use a magnetic spice rack to store pots and pans on the wall or in a cabinet. Recommended brands include Kamenstein and Ikea. |
| Hanging pot rack | Hang a pot rack from the ceiling to utilize vertical space and keep your pots and pans within reach. Recommended brands include Cuisinart and Enclume. |
| Wall-mounted pot rack | Install a wall-mounted pot rack to hang your pots and pans on the wall, freeing up cabinet space and adding a decorative element to your kitchen. Recommended brands include Calphalon and Range Kleen. |
Stick With Clear Containers Or Opaque Ones With Labels For Dry Goods And Snacks
You’ve probably noticed that my kitchen is a study in organized chaos. It’s not only neat, but also well-stocked and easy to use. This is because I follow a few simple rules that keep everything organized and out of sight.
- Stick with clear containers or opaque ones with labels for dry goods and snacks.
I’m not above using every container in the house to store something (as you may have seen), but there are definitely some things that need their own space a place where they can be easily accessed without being overlooked or mislabeled.
Dry goods are perfect candidates for clear glass jars or plastic bins; this way, you can see at a glance what’s inside without having to open each item individually (and risk losing track). Snacks should go into opaque containers like Tupperware or reusable snack bags; this way, no one will know what’s inside unless they take the time to read the label on top!
Keeping your kitchen organized can be a big challenge, especially if you’re short on space. However, with a few clever organization hacks, you can declutter and maximize your kitchen’s full potential. Check out our list of 10 kitchen organization hacks for some great ideas.
Get Rid Of Unnecessary Dishes And Utensils
When it comes to kitchen clutter, the first step is getting rid of unnecessary dishes and utensils. The “one in, one out” rule kicks in here: If you buy a new item for your kitchen, declutter an old one to make room for it.
You can also purge your pantry by organizing everything alphabetically or by category (flour, baking soda). Then unload junk drawers by sorting through things like loose change or old receipts and recycling them.
Once you’ve addressed the obvious clutter problems in your kitchen, take time to create a task list for each zone of the space so they’ll stay neat with minimal effort on your part—and then designate a place for everything! With these simple steps under your belt, decluttering will be as easy as pie (or toast)!
Conclusion
In the end, decluttering your kitchen can be a simple process — just know what you want out of it and get started! If you want to get organized, start with one area at a time.
Once you feel comfortable working on one zone of your kitchen at a time, then move on to another. And remember that sometimes the best way to declutter is by taking small steps that don’t require too much effort but still make an impact on how things look and function in your home.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for decluttering your kitchen:
The Simplicity Habit: Declutter Your Kitchen
This blog post provides some helpful tips for decluttering the kitchen and keeping it organized.
The Kitchn: 8 Sneaky Ways to Declutter Your Kitchen
This article provides some clever tips and tricks for decluttering the kitchen, such as using hidden storage and decluttering during downtime.
Perfecting Places: 25 Simple Ideas for How to Declutter Your Kitchen
This blog post provides a list of 25 simple ideas for decluttering the kitchen, such as decluttering your counters and reducing your cooking tools.
FAQs
How do I start decluttering my kitchen?
To start decluttering your kitchen, begin by taking everything out of your cabinets and drawers and sorting it into piles of keep, donate, or toss. Then, evaluate each item and only keep the things that you use and enjoy. From there, create a designated spot for each item and make a habit of putting everything back in its place.
How can I maximize my kitchen storage?
There are several ways to maximize your kitchen storage, such as installing shelves or a hanging pot rack, using drawer dividers, and utilizing the space under your sink. You can also use labeled containers to keep everything organized and easy to find.
How often should I declutter my kitchen?
It’s a good idea to declutter your kitchen at least once a year to keep it organized and functional. However, you may find that you need to declutter more frequently if you notice things starting to pile up or if you’re having difficulty finding what you need.
What should I do with items that I don’t want to keep?
For items that are in good condition, consider donating them to a local organization or charity. You can also sell them online or give them away to friends or family members. If the items are no longer usable, dispose of them properly according to your local regulations.
How do I maintain my clean and organized kitchen?
To maintain a clean and organized kitchen, make a habit of putting things away as soon as you’re finished using them, doing a quick clean up at the end of each day, and deep cleaning your kitchen regularly. You should also regularly evaluate your belongings and make sure that you’re only keeping things that you use and enjoy.
Hi there! My name is Hellen James. I’m a professional decluttering expert who loves to help people get their homes in order. I’ve worked with people from all walks of life—from high school students to retirees and everything in between—to help them clear out clutter and make the most of their space so they can focus on what matters most to them.