The kitchen is perhaps the most important meeting place in every home. Whether cooking a meal with the family or sitting down for dinner, there’s a lot of commotion and activity in the kitchen throughout the day. Given the busy nature of this space, it is not surprising that the kitchen also attracts a lot of clutter, which can make a place look untidy and disorganized and add to one’s stress.
10 tips to make the kitchen clutter-free
1. Assess the counter space
Start by identifying where the clutter comes from. In most cases, the contributing factors can be the items that do not have a properly designated place, lack of a daily cleaning routine, or not implementing any proper process to manage the arrival of new things in the house.
With this in mind, take a fresh look at the clutter. Think about what is on the counter, and check if it reoccurs daily. Next, determine the reason for its presence there—whether it is because these items are frequently used or because of a lack of storage options. Once identified, devise processes to get rid of it. This is also a good time to come up with ideas about how one would like to use the freed-up counter space in the kitchen effectively.
2. Give every item a proper home
After drawing up an assessment, it is time to give every item a home, that is, a dedicated storage space. If not, it will return to the kitchen counter frequently and contribute to clutter. Assign a space for every item in the kitchen—for instance, a cabinet for small appliances or a drawer for kitchen utensils—so they can be returned and stored after use.
3. Keep things behind closed doors
While open shelving may look appealing, it can quickly become cluttered and untidy. To keep the kitchen clean and organized, try keeping items behind closed doors. Create “hiding spaces” for items of daily use to ensure that the counters remain clear of any mess. Relocate small appliances into cabinets and remove any non-essential decor in the area. Only keep what is functional, such as a chopping board or a salt shaker.
It may also be worthwhile to create a dedicated but organized “junk” drawer to store miscellaneous items.
4. Rely on the “one in, one out” rule
To avoid clutter piling on in the kitchen, it is good practice to rely on the “one in, one out” rule. Here, for every new thing one purchases and brings home, one gets rid of an existing item to balance it out and prevent overcrowding in the kitchen.
5. Create a checklist
To streamline the decluttering project, one can also rely on simple checklists of what to clear from each counter, drawer, or cabinet and where to place them. While these may differ significantly for each home, a checklist system will help individuals navigate through the task systematically and provide a feeling of accomplishment when they tick off the completed tasks.
6. Don’t put things down, put them away
This advice comes from decluttering specialist Marie Kondo. Making this simple habit a part of one’s life can avoid the build-up of clutter in the kitchen. A dirty plate, for instance, can be placed directly in the dishwasher, while a new glass or cutlery set must be stowed away safely in a cabinet or drawer. This is also a good time to take out anything that does not belong in the kitchen, whether it is a pile of papers, a jacket, or a miscellaneous bag.
7. Invest in space-saving solutions
To easily and effectively organize the space, one may also consider investing in space-saving small kitchen storage solutions such as shelves for cookbooks, hooks for often-used kitchen tools, or a dedicated magnetic strip or holding block for knives. Apart from this, one can also use a wall rack, maximize drawer space using organizers and sorters, and add hooks at strategic places around the kitchen to ensure that the counters remain clutter-free.
Cabinets can be difficult to reach and use when they are too deep. As a solution, consider installing lazy susans, pull-out shelves, lid organizers, and other sorters to create an efficient kitchen layout.
8. Keep similar items together
When restocking the kitchen after a deep clean, try to keep similar items together. For instance, pots and pans could be stacked in one drawer, while bakeware could be stacked in another. Similarly, one can dedicate a cabinet to store cutlery, and spices can be stacked neatly in a spice rack!
9. Go through the food in the pantry
When clearing out the pantry, go through the labels on all the dry food, cans, and condiments. Place similar items next to each other for ease of use. Check for duplicates and expiration dates, and throw away any spoiled foods. Any safe-to-eat, unopened items can be donated to the local food pantry, homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
10. Establish a daily reset routine
To avoid clutter building up on the counters, set up a morning and evening cleaning routine. This will hardly take 5-10 minutes and will help keep the place looking clean and tidy. It will also help one pay more attention to the kitchen space and determine how to use it.
