Who doesn’t love coming home to a clutter-free kitchen, but how many of us actually have one? I’d bet only a few! If you happen to be one of the lucky folks who have absolutely no issues with keeping this area clean, good for you! However, if you struggle with the mess on a daily basis, you might want to consider decluttering your kitchen.
In reality, ridding yourself of clutter isn’t only because of cleanliness but also for practicality. It doesn’t differ much from keeping your garage tidy, or any other room for that matter. Nonetheless, if you aren’t entirely sure how to approach the whole decluttering process, you might find solace in the following neat tricks – pun intended!
1. Take Note of Your Items
To actually get rid of the mess, first, you must make more mess. It’s unsightly, yes, but that’s just how decluttering your kitchen works. As a start, you want to take everything out of your cupboard, and by everything, I mean everything – quite literally! Place your items onto counters, kitchen tables, or even on the floor if there isn’t enough space. Take inventory of what you own, and group up individual things based on similarity. This is also an excellent time to figure out what it is that you actually use and what’s just collecting dust.
2. Keep, Donate, or Throw Away
Now that you’ve allowed yourself a chance to see the full scope of your things, it’s time to throw some of them away. Anything broken or missing a part should definitely find its way to a trash can. As for functional belongings of no use to you, those are better off donated to someone who needs them. Whatever you deem necessary, however, by all means, you should keep.
3. Store Practically
You’ve sorted through your things, decided what to keep, so the only thing left to do is put those items back where they belong. Perhaps you weren’t all that practical about your storage before, though, which means you should change that habit. So, how do you go about that? Well, for starters, you store frequently used cookware and appliances close by – somewhere easily accessible. Occasionally used items should also remain near, although slightly tucked away. On the other hand, things you seem to use quite rarely, only once or twice a year, should be kept out of the kitchen. In case the storage space allows it, that is.
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4. Arrange Food in an Easy to Spot Manner
How many times have you bought some ingredients, only to realize later on that you already had them at home? Not only is this practice bad in terms that it causes overspending, but it is also a culprit to hoarding. If only you stopped buying extra, then you wouldn’t have to deal with decluttering your kitchen every so often, right?
Luckily, there’s a solution to this problem. All it takes is for you to position the packagings so that the labels are facing you upon opening the cupboard. You could also transfer foods to transparent containers, where you’ll be able to see the contents quite clearly. A piece of advice, though: Don’t forget to label those containers, especially if you are storing spices. Mistaking salt for sugar, curry for turmeric, and the other way around is quite a common occurrence.
5. Keep Pots and Pans Organized
These bulky but necessary pieces of cookware occupy so much space that they can easily cause a ruckus in the kitchen. However, the best way to deal with it is to treat pots and pans like Russian dolls. You know, the ones where the smaller doll is inside a larger one? Only, in this case, you won’t be putting dolls one inside the other, but rather your pans and pots. As far as lids are concerned, if possible, leave them on. If not, then store them somewhere close, arranged from the tiniest to the largest.
6. Don’t Overlook the Under-the-Sink Area
Don’t be one of those people that entirely forget about tidying up under the sink! Instead, whenever you take up decluttering your kitchen, pay special attention to this area. For many of us, this is where we tend to keep our cleaning supplies and garbage can. And even though this place is hidden from sight, that doesn’t mean it can’t be kept neat and organized.
Get rid of anything rusty, old, and unnecessary, and give the space a proper wipe. Make it your mission that, from now on, you won’t just toss everything in but actually take time to put it in its place. This will allow you to banish clutter from here on out. For improved efficacy, install a pull-out garbage can, and attach a holder to your door for all the sponges, dish scrubbers, and brushes.
7. Put the Fridge in Order
You might not know this, but there is an actual order to storing food in the refrigerator. By following the rules, you achieve a clutter-free look while also ensuring food remains fresh for longer. For instance, door shelves are designed for storing bottles and condiments. The lower shelf is considered the coldest, and as such, perfect for putting away meat. You can place butter and dairy on the top shelf, while the middle is best used for storing cooked food and leftovers. Since the temperature of the basket down below is a bit higher, this is where you should keep fruits and vegetables.
Now that you’ve learned the basics of decluttering your kitchen, you can go about doing it yourself. It may take a bit of time, but we promise it will be a rewarding process. One that will not only revive your home but also bring you that much-needed peace of mind.
Blog provided by Tanya Douglas; tanya@eastcoasthaul.com
Photos used:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-white-kitchen-4682110/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-metal-mesh-cup-1004112/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/clear-glass-jars-filled-with-cereals-3737639/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/bottles-with-assorted-juices-in-refrigerator-4240995/