How to Eliminate Kitchen Clutter

Eliminating clutter is a great way to improve your kitchen décor and increase the likelihood that you’ll actually use your kitchen for its intended purpose. Too often, cupboards get packed with unused gadgets, drawers fill up with duplicate utensils and the pantry overflows with outdated spices and canned goods. When you cut through the clutter and keep only what you need, you’re far more likely to start cooking dinner again.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Trash bags
• Paper grocery bags
• Cardboard boxes
• Shelf liners
• Drawer organizers
• Sponge
• Hot, soapy water
• Tea towel

1. Sort every item in your cupboards into one of three piles: Keep, Donate or Trash. This is quite possibly the toughest part of your project because it can be difficult to let go of those gadgets, plates and cups, even if you no longer use or need them. Only keep items that you can be absolutely sure you’ll use again soon. Throw away any broken items and donate everything else.
2. Wipe down, dry and add shelf liners to each shelf as you pull items out.
3. Return everything in your Keep pile to the cupboards, placing the items you use most often on the shelves that are easiest to reach.
4. Sort every item in your drawers into the Keep, Donate and Trash piles next. Only keep the utensils you use most often. Donate any duplicate utensils, extra sets of flatware and things you just don’t use anymore. Toss anything that is broken or past its prime.
5. Wipe down, dry and add shelf liners to each drawer as you pull items out.
6. Return everything in your keep pile to the drawers, adding drawer organizers when necessary and placing items you use most often in the drawers closest to the stove and dishwasher.
7. Remove everything covering your counter tops and sort into the Keep, Donate and Trash piles. Only keep items that you use all the time or that will truly enhance your kitchen décor. Everything else should be donated or tossed.
8. Wipe down and dry off the counter tops.
9. Place the items you use most often, such as the toaster, back on the counter tops then arrange your decorative items. Any other appliances that you want to keep but don’t plan to store on the counter top should be placed in a cupboard.
10. Sort every item in your pantry and refrigerator into either the Keep or Trash pile. Throw away anything that has expired, is about to expire or that you know your family absolutely won’t eat.
11. Wipe down and dry off the refrigerator and pantry shelves as you pull items out. Add shelf liners to the pantry shelves.
12. Return everything in your Keep pile to the refrigerator and pantry, placing items you access most often on shelves located at eye level.
13. Take everything in your Trash pile and place it in the trash bags then immediately take them out to your trashcan. Chances are you’ll have a lot of trash from all that sorting so you may have to make a few trips.
14. Take everything in your Donate pile and place it in the paper grocery bags and cardboard boxes (for heavier appliances) then immediately load them into your car.
15. Take the items you plan to donate to a local secondhand store or donation center.

Tips & Warnings

• De-clutter your kitchen on trash night. This way when you throw away everything in your Trash pile it will be gone forever by the next morning and you won’t be tempted to bring any of it back in the house.

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