Hey mama! My kids will be going back to school in a few weeks and wanted to get my house in order. The kitchen is always a great place to start as it is where my morning and evening routines takes place. A functional clutter-free kitchen makes time in the kitchen more enjoyable and am/pm routines smoother. When I declutter my kitchen I minimize the time I spend in the kitchen and I feel good. With the pandemic, us working from home and the kids doing remote my kitchen has taken a hit.
I do this at least once a year but never thought much about my process – so bare with me. If at the end you have any questions just email me. I want to help you declutter your kitchen without overwhelming you. Most importantly I want to save you TIME in the kitchen. Let’s begin…
Table of Contents
Start Top to Bottom, One Area at a Time
Decluttering is rewarding but it can be overwhelming too – take it one area at a time. The declutter process shouldn’t be stressful. The only tears that should fall are happy ones when you’re finished.
Declutter Kitchen Cabinets
- Remove everything from the top of cabinets and work your way down (one cabinet at a time).
- Place objects onto a big surface and sort into piles
- Any items that are damage or broken toss in the trash as you go
- Get rid of unnecessary duplicate items by placing them in either the sell, donate or trash pile.
- Wipe down and clean the cabinet the kitchen items were in
- Don’t put anything back until everything is out and organized into piles
Declutter Kitchen Drawers
- Take everything out of drawers (one drawer at a time)
- Place and sort all items on a clear space.
- Seperate gadgets from tools. Then group like items – baking, cooking, eating, cutting.
- Get rid of unecessary duplicates for example 10 slotted spoons may not make sense if you only use 2 at a time the most. Do you really need 3 can openers? Keep one and figure out if you will trash or donate the other two.
- Do not put anything back until everything is out and organized into piles
Declutter Kitchen Countertops
- Remove everything from counters
- Place and sort all objects on a clear space
- Wipe down and clean countertop
- Do not put anything back until evetything is out and sorted
Separate Everything into Piles
There are 4 piles that you should be using to sort through kitchen items: Keep, trash, sell, donate. The seperating part is key to decluttering but it can get tricky. Some stuff can easily be identified as t-r-a-s-h and you’ll toss it without a problem. But then there’s that sandwich press that you never used but it was gifted to you for Christmas from your mother-in-law. Yeah, you probably have at least one of these items. This is what I call weird sentiment. It’s a sandwich press! You’re not removing your mother-in-law from your kitchen just the sandwich press. Bottom line is that we sometimes put sentiment to things without realizing that they are costing us space. Try to keep weird sentimental items to a minimum.
To Keep or Not to Keep, That is The Question
When deciding whether an item is a keeper and whether it should be kept in the kitchen or somewhere else put it through the question test:
- Do you have more than one of these?
- Do you use this item at least once a week? If no then answer the following:
- When do you use it?
- How often do you use it?
- Is it worth taking up space?
That Turkey roaster that you use 1-2 times a year for Thanksgiving and Christmas is a keeper but does it need to be in your kitchen? – probably not. You can put it in your basement or a storage closet. This way these items are still available but not cluttering your kitchen space.
The Trash Pile
Any items that are broken or damaged should be thrown in the trash pile. If you still manage to use it then toss it and put it on your shopping list to buy. That pot missing it’s handle is a fire hazard – it’s time to let it go and treat yourself to a new one.
The Sell or Donate Pile
Maybe your kitchen taste has changed or for some reason you have 2 slow cookers but only use one. You can sell it on Ebay, FB Marketplace or other online seeling site or you can donate it to thrift stores like Salvation Army, Savers, etc. Items that are brand new in box or look like new should be considered for resale. Fair items can be donated to minimize waste in our landfills.
What are “Joy” Items?
Chances are you have a couple joy items in your kitchen. These are items that serve no purpose except to bring you joy. These items are usually keepers. For example, I have an old porcelain mortar and pestal that belonged to an old friend and former boss that passed away. It is just on display but it looks cool and I feel happy when I see it. It doesn’t take up a lot of space so it can stay in my kitchen. Always consider space and whether it is worth that space it will take up. Sometimes you might move a joy item to another room because it takes up more space than you are willing to give up.
Putting Things Back
Congratulations, you are in the final stretch! Now that you’ve gotten rid of unnecessary items in your kitchen it’s time to begin organizing the items that made it into the keep pile. This is where beauty meets function and the fun truly begins. Before we begin this process grab yourself a drink, some sticky notes (enough for every drawer in the kitchen), permenent marker, measuring tape, notebook to write measurements + paper for shopping list and pen.
Assessment activity: Look around your kitchen and give each drawer a purpose. You can ask yourself questions like do you need a linen drawer or where would the cooking utensils be easier to reach when cooking. Some other questions could be whether your spices would be better in the cabinet or in a drawer…what will bring functionality in your space? Do you have a coffee maker? Do you need a drawer for all things coffee? Once you are finished place your sticky notes on the drawer you identified it will be used for.
Next measure your drawers and write the name of drawer and measurements in your notebook. This makes buying organizers easier. My favorite drawer organizers can be found on my Organized Kitchen Idea List on my Amazon storefront.
Invest in organizers
There are tons of organizers that meet a variety of needs. You can find organizers to fit every budget at stores like Walmart, Target and Amazon. Organizers are must haves in making your kitchen functional. Some organizers are very attractive and can make your kitchen look both beautiful and functional.
You can see some of my top organizer picks on my Amazon Storefront. Full disclosure: This is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may make commission off of purchases made through the link.
Keep Counters With as Little as Possible
Reserve the counter space for as few appliances as possible based on how often they are used. I use my air fryer every day and so I keep it on the counter. It just makes sense because the kids use it to make breakfast. My husband reheats leftovers for lunch and I use it for dinner. It is one of the most used appliances in my kitchen and it doesn’t look bad aesthetically.
Put Items Where They Are Used
Dishes should be in cabinets or shelving closest to the sink or dishwasher. This way when dishes are cleaned they can easily be put away. Cooking utensils should be stored by the stove either in a drawer or canister.
Do You Want More?
Now that your kitchen is looking pretty awesome – we can move onto the fridge and pantry! Okay let’s save those for another time. After all Rome wasn’t built in a day. Enjoy your achievement and check back here for Organizing Your Pantry + Fridge posts.
Until next time, Keep Planning + Living A Life You Love
