Today’s post is all about how to give yourself a clutter-free kitchen. And why it matters!
The heart of the home
Kitchens are hardworking rooms. And for many of us, become the heart of the home. It’s where we tend to gather, where we eat, cook, connect with family and friends and more.
And one thing that can get in the way of all of those things is clutter!
The more you can simplify and declutter your kitchen, the more it will simplify your life and your time spent in the kitchen.
A clutter-free kitchen makes it easier to cook, giving you more space to work. It also makes cleaning up easier when there’s less to clean and clean around.
A clutter-free kitchen also means you have more space to gather, connect and enjoy your time in the kitchen with your friends and family. Without clutter getting in your way, distracting you and preventing you from wanting to spend time in and share your space with others.
Why a clutter-free kitchen can be a challenge
But kitchens are also spaces that tend to hold a lot of stuff.
Some of it you use and need regularly. But some of it is just clutter, not being used, loved or adding any value to your life.
Because of the amount of stuff in your kitchen, decluttering it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Check out this post for more tips to get a clutter-free kitchen.
Today’s post is all about giving you some quick tips to get and keep a clutter-free kitchen. Things you can do to make your kitchen look, feel and function better by clearing the clutter and giving you more space to use and enjoy your kitchen.
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Tips for a clutter-free kitchen
1. Keep counters clear
Keeping your counters clear or mostly clear is a simple way to reduce visual clutter in your kitchen. Making your kitchen look and feel lighter, more open and tidier.
It’s also a great way to prevent clutter from piling up in your kitchen.
Clutter has a way of attracting more clutter. The more you keep on your counters, the more other stuff tends to end up there as well. Simply because some “stuff” seems like an invitation to add more stuff to deal with later.
Not only that, but clear counters also give you more space for cooking and gathering in your kitchen. As well as making clean up a lot easier because there’s less to clean and clean around.
Be very selective about what you choose to keep on your counters. Only keep the absolute essentials. Or challenge yourself to keep your counters completely clear for a while and see how it feels and works for you.
2. Store things out of sight
Another easy way to create a clutter-free kitchen is by storing things out of sight.
Just like keeping your counters clear can reduce visual clutter, making your kitchen look, feel and function better. So can choosing less open storage and more closed storage instead.
Open shelves and storage can be fun, but they also add more visual clutter to a space. Be very selective about what you store out in the open to reduce visual clutter and create the look of a clutter-free kitchen.
3. Give everything a home
One key to having clutter-free counters and spaces in your kitchen is creating homes to store everything so items don’t end up floating around on your counters or surfaces.
When each item in your kitchen has a home, it’s easier to put things away when you’re done using them and find them again when you need them.
Often, this requires decluttering your cupboards, drawers and pantry to get rid of what you don’t use, need or love and make room for what you do.
Not only that but less stuff in your kitchen makes it easier to put things away so you’ll be more likely to stick with the habit.
Find homes for small appliances
One thing to consider when making homes for everything is making space to keep small appliances in your cupboards or panty and off your counters.
Small appliances are space hogs when they’re on your counter. As well as add visual clutter, take up workspace and can make cleaning harder too when you’re always cleaning around them.
See if you can declutter enough to move small appliances like toasters, kettles, mixers, blenders, etc. off your counters and into a cupboard instead. Make it easy to access them and put them away so you can get in the habit.
Sometimes putting small appliances in cupboards can be a hard change to make if you’ve always kept them on the counter. But I encourage you just to give it a try and see how it goes.
It usually only takes seconds to get an appliance out and put it away, rather than letting it hog so much counter space when you only use it for a few minutes a day if that.
If there are very frequently used appliances you want to keep on your counter, make sure you’re being very selective. Only keep the appliances out you use often or multiple times a day, on a daily basis.
4. Clear off the fridge
Another big source of visual clutter in the kitchen is when the fridge is covered in papers, lists, pictures, etc.
Simply clearing off the front of the fridge instantly makes a kitchen look and feel tidier, cleaner and less cluttered.
Start by taking everything off the front of the fridge. Just notice how different your kitchen looks and feels with a clear fridge.
If you miss certain items, put them back. But remember to be very selective about what you put back on the fridge.
Another idea is to keep the front of your fridge cleared off and hang special pictures or important reminders and papers on a less visible side of the fridge instead.
5. Give yourself a “junk drawer”
Giving yourself a junk drawer may seem counterintuitive to creating a clutter-free kitchen. But when used effectively, a junk drawer can be really helpful in creating a clutter-free kitchen.
There are always small, random items you need to run a household. Things like scissors, tape, a screwdriver, a stapler, paper clips, etc.
Giving all these kinds of items a permanent home prevents them from floating all over the house causing clutter or getting lost.
The keys to having an effective junk drawer are:
- Keeping it contained to one space: don’t let it collect unlimited amounts of stuff or overflow and take up more space. Instead, use the drawer as a space limit and only keep what fits within the space.
- Set it up to be useful: don’t dump everything in the drawer and let it become a chaotic mess. Instead, use some recycled boxes or drawer organizers to keep the space functional and organized. You want it to be functional not a dumping ground.
- Maintain it often: make sure to give it a quick tidy and declutter often so it doesn’t have a chance to become a chaotic dumping ground.
6. Prevent paperwork piles
Paperwork can be a big source of clutter in the kitchen. All the flat surfaces in the kitchen can be too easy to dump paperwork on, causing mess and clutter.
Prevent paperwork piles by having a system in your kitchen or somewhere else in your house to manage, contain and organize paperwork so it doesn’t pile up.
It can be hanging folders on the inside of a cupboard door, an “office drawer” where you collect and deal with paperwork, a basket to collect and contain paperwork, etc.
Whatever system you use, the goal is to collect and contain paperwork to prevent piles from forming elsewhere in the house.
Then get in the habit of going through the paperwork in your system so the system continues to function well and doesn’t become a place for clutter to collect.
7. Get rid of what doesn’t belong
Another important way to maintain a clutter-free kitchen is by getting in the habit of putting things away that don’t belong in the kitchen.
Because the kitchen is often the heart of the home, it can often collect items that don’t belong in the kitchen.
Get in the habit of putting things away, and get your family on board with putting things away as well. When everything in your home has a specific place to keep it, it’s a lot easier to identify what doesn’t belong and know where it goes instead.
8. Don’t put it down, put it away
Another great habit to keep your kitchen clutter-free is training yourself to put things away right away when you’re done using them.
Rather than setting something down to deal with later, put it away right then.
This is such a simple and effective way to stop clutter and mess before it gets out of control and feels overwhelming.
9. Build good daily routines
Because kitchens tend to be used so much during the day, they need to be cleaned and maintained often.
Building good daily routines is a really effective way to keep your kitchen clean, tidy and clutter-free.
For example, get in the habit of running the dishwasher each night and unloading it first thing in the morning so you can load dirty dishes into it throughout the day. Preventing piles of dirty dishes from building up in the sink.
Get in the habit of doing the dishes and wiping down the counters every night so you can start each new day with a clean, tidy kitchen.
The goal is to prevent messes from having a chance to get out of control or feel overwhelming.
And the good news is, the more often you stay on top of these daily routines, the faster and easier they become. Simply because the mess hasn’t gotten out of control in the meantime.
10. Use effective organizational tools
The key to a clutter-free kitchen is removing the clutter. Once you’ve thoroughly decluttered, organize your kitchen in a way that will make it easier to use the space and keep it organized.
For example, things like cutlery trays, baking sheet dividers, lazy susans, spice racks, pot organizers, bins in the pantry, etc. can all help your kitchen function better and stay organized.
Once you’ve decluttered, you can find tools to keep the items that are left contained and organized in a way that works for you.
11. Get rid of duplicates
A simple way to declutter your kitchen quickly is by getting rid of duplicate items.
Look for cooking and baking utensils you have multiples of. Keep your favourite or favourite couple and get rid of the extras.
Do the same with baking pans, pots, pans, gadgets, small appliances, serving dishes, cooking and baking tools, etc. Look for anything you have more than one of that you don’t use or need. Keep your favourite, then get rid of the rest.
12. Declutter often
And finally, getting in the habit of decluttering your kitchen thoroughly and often is an important way to get it clutter-free and keep it that way.
Read more about how to declutter your kitchen here. And learn some high-impact ways to declutter your kitchen here.
Tips for a clutter-free kitchen
I hope these tips will help you clear the clutter and enjoy a clutter-free kitchen!
If you’re feeling inspired to declutter your kitchen, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and let me know what you’re working on!
