Tips To Declutter Your Life | Kitchen Edition
During my recent move, I made it my AB-solute goal to completely de-clutter my life. It’s almost crazy how much you can hoard if you don’t pay attention to it. It can get out of control! As I mentioned before, I couldn’t have done it without my organization queen bestie, Mimi Brown.
After tackling the playroom, we moved onto the kitchen. The kitchen is often the most daunting of rooms because we tend to accumulate the most here and also spend a good chunk of our time in the kitchen (if you like to cook like we do).
Yes, that is my before picture. Overwhelming is an understatement! Here are some tips that Mimi and I compiled that made de-cluttering this kitchen a breeze:
- Plan Of Attack: Take a look at your kitchen and assess where big items go – pots and pans, baking sheets, bowls, and electronic appliances. Tackle these items first and then move on to china, glassware, and cutlery
- Do What Makes Sense: For example – pots, pans, and baking sheets next to the oven and stove. Accessories that go with electronic appliances should be in the drawer closest to them so you aren’t running across town to find the Cuisinart attachment!
- File The Manuals: Stash the file in a ready accessible place like a study or desk area in the kitchen if you have one and if not then designate a drawer to be the utility drawer – keep the file here with any first aid kits, flashlights, or emergency gear.
- Make The Cut: Try and edit down your collection of kitchenware the same way you would a closet. If you haven’t used it in a year chances are you aren’t going to.
- Clean Up The Countertop: Try to minimize the number of electronic appliances you have on your counter – aesthetically its more pleasing and it also doesn’t take up valuable prep space. I like to keep them all in the pantry on one shelf – except for my Vitamix which I use daily and could not live without! If that one go to appliance for you is your Kitchen Aid mixer then leave this out. Appliances stored away should have Ziplock bags or clear boxes with their accessories stored right next to them.
- Designate Drawers: If you have the drawer space, designate drawers for like items instead of grouping everything together. For instance, perhaps keep all of your slotted spoons, ladles, spatulas together and then keep tools like lemon squeezer, garlic press, ice cream scoop, corkscrew in another drawer. If you don’t have the space and are working with only 2 or 3 drawers and need to have “catch-alls” so to speak then get dividers for the drawers so you can keep things organized and not have to rifle through every time you are looking for something.
- Only Kitchen Cleaners: Keep all cleaners underneath the sink (that pertain to the kitchen) and keep household cleaners in a separate area like a laundry room or closet close to bathrooms. No need to be reaching past toilet bowl cleaner to find the dishwasher detergent.
- Keep A Pretty Pantry: Use clear containers or market baskets in your pantry. It makes it look nicer for one and merchandise it like a market. Tall clear bins for pasta so you can see which kind it is, fruits in a basket, vegetables in a basket. Cereals, quinoa, oatmeal, rices, etc. should all be in clear containers so you can see what you have to work with.
- Don’t Double Up: Keep your condiments in the fridge to a minimum – only have what you use. My worst nightmare is opening a refrigerator and seeing 14 different kinds of salad dressings and 8 kinds of mustards. You do not want your fridge to turn into the condiment aisle at the grocery store. You need room for food in here.
- Keep A Kid Area: Keep all baby and child stuff together. Sippy cups, kids dinnerware, dishes, and cutlery should be kept all together and preferably close to your highchair or dining area.
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