Your kitchen is the heart of your home and can easily become a landing zone for clutter. If you need help tackling your mess, read on for tips on how to avoid kitchen clutter in the first place.
Tackle the counters
Countertops are the prime real estate in your kitchen, but think about how many things actually live there. Now think about how many things actually should live there. Are there other places you can store your stand mixer so that it's not taking up square footage on your counter? What about your toaster? Or maybe your blender/slow cooker/waffle maker/food processor -- do they really need to be on your kitchen counter all the time? Probably not.
When buying a new kitchen applianc
e or gadget consider these things:
- Will you use it every day?
- Is there somewhere to store it that IS NOT the kitchen counter?
- If it has to stay on the counter, is it at least attractive?
Purge the cabinets
Your cabinets and pantry can be cavernous pits of kitchen clutter. Are you buried under an avalanche of food containers every time you open your cabinet door? Yes? Then it's time to purge.
Go through your cabinets -- all of them -- and get rid of any gadgets, tools, appliances you no longer use, need or want. As you're clearing them out you'll be creating space to store your other appliance-- like that waffle maker you got for your wedding shower seven years ago.
Somehow, food storage containers tend to overtake kitchen cabinets and drawers. Take a few minutes to make sure that each piece you own has a purpose, has a corresponding lid and is still usable. There's no need to hang on to hundreds of take-out containers when you have limited space. The best bet is to get rid of everything and purchase an entire new set--one that nests will take up even less space in your cabinets.
Organize the fridge
An easy step to take when tackling clutter is to clear out your refrigerator. Open your fridge, and with trash bag in hand, get rid of anything that is expired, about to expire or is just completely unrecognizable.
Once the inside of your fridge is clutter-free, take a look at your fridge doors. Are they covered in magnets and take-out menus? Clear off the front of your fridge and stick with one or two items at most - you'll feel so relieved when you walk in and see a clutter free fridge.
If the fridge doubles as an art gallery for your budding artists at home, display one piece of artwork at a time. It will not only make your kitchen feel less cluttered but it will put the focus on their artwork.
Junk drawer
After clearing your cabinets and drawers of clutter, implementing a junk drawer might seem counter-intuitive. However, sometimes you need a place in your kitchen to store those screwdrivers, take-out menus and batteries. Designate a single drawer as the junk drawer and make that your catchall for random odds and ends in the kitchen. Every few weeks go through the drawer contents and make sure there's nothing in there that doesn't have a home elsewhere.
Whether you've lived in your home for decades or you're moving to a new home, use these tips to keep your kitchen tidy and nip that clutter problem in the bud!