6 Essential Tips for Eliminating Kitchen Clutter

1. Eliminate duplicates

Get rid of duplicates, especially the cooking utensils that are cluttering up your drawers. You typically only need one spatula and it will probably last a very long time.

2. Ditch the “just in case” mindset

Free yourself from the “just in case” mindset, which will give you the freedom to get rid of anything that is easily replaceable in your home. The duplicate items are collecting dust, cluttering up your spaces, and making it difficult to access the things that you actually do use.

For example, you know what cookware and small appliances you use or don’t use. Take away the ones collecting dust, especially those small appliances that you haven’t used within a year. 

3. Have systems in place

Create organized systems. One example of an organized system is to designate a cabinet or a drawer for your food storage containers. So you will then store your containers with their lids attached, or you’ll organize your lids separately in a drawer.

If you haven’t had a system for your food storage containers, it’s likely you have lids lost in the backs of cabinets and drawers. A system will prevent lids from getting lost.

4. Put things away immediately

Tell yourself to always “put it away, don’t put it down.” But don’t put something away in a place where you hide your clutter, like a garage or closet. Get in the habit of putting something away in the home that you have designated for that item.

This step is easy when you have organized systems in place. For example, to help your family put small appliances back where they belong, use large labels in the designated spot that they can’t miss. A big label on a bin means that there’s no excuse for leaving clutter out. 

5. Practice the one-in-one-out rule

As an example, let’s use dinnerware and serving dishes. You know which dishes you always use and the ones that are collecting dust. You may have collected dinnerware and serving dishes over the years, especially if you like to entertain.

But your kitchen may be overflowing with these items. If these items no longer fit in your cabinets or pantry, it’s time to pare down. Choose a designated area in your kitchen, such as a few kitchen cabinets or shelves where you allow yourself to keep only what fits in these spaces.

This will help to keep you from overrunning your spaces. So if you see a beautiful dish you would love to buy, practice this one-in-one-out rule.

Donate an old dish you’re willing to part with to make room for the new item. You may decide not to get the new items which will save you money and will help you learn to stop accumulating things you don’t need. 

6. Evaluate your spaces regularly

Take a look at the spaces where you keep your utensils, plates, containers, and cups. We all grow–and our kids will outgrow baby spoons and sippy cups so we need to purge those items as soon as the kids graduate to new phases and stages. We also change our lifestyles and habits.

I notice many households collect a lot of travel cups and water bottles. We only need one of each type for each person. The travel cup clutter I’m referring to is the collection of cute Starbucks or free promotional travel cups and mugs that you probably got at a work event and never use.

Regular mugs are a source of clutter, too. You know you have way too many mugs and you know which ones you always use so it’s time to purge the rest. 

How to get rid of kitchen clutter

I hope these six tips can help you declutter your kitchen and set up organized systems. However, creating organized systems works best once you’ve eliminated the clutter.

Let me know if you think these ideas can help you or if you have other clutter-free kitchen ideas to share.