A lot of action takes place in the kitchen each day. You probably spend a big amount of time in your kitchen each day as well.
That why it’s important that your kitchen is as functional and welcoming as possible. A cluttered kitchen is the opposite of this.
In fact, a cluttered kitchen makes your life more difficult. It makes dinner preparation frustrating, because you lack the counter space and can’t find the kitchen tools you need.
I know this from first hand experience. I used to have multiple cooking utensils that would clutter up my drawers.
My cupboards were full of dishes and appliances I never used. The countertop was always a mess of things that didn’t belong there.
Then one evening as I was cooking dinner, I finally had enough of it all. I decided it was time claim my sanity again and declutter my kitchen!
In this post I’m going to share how to declutter your kitchen. You’ll be so glad you did it!
How to Declutter a Kitchen
Gather your supplies.
Before you get started decluttering your kitchen, you’ll need to gather everything you need.
- trash bag
- donation box
- storage box (for items used occasionally)
Pick a date and time.
Decluttering your kitchen will take time. Make an appointment with yourself. If a family member will be helping you, make sure they know when you plan to declutter.
It also helps to set a reasonable time frame. If you give yourself all weekend, it will take all weekend. However, if you want to get it done in one afternoon, only give yourself and afternoon.
Remember why you’re decluttering your kitchen.
When you are in the middle of decluttering your kitchen, you may start to feel overwhelmed. That’s when you’ve got to remember why you are doing all this work.
Here are some possible reasons why you’ll want to declutter your kitchen.
- It’s easier to cook with less clutter.
- Your kitchen will look better and feel welcoming.
- You’ll have more functional space.
Start with the kitchen island and countertops.
I always advise people to start with your countertops. That way you’ll have space to put all the things you pull out of the drawers and cupboards.
Here’s a great list to get you started.
- Throw trash away.
- Put toys, book, purses, keys, mail, ect away.
- Store small appliances in cupboards.
- Put food in pantry.
- Clean and put away dishes.
Do 1 drawer or cupboard at a time.
Once your countertops are cleared off, pick 1 drawer or cupboard as a time. It’s much easier to declutter a small section of your kitchen at a time than taking everything out.
Steps to declutter:
- Pull everything out from desired drawer or cupboard.
- Throw away any trash or items that are broken.
- Put away any items that don’t belong.
Before deciding on whether or not to donate items ask these questions.
- Have I used this recently?
- Do I plan on using it in the near future?
- Is it adding to the function of my kitchen.
Follow a decluttering checklist.
It may feel overwhelming as you figure out where to start in your kitchen. Use a list to guide your decluttering process. Hint: you can use the list of 25 things in this post!
As you work your way through each item, simply check it off.
25 Things to Declutter in the Kitchen
1. Extra dishes
If you are in the habit of washing your dishes each night, you only need enough dishes for the day.
Look in your cupboard. Do you really use all of the plates, bowls, or glasses in there?
If not, those extra ones are clutter and taking up valuable space. It’s so much easier to get a glass out of a cupboard that isn’t full and overflowing with excess.
If you have extra dishes you don’t want to get rid of so that you can use for guests, you can put those in storage, a hutch, or upper cabinets.
2. Duplicate utensils
At one point in my married life, I owned 3 vegetable peelers. THREE!
Guess how many I actually used? ONE.
I had a favorite one that I used all the time. The others were simply “back ups.”
The problem was, those backups were taking up space, sitting around, not being used. I didn’t need them. I didn’t even like them. So one day, I finally decided to donate them.
You don’t have to get rid of all your cooking utensils. Donate the ones that aren’t used and are just taking up space.
3. Utensils that don’t serve a dual purpose
There are so many kitchen gadgets available online that only serve a single purpose. They are so tempting to purchase.
However, you really only need some essential cooking utensils to do the majority of your cooking.
4. Food containers with no lids
You know all those random food storage containers that you have? Go through each of your containers and check for the following:
- Does it have a lid?
- Is it still usable or is it damaged?
- Do I use this container often enough to keep it?
5. Damaged plastic containers
After you have gone through each container, get rid of any containers that don’t have lids or are damaged or you don’t need. Also, if there are random lids that don’t have a container, get rid of those too.
My favorite storage containers are Pyrex (my affiliate link). They are the only storage containers that I have had since I was first married 11 years ago.
They have stood the test of time and are still in great condition. I also love that the lids are so easy to put on the containers and to store when not used.
6. Outdated baking supplies and pantry items
I am always amazed at what I find in my pantry when I take the time to go through every item! There is usually an extra bottle of ketchup I had forgotten about or cans of beans that I thought we had used.
Check the dates on all food. Get rid of food that is out of date. Put the items with the earliest expiration dates up front, so they are used first.
7. Appliances you don’t use
Just like utensils there are a lot of appliances that only serve one purpose, and you may not need them. If another appliance does the same job and you use it, you can let this one go.
Also you may find appliances tucked away that you forgot about. Doing this decluttering may remind you about the appliance and you may decide to use it. That’s great!
I did this with my waffle maker. It had been shoved in the back of the cupboard untouched for years. But after decluttering my kitchen, we use it regularly.
8. Cracked or chipped dishes
Anything that is cracked or chipped should be thrown out.
9. Excessive mugs
Mugs are a common gift. You may have a giant collection of mugs that you have collected over the years. But how many of these mugs do you actually use?
You probably have a favorite mug or two that you use every day. Those are the ones you want to keep.
Go through the rest of the mugs and let go of any that you don’t use or need.
10. Gross potholders
Are you holding on to pot holders that are flat out gross? I had potholders with burnt crud on them, and they needed to go.
After almost 15 years of marriage, I finally replaced my oven mitts and potholders with a new set from Costco for only ten bucks.
11. Towels that don’t dry
You probably have your favorite dish towels that you reach for every single time you need one. Then there are the towels that you don’t like because they don’t dry.
Say good-bye!
12. Anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen
The kitchen island and countertops are magnets for your family’s stuff. These kitchen surfaces easily grow out of control if you allow it.
13. The bad pots and pans
Get rid of any pots or pans that are loosing their nonstick coating or have broken handles and lids.
I’m slowing changing out my pots and pans for stainless steel and cast iron. These last forever and I don’t have to worry about them loosing their coatings.
14. Extra cake pans you don’t use
Cake pans are another item in the kitchen that quickly accumulate. Chances are you don’t use them all. Keep the ones you use on a regular basis.
Donate the pans that sit in your cupboard taking up space.
15. Cookbooks or printed recipes you don’t use
If you have a shelf full of random recipes you printed off the internet, go through them and only keep the ones you will use. A great way to organize your printed recipes is in a 3 ring binder.
Look through your cookbooks too. Are there recipes in them you like or would like to try? Make an effort to try those recipes soon. If after 6 months you still have not cracked open a cookbook, donate it.
16. Expired food in the fridge and freezer
It’s good to check for expired food on a regular basis for the health of your family.
17. Old sippy cups
When your children were toddlers, you probably collected a pile of sippy cups and other toddler dishes. If you are past that stage, let them go.
If you are still in the midst of toddler years, sort out the ones you use and get rid of the worn out ones.
18. Extra cleaning supplies
I like to keep some cleaning supplies under the sink now that my kids are older. I only keep one of each type of cleaning supply though.
The extras are kept in my hallway closet.
19. Multiple travel tumblers
Just like mugs, water tumblers can easily multiple. But you probably have a favorite one that you use over and over again.
If you have more than you need taking up space in our kitchen cupboards, get rid of them.
20. Junk drawer
Everyone has a junk drawer. They need regular maintenance in order to remain functional.
21. Too much silverware
Have you collected too much silverware over time? Keep the ones you use on a regular basis and donate the rest.
You may have extras that you only use a few times a year for holidays or special get togethers. You can place those in storage or a high cupboard out of the way.
22. Worn out cutting boards
Throw away the cutting boards that are gross or worn out.
23. Dish rags with holes in them
Sometimes we get used to seeing the tattered up dish rags that we don’t even notice how bad they are.
Look at them through new eyes and throw away any that are in really bad shape. You could also use these for disposal rags.
24. Multiple sets of measuring cups and teaspoons
If your kitchen has multiple sets of these measuring tools that never get used, donate them.
25. Excessive decor
Does your kitchen have too much decor going on? A little bit is nice and gives character to your home. However, excessive decor only adds to the chaos.
Keep your favorite decor on display and put the rest away.
How to declutter under the kitchen sink
This area in the kitchen can easily become a big black hole! The main thing is to only keep what truly needs to be there under the sink. Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong there.
Once you declutter items that don’t belong, you’ll find that you have plenty of space and probably don’t need any fancy storage system.
In fact, there are only a few organization tricks that I use under the sink.
One is to use a command hook and clip to hang my cleaning gloves. By the way, these are the best cleaning gloves. I get them from Grove Collaborative.
The other 2 are simply a Sterilite basket (my affiliate link) that holds my cleaning rags and a wicker basket that holds my favorite cleaning sponges, Scotchbrite Heavy Duty, and toothbrushes that I use to clean the sink drain and garbage disposal.
As you declutter under the kitchen sink, follow these steps.
- Take everything out.
- Wipe down the bottom of the cabinet.
- Think about what you want to use this cabinet for.
- Only replace the items that you really need under there.
- Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong there or you haven’t used in a long while.
I wrote an entire post about clearing the clutter on your kitchen countertops. When your counters are free of clutter, it is so much easier to cook supper.
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