5 Items to Declutter First in Your Kitchen

They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and like one’s real heart, it can become a mess. Fortunately, it doesn’t take years of self-reflection to declutter a kitchen — all you need is the time, energy, and an empty trash can. While it’s certainly possible to cook in a disorganized kitchen, the process is much easier when you know where everything is and don’t have to fight for counter space. Decluttering the kitchen may sound daunting, but focusing on getting rid of a few certain unsavory categories of items should make the process easier.

Before you dive headfirst into cleaning, it’s best to have a plan of attack. To make things less overwhelming, declutter a section at a time. Make them as small as you need to so it feels manageable — each cabinet, shelf, and drawer can be its own section. To actually declutter, take everything out of the section and put it on the counter so you can see what you’re working with. Then, look over each item so you can decide what has to go.

Unless you’re running a museum of souvenir shot glasses out of your home, there’s no need to keep any kind of kitchenware in bulk. As you go through your kitchen, get rid of any items you have too many duplicates of. For example, many people have a sizable collection of reusable water bottles, when in reality you probably only need one or two for everyday use. The same goes for reusable plastic containers, bulky utensils like spatulas or ladles, and even your dishes. We’re not saying to go completely minimal and only own one plate, bowl, and cup, but if your dinnerware has piled up over the years, this is the perfect time to shrink it down a bit. There’s no exact answer to how many dishes someone needs, but keeping it to two or three plates, bowls, and utensil sets per person should be plenty.

You can also remove any duplicates from your fridge and pantry. If you have one too many cans of beans or more flour than you know what to do with, it’s better to donate those items to someone who can use them (so long as the food isn’t expired). This will free up more shelf space and prevent unused ingredients from going to waste.

Everyone has an old, dingy, sauce-stained reusable plastic container hiding in their kitchen cabinets, and we’re here to tell you it’s time to let it go. Toss out those old receptacles along with any broken kitchenware. This might leave you in the market for some new containers for your meal prep, so try out this set from Amazon. Use your discretion when deciding if something is damaged enough to get rid of. If your favorite saucepan is perfect except for a bit of chipped paint, it’s probably okay to keep. But any dish or cookware that is cracked or otherwise faulty can make eating and cooking more perilous and should be disposed of. This includes broken appliances — unless you want to go through the process of getting them fixed.

It’s also best to get rid of any kitchen tools that you haven’t used in the past six months to a year. Your homemade waffle phase may have been fun, but now that waffle iron is gathering dust and wasting space in the pantry. Unused kitchenware is better off being sold or donated to someone who will actually use it. That way, you free up more counter space, and someone else gets the joy of cooking.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but don’t pretend you’ve never found a mysterious sauce in the back of your fridge that expired years ago. Tossing out old food, forgotten leftovers, and expired ingredients can instantly open up your fridge and pantry and is just one way to get more space out of your freezer. As you clean up, don’t forget to give the spice cabinet a thorough search. They can expire within a few years after purchase, and while expired seasoning isn’t harmful, it’s much less flavorful. If you can’t tell if a spice is expired, give it a sniff — the lackluster smell should give it away.

Expired food is not good for much else besides composting, so toss it in the garden or throw it away. Just be sure not to get rid of foods that don’t actually expire. Additionally, look out for empty bottles or boxes during the decluttering process that you can also throw away.

Along with making us feel bad about practically everything else, social media can make us feel like the way we organize isn’t up to snuff. In the past few years, it has become something of a trend to organize things in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible, like by keeping milk in a pretty glass jug or storing salt and sugar in customized jars. There’s nothing wrong with wanting your kitchen to look nice, but these storage solutions tend to be less practical than you would want them to be. Rounded jars and containers usually take up more space than whatever they’re filled with. Not to mention, if you have too much of a product for these fancy containers, you’ll end up having to store the excess as well.

Most food that needs a container is already sold in one, so getting rid of bulky, unpractical storage options will save you more space, time, and money in the long run. If you do need an alternative way to store things, look for square containers that will fit neatly together. Most importantly, avoid these storage mistakes that are ruining your food.

Your kitchen is home to more than just food. It’s likely that there are also an assortment of cleaning products tucked away somewhere, as well as a drawer full of odds and ends and a countertop full of unopened mail. As you sort through these miscellaneous items, use the same judgement to decide what to get rid of as you did for all the cooking products. Get rid of extra bottles of cleaner or chargers that connect to unknown devices, as well as any damaged items you have squirreled away. Just keep in mind that cleaning products can expire, so examine the labels as you declutter.

Decluttering is just the first step of the process towards keeping a clean kitchen. As the days pass from your cleaning spree, continue to be mindful of excess clutter that might make its way onto the counters. If you buy a new cooking tool, consider getting rid of an old one. Make sure everything has a designated place, clean regularly, and you’ll have a pristine kitchen that will help you focus on cooking.