20 Ways to declutter your kitchen in 20 minutes
Source: Taryn Williford | Apartment Therapy
There’s no kitchen in the world that’s big enough. No matter how many cabinets you have, or whether your countertop is better measured in inches or acres, I guarantee that if you’ve been living in your space for a while, your kitchen storage is full.
Maybe it has something to do with the way the kitchen is the heart of the home.
People gravitate towards the cookhouse when you’re hosting a party, so your things probably enjoy ending up there too.
But it’s a good idea to take regular stock at the things you’re storing there—so that’s exactly what we’re going to do today.
The Assignment:
Do a 20-minute decluttering sweep of the kitchen.
If you’ve been following the September Sweep, you know the drill by now: Set a timer, grab a basket, and go through your kitchen looking for things that are either out of place, or ready to be tossed and given a new home far away from yours.
But first… there are a few places not to look: The fridge, freezer and pantry can be spared today, because we’ll be coming back for a sweep of those food storage spaces next week.
Where to Look:
- cabinets
- drawers
- on the counter
- on top of the fridge or cabinets
- any freestanding furniture, like a hutch or island
- the bar or bar cart
- anywhere you store cooking and serving supplies, even if it’s not “in” the kitchen
What to look for:
- Anything that belongs in another room
- Broken cups, mugs and plates
- Multiples you have too many of
- Kitchen tools you never use
- Duplicate kitchen tools or measuring cups
- Small appliances that you never use, or that you use so infrequently you can probably find an alternate technique or borrow from a friend
- Baking sheets, pans, pots, and cutting boards that sit untouched
- Holiday-themed serving pieces that didn’t get used last holiday
- Novelty accessories
- More than two-ish bottle or wine openers
- The fifth and sixth water bottles you never get to
- Old, gross cleaning supplies
- Old, stained, or extra plastic containers
- Takeout condiments, plasticware, and stray menus
- Out-of-date invitations or event announcements
- Expired coupons
- Excessive collections of paper or plastic bags
- Expired medication
- Bottles of liquor that don’t ever seem to get drunk
- Cookbooks that haven’t been cracked open in more than a year
A lot of these things can be recycled or donated, so don’t opt for the trash can unless you have to.
And don’t forget:
Clear three things from your monster zone.
All month long, we invite you to share your progress here in the comments and on Instagram with the #septembersweep hashtag. Or join our Apartment Therapists Facebook group to start your own conversation.