If you have kitchen clutter, don't fret. Many people
do, and it's not like your frustration has to go on and on. Just start tackling it a little bit at a time.
1) Small Appliance Clutter: Small appliances take up a ton of
counter space. Only keep appliances on your counter that you use at least weekly. If you only use your stand mixer, for instance, during the holidays, tuck it in an out-of-the way cabinet until you need it. You won't have to worry about always
dusting it, and you'll gain extra counter
space.
2) Cords, Cords, Cords: Nearly every appliance in the kitchen has a cord and those could look messy, giving the kitchen a cluttered look. Command Strip Cord Bundlers are awesome for corralling all of those. 3) Fridge Surface and Fridge Top: Clear off your fridge surface of all papers, photos, and magnets. It's up to you what you like to keep on your fridge surface, but as you probably know, the more you display on it, the more cluttered your kitchen may begin to look.
I prefer to keep my fridge mostly clear, but I will display something fun now and then, like a cute photo or a recipe I want to try out that week.
As far as the top of my fridge, I just keep a large cutting board stored there. Be sure you keep that area fairly neat, never stuff papers up there, and dust it weekly.
4) Kitchen Utensils and
Gadgets: This is a good time of the year to weed out all kitchen utensils and gadgets that you never use.
My last organizing client had seven measuring cups and about a dozen
tablespoon/teaspoon sets. We whittled those all the way down to two of each.
Baking gadgets (cookie cutters, icing spreaders, icing tips, etc.) should not be mixed in with everyday
cooking utensils. Give your baking category items their own zone.
5) Boxes, Bags, and Containers...Oh My: Non-perishable items can cause major pantry and cabinet clutter. Here's my advice. Declutter what you're not going to use, use up what you have, and don't go grocery shopping
for more unless it's really, really, really necessary.
Once your pantry and cabinets are cleared out, refrain from buying too much and making the clutter return.
When I buy a box of crackers, for instance, I immediately transfer those crackers from the box into a mason jar with a lid. It looks nice, it keeps them from going stale, and I can immediately see when they
are running low. I don't keep six different kinds of crackers in the pantry. If I want another kind, when I run out of the first kind, I try something new.
Also, store like-with-like. For
instance, all baking supplies on one shelf or in one cabinet; all pasta and rice together; all nuts, seeds, and dried fruit together. You get the idea.
