You’ve finally decided to spend time decluttering your kitchen–no matter how weird your friends or family may think you are to obsess over such a task.
Congratulations!
While many perceive a minimalist lifestyle as a life of deprivation, it’s actually the opposite. Being a minimalist means, you’re simply living with what you need; the stuff you utilize in your everyday life.
An article by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) advises that accumulating clutter triggers hormone stress in us, imparting a feeling of overwhelm and fatigue even when, in a true sense, we haven’t engaged in a tedious activity. And so, by decluttering, you get the significant benefit of peace of mind, plus it boosts your productivity levels.
Frequently Asked Questions About Decluttering Your Kitchen
Before we look at how to start cleaning out all those unwanted items, let’s review a list of faqs about this process.
How can I declutter my kitchen fast?
The secret to a fast decluttering process is to be aggressive with the entire process. Yes. Be brutally honest with yourself and let go of anything you never use.
Evaluate each item and ask yourself if you need it, use it, or if it adds value to your life.
Ask yourself this. If you came across it in the shop, would you repurchase it? Let your yes be yes, and no be no. If you can’t immediately figure out whether or not to keep the item, then definitely get rid of it.
Tip: Consider working one section at a time, unless you have time to go through your entire kitchen at once.
Where do I start decluttering my kitchen?
Ideally, the most cluttered spots in your kitchen are the best areas, to begin with. It could be your pantry area or the cabinets.
How do you purge and organize while decluttering your kitchen?
Once you’ve decided on your kitchen area to work on, empty the storage areas, making sure to wipe them down before reorganizing. Only put back the items you intend to use.
How do you start decluttering a small kitchen?
Begin by writing a list of categories that your kitchen contents fall into to help you know what goes where. As you do that, try and visualize all the storage zones in your kitchen. For instance, you can have a cooking zone, food storage, preparation, cleaning, and dishware storage.
How should pots and pans be stored in a small kitchen?
Consider organizing the pans and pots above the stove or hanging them on a pegboard for a limited kitchen storage space. Alternatively, use an organizer to stack them in one of the cabinets.
If limited with both cabinet and wall space, turn to the ceiling. Install a ceiling pot rack.
How many dishes should your kitchen have?
This depends on the size of your family. One place setting is acceptable–plate, bowl, glass, flatware, and a mug per person. Consider dedicating one cupboard for your frequently used dinnerware so you don’t end up reaching for the spares you may have once these get dirty.
What do you really need in your kitchen?
Think: functional items only!
The cooking and preparation tasks you regularly undertake in your kitchen are the determinants of the items you’ll need. When it comes to kitchen appliances, try to invest in a multipurpose item as much as possible. This will save you storage space and money.
Four Surprisingly Easy (Albeit Time Consuming) Steps to Decluttering Your Kitchen
Are you ready to start this process? Here’s what to do next.
Step One: Gather cleaning supplies before you start decluttering your kitchen
- Once you begin the decluttering process, you don’t want anything holding you back; like looking for that bottle of vinegar or the cleaning sponge, therefore, get all the cleaning items you’ll need in one place.
- Other supplies to have close by including extra drying towels, trash bags, and boxes to put in the stuff you intend to sell and those for donation. Also, create a space to lay everything as you sort them out.
Step Two: Empty, sort, and reorganize one cabinet or drawer at a time
You do not want to feel overwhelmed by the whole process. Therefore, consider handling a cabinet at a time.
- As you go through the items, ask yourself… Do you use it? It could be something you bought or were gifted. But when did you use it last? If it was two months ago, it’s time to let it go. Use the keep – donate – sell – trash method as you decide what you’ll put back in the drawer or cabinet. As you declutter, have your three empty boxes for the “donate,” “trash,” and “sell” items, so you know what goes where. As we saw earlier if you find yourself hesitating, not sure whether or not to keep an item, then definitely do away with it. That way, you’ll speed up the entire process, plus you’ll remain only with the functional items.
- Wipe down the inside of each cupboard or drawer before you replace things to get rid of all the dirt and dust accumulated over time.
- Reorganize as you replace the items, putting like items together.
- This is where the different storage zones you created in your mind come into play. Be realistic even as you arrange the items back; store the heavy things you frequently use down rather than up, where you’ll struggle to get them.
- Also, remember to inspect the food items for any that has expired.
- You definitely want to employ the same strategy of “one cabinet at a time” even when going through your pantry, so you’re not weighed down in the process.
Step Three: Tackle the countertops
- A clear countertop will give the impression of a clean space even if you haven’t done the dishes.
- If possible, have nothing resting on your countertops, perhaps only the coffee brewer or a dedicated coffee station. That’s if you’re a coffee diehard.
- When cleaning, wipe from top to bottom.
- If you must keep some stuff on the counter, then consider using a tray; at least that will give the impression of a tidy space.
Step Four: Clean out under the sink
- Since under the sink is relatively a small space, consider removing everything out, then let each item defend its continued stay there.
- Get rid of the trash, expired items, and those you don’t use. It’s also time to relocate all the stuff that doesn’t belong under the kitchen sink.
- Take advantage of the clean-up you’re doing and utilize the odds and ends cleaners you may have lying around; instead of having them just filling up the space.
- Moving forward, you may want to pare down your cleaning supplies to using white vinegar.
- White vinegar is inexpensive, versatile, and safely used around the home.
The Bottom Line: Decluttering Your Kitchen Can Be Time-Intensive, But It’s Not a Difficult Job
- The secret is to declutter one area at a time.
- Set a timer for fifteen minutes daily to tackle a specific spot in your kitchen.
- They always say motivation runs everything…
- But I believe motivation only gets you started; then, the discipline keeps you going.
- To declutter your kitchen and maintain it afterward, you need discipline.
- And how do you achieve that? By simply doing the small chunks of tasks regularly. And before you notice it, your brain will have been accustomed to making sure that your space is constantly free of clutter. And the feeling of being free of all that extra stuff can be life-changing for many.