No room can compare to the kitchen. The heart of the home has evolved from a strictly pragmatic unit into a versatile room for preparing whole meals and dishes, wowing guests, and sharing touching and intimate moments with the family. Unless you put some thought into it, you could end up with a dysfunctional kitchen. The kitchen can get cluttered very quickly – your streamlined surfaces disappear beneath cool tech gadgets or piles of paperwork. It doesn’t matter how big your kitchen is. If you have a counter full of appliances, it will inevitably look chaotic.
Here are a few decluttering tips for keeping your kitchen organized.
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Don’t Stop at Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning isn’t just good for the kitchen – it turns your mood around, leading to a reduction in anxiety as you regain a sense of control of the environment in your home. Spring cleaning is a must, so start from the top and work down; you can use disinfecting wipes to clean kitchen cabinets that have amassed dust. Getting your kitchen in order can be as simple as getting rid of expired food or can involve more intricate tasks like rotating your kitchen.
It’s recommended to do a year-round “spring cleaning.” The longer you wait to do a thorough cleaning, the harder it will be when all the stuff has piled up. Once a season, take everything out of the kitchen cabinets and give them a good scrub to eliminate the dirt and grime. Break the kitchen down into areas which can be done at different times to simplify the process and transform an elusive goal into a doable project.
Organize Things in Your Kitchen Cabinets
Chances are you have a wide array of items to store in your kitchen cabinets. You can put everyday dishes and utensils to the right of the dishwasher or above it. It’s a good idea to have the tools for cooking very close to the stove, in a drawer that’s right next to it. Serving and entertainment items don’t need to be in the main work triangle. You won’t have as much room with open shelving, so limit the shelves to one area of the kitchen, such as around a window.
Your possessions look neat when they’re kept behind closed doors rather than stored out in the open. Use dividers to create more space to store your items; not only can you take advantage of the space in your cabinets, but you can also create extra space for little accessories. At times, the simplest solution is the most elusive one. Adjust the height of the shelves for dinnerware, glassware, and cookware. Shelf panels are typically designed to be moved or taken out completely.
Avoid Decorating Your Countertops
By decorating the countertops, you can make the kitchen look and feel more attractive. Less is more. Traditional kitchens focus on the essentials, so embrace classic charm so your space won’t look tacky. Having too much décor on display can lead to clutter, especially if it’s not done the right way. Things like cookbook stands, faux flowers, and spice jars create visual clutter and take up much-needed space for meal preparation. Rather than spreading knick-knacks across the kitchen, you should place your décor in one area. E.g., a serving board. The only thing you should keep on your counters is a fruit bowl – it’s aesthetically pleasing and practical.
According to the experts, there are a few things you should never keep on your kitchen counters. Examples include but aren’t limited to piles of paper, cooking oils, phone chargers, cleaning products, mugs and glasses, and kitchen appliances you never use. Oversized kitchen items, like your blender or slow cooker, shouldn’t be placed randomly on the counters; they can sit on a lower shelf when not in use. If you’re looking to remodel, think about installing an island to free up more counter space. It shouldn’t take up more than 10% of the kitchen area.
Live By This Rule: One In, One Out
Maintaining an equilibrium of stuff and free space can be just as challenging as decluttering. To keep levels from rising, live by the following rule: one in, one out. More exactly, every time a new item comes into the kitchen, a similar one must leave. This way, you can maintain a healthy balance, and the stuff doesn’t start to take over. If you remove as many items as you add, you can get rid of the mess without even noticing it or putting too much effort.
If you don’t regularly get rid of stuff, you’ll end up with an exhaustive decluttering session. Don’t accumulate more things than you need, and try to adopt a more minimalist lifestyle. “One in, one out” is easy to remember to do. To keep your kitchen a little tidier, ensure nothing is left to your storage whims. Not everything should be hidden away, but a kitchen doesn’t have to be a dumping zone. Every single thing should have its rightful place. Clutter tends to accumulate when you don’t put things back in their designated spot.
Keep Things Visually Cohesive
You can create a cohesive design by choosing complementary materials, colors, and finishes. It makes sense to keep things visually cohesive from a decluttering point of view. The good news is that visual clutter is easy to reduce or eliminate altogether. You just have to take a couple of actionable steps. For example, you can incorporate a white blender, toaster, and standing mixer together with big white crocks. A white kitchen is bright and airy and doesn’t require stressful decisions when decorating.
When you step inside a kitchen where all the design choices work perfectly together, decorating feels straightforward. Of course, it’s not as easy as it looks. Rather than limiting yourself to one style or the other, you ought to think in terms of the mood you wish to convey. For example, if you want to design a relaxing, stress-free kitchen, include elements that channel this feeling. Visual clutter isn’t necessarily messy or obvious, but it can have a big effect on your life. If your kitchen counters abound in items, cleaning those spaces is time-consuming.
