8 Quick Things to Declutter From Your Kitchen
Prepare to get your cabinet space back by clearing out these kitchen items you don’t need
Say goodbye to the drawer of shame and hello to a neatly organized pantry, shelves and cupboards. This quick decluttering list will help you reclaim your kitchen.
2. Old or ‘Best’ Dishware
Do you have cupboards jammed with mismatched plates and bowls, collected over several years and slowly gathering dust?
There are two options here. One is to admit you’re an inveterate collector and display that collection of floral china saucers or glazed earthenware mugs loud and proud where you can see and enjoy them every day.
Alternatively, you admit your collection has gotten a bit out of hand, have a good sort through it, keep your favorite set of dishes and donate the remaining pieces to a thrift store, where someone else will get use and enjoyment from them.
In this kitchen with open shelves designed by Flower Michelin, the dishware on display looks casual and well used, yet pleasingly ties in with the colors of the artwork nearby.
On a side note, if you’re holding onto pieces just in case you need to throw a sit-down dinner party for 100 people at some point in your life, set yourself free from that worry.
Reclaim the cupboard, enjoy the extra space it will afford you, and when you do need to throw that once-in-a-lifetime dinner party, just rent a set of plates for the evening.
12 Custom Storage Solutions for a Clutter-Free Kitchen
Do you have cupboards jammed with mismatched plates and bowls, collected over several years and slowly gathering dust?
There are two options here. One is to admit you’re an inveterate collector and display that collection of floral china saucers or glazed earthenware mugs loud and proud where you can see and enjoy them every day.
Alternatively, you admit your collection has gotten a bit out of hand, have a good sort through it, keep your favorite set of dishes and donate the remaining pieces to a thrift store, where someone else will get use and enjoyment from them.
In this kitchen with open shelves designed by Flower Michelin, the dishware on display looks casual and well used, yet pleasingly ties in with the colors of the artwork nearby.
On a side note, if you’re holding onto pieces just in case you need to throw a sit-down dinner party for 100 people at some point in your life, set yourself free from that worry.
Reclaim the cupboard, enjoy the extra space it will afford you, and when you do need to throw that once-in-a-lifetime dinner party, just rent a set of plates for the evening.
12 Custom Storage Solutions for a Clutter-Free Kitchen
3. Duplicate Spices
It’s so easy to hesitate in the spice aisle when doing a weekly food shop and think, “Have I got any ginger/cinnamon/turmeric in the cupboard?” — only to get home and find that, yes, you did have the aforementioned spice in your cupboard, in duplicate. And now you have it in triplicate.
Bringing all your spices to the front of a cupboard and doing a frequent audit can help with this and prevent you from storing three times the number of tiny jars you need to, cutting down on waste as well as clutter.
Of course, a beautifully made pantry cupboard with custom storage for spices and more would also be quite motivating.
10 Tips for Designing a Kitchen That’s Easy to Keep Organized
It’s so easy to hesitate in the spice aisle when doing a weekly food shop and think, “Have I got any ginger/cinnamon/turmeric in the cupboard?” — only to get home and find that, yes, you did have the aforementioned spice in your cupboard, in duplicate. And now you have it in triplicate.
Bringing all your spices to the front of a cupboard and doing a frequent audit can help with this and prevent you from storing three times the number of tiny jars you need to, cutting down on waste as well as clutter.
Of course, a beautifully made pantry cupboard with custom storage for spices and more would also be quite motivating.
10 Tips for Designing a Kitchen That’s Easy to Keep Organized
4. Shabby Kitchen Towels
If you have a cabinet or shelf heaving with an array of kitchen towels that are past their prime, it’s time to do an audit. Let this pristine display by Sara Ray Interior Design get you in the mood. Neatly fold and store a set of your newest and freshest towels, and relegate the old and tatty ones to the scrap heap.
By that I mean turn them into scraps that can be used as floor cloths or rags for heavy-duty cleaning to give them a second life. A small box of these rags in the garage or shed is usually very useful.
10 Decluttering Projects You Can Do in 30 Minutes or Less
If you have a cabinet or shelf heaving with an array of kitchen towels that are past their prime, it’s time to do an audit. Let this pristine display by Sara Ray Interior Design get you in the mood. Neatly fold and store a set of your newest and freshest towels, and relegate the old and tatty ones to the scrap heap.
By that I mean turn them into scraps that can be used as floor cloths or rags for heavy-duty cleaning to give them a second life. A small box of these rags in the garage or shed is usually very useful.
10 Decluttering Projects You Can Do in 30 Minutes or Less
5. Multiple Sets of Cutlery
Perhaps you merged households and each brought a set of cutlery to the table, or maybe you have an everyday set and a best set that are both crammed into a now-overflowing cutlery drawer. If so, get inspired by this drawer in a Finch London kitchen project.
There are only so many knives and forks one family needs, even when you take into account extra guests, so if your cutlery drawer is fit to burst, do an audit, keep one full set and donate the rest.
How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers for Good
Perhaps you merged households and each brought a set of cutlery to the table, or maybe you have an everyday set and a best set that are both crammed into a now-overflowing cutlery drawer. If so, get inspired by this drawer in a Finch London kitchen project.
There are only so many knives and forks one family needs, even when you take into account extra guests, so if your cutlery drawer is fit to burst, do an audit, keep one full set and donate the rest.
How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers for Good
6. Out-of-Date Food
Storing out-of-date food in the back of a cupboard is clearly a total waste of space, so have a good clear-out every few months and set aside any cans that are past their prime.
Empty out the contents, resolve not to do it again, and then, if they’re nice tins like these, give them a second life as herb containers or succulent pots.
Any cans or jars of herbs or marinades that are still in date but you’ve never used can be cleared out too. Give them to a friend who might be able to do something with them, rather than hanging onto them yourself just in case.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
Storing out-of-date food in the back of a cupboard is clearly a total waste of space, so have a good clear-out every few months and set aside any cans that are past their prime.
Empty out the contents, resolve not to do it again, and then, if they’re nice tins like these, give them a second life as herb containers or succulent pots.
Any cans or jars of herbs or marinades that are still in date but you’ve never used can be cleared out too. Give them to a friend who might be able to do something with them, rather than hanging onto them yourself just in case.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
7. Dozens of Utensils
How many wooden spoons, ladles and drainers does one kitchen need? Probably one or maybe two of each item at most. What you don’t need is a drawer of shame bulging with a jumble of utensils that will probably spend 99% of their life dusty and unused.
Clear out your extras and just keep a small, edited collection and I bet you’ll claw back a lot of valuable drawer space.
How to Declutter Your Home and Keep it Tidy
How many wooden spoons, ladles and drainers does one kitchen need? Probably one or maybe two of each item at most. What you don’t need is a drawer of shame bulging with a jumble of utensils that will probably spend 99% of their life dusty and unused.
Clear out your extras and just keep a small, edited collection and I bet you’ll claw back a lot of valuable drawer space.
How to Declutter Your Home and Keep it Tidy
8. Guilt-Inducing Bread-Making Machine
How many times have you actually used that large, cupboard-hogging bread-maker?
If you use it every day and it’s changed your life, perhaps like the owners of this picture-perfect pantry created by Extreme Design, you get a gold star. If it’s languishing at the back of your cupboard like a quiet reproach, because you find it easier to pick up a loaf of sourdough at your local food shop — and life’s too short to buy your own yeast — then it needs to go.
You can donate it to a charity, or give it to a friend who you know will use it. They can make you the occasional loaf of homemade bread as a thank you, and you can revel in the expanse of shiny, uncluttered countertop you now have.
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How many times have you actually used that large, cupboard-hogging bread-maker?
If you use it every day and it’s changed your life, perhaps like the owners of this picture-perfect pantry created by Extreme Design, you get a gold star. If it’s languishing at the back of your cupboard like a quiet reproach, because you find it easier to pick up a loaf of sourdough at your local food shop — and life’s too short to buy your own yeast — then it needs to go.
You can donate it to a charity, or give it to a friend who you know will use it. They can make you the occasional loaf of homemade bread as a thank you, and you can revel in the expanse of shiny, uncluttered countertop you now have.
More on Houzz
Read more stories
Browse photos for ideas
Find home professionals
Whether it was an ill-advised holiday souvenir or an ironic secret Santa present, the comedy mugs cluttering up the back of the cabinet have to go.
Keep your favorites — displayed nicely — and send the rest with their comedy slogans off to the nearest charity center.
You’ll probably get more pleasure out of a small collection of beautifully made mugs you use every day than from a plethora of garish ones you feel you can’t throw away but have no intention of ever using.
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