How To Declutter Your Kitchen- 21+ Things You Can Declutter Now

Decluttering The Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house, so it’s important to keep it organized and decluttered. A cluttered kitchen can lead to lost pots and pans, as well as Expo markers and wooden spoons. Not to mention, it’s just plain annoying to have to search through a cluttered kitchen for what you need.

Decluttering your kitchen should not be mistaken as cleaning your kitchen, though it is a part of the overall cleaning. Here are a few tips on How To Clean Your Kitchen In Under 15 Minutes.

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To help you declutter your kitchen, we’ve put together a list of 21+ things you can declutter now. From expired spices and old Tupperware to those pesky single-use plastic containers, we’ve got you covered. So what are you waiting for? Get started on decluttering your kitchen today!

7 Golden Rules For Decluttering Your Kitchen – How To Declutter And Organize Your Kitchen

Take Inventory Of What You Have

The first step to decluttering your kitchen is to take inventory of what you have. This includes taking stock of your pantry, fridge, freezer, and cupboards. Make a list of everything you have and put it in a safe place. This will help you keep track of what you need to use up or donate.

Set Some Criteria For What Stays And What Goes

Now that you know what you have, it’s time to set some criteria for what stays and what goes. This is entirely up to you, but we suggest setting criteria based on the expiration date, frequency of use, and space. For example, expired spices can go, as well as Tupperware that you never use.

Get Rid Of Anything That’s Expired

Now that you’ve set some criteria, it’s time to get rid of anything that’s expired. This includes food, spices, condiments, and anything else that’s past its expiration date. If you’re not sure how to tell if something is expired, check the USDA’s food expiration chart.

Consolidate What You Can

While you’re decluttering your kitchen, take the opportunity to consolidate what you can. This includes consolidating spices, condiments, and other food items. If you have multiple half-empty bottles of ketchup, for example, consolidate them into one. This will save you space and make your kitchen look more organized.

Donate What You Don’t Need

If you have food that you know you won’t use or that’s past its expiration date, consider donating it to a local food bank. They will be more than happy to take it off your hands and put it to good use.

Create A System That Works For You

Once you’ve decluttered your kitchen, it’s important to create a system that works for you. This will help you keep your kitchen organized and decluttered moving forward. One system that works well is the “one in, one out” rule. For every new item that comes into your kitchen, get rid of one. This will help you keep your kitchen from becoming cluttered again.

Keep It up!

The final step to decluttering your kitchen is to keep it up! This means decluttering on a regular basis and keeping your kitchen organized. Consider setting aside some time each week to declutter your kitchen. This will help you keep on top of the clutter and make your kitchen a more enjoyable place to be.

Declutter Kitchen Checklist

Pots And Pans. This can be tricky as we all have our favorite pots and pans and they do different things. Since I started cooking a ton of food in the air-fryer I find that I’m not needing all the pots and pans that I currently have. Donate the ones that you don’t need to a woman’s shelter.
Food Storage Containers. You absolutely do not need hundreds of plastic containers that do not have lids. Recycle them and downsize. Start with getting rid of all the old looking, and scared contained; then discard all the containers without lids.

Do an assessment of your remaining containers and ask yourself how many containers do you need.? There is no reason that you need 25 food containers and I can assure you that you don’t need all the containers that do not have lids
Throw Out Expired, Stale, Or Rotten Food From Your Pantry, Fridge, And Freezer. Now is a great time to go through all your expired food. I swear no matter how often I have done this, I always find something that expired last year. The reality is that food is money and when we allow it to expire it is the equivalent of throwing money in the trash.
Under the Sink Start by removing everything from under the sink and sorting items into categories, such as cleaning supplies, dish soap, and trash bags. Discard any expired or unused items. Invest in stackable containers and baskets to keep similar items together, and label them for easy identification. Utilize the space efficiently by using a tension rod to hang cleaning supplies, and installing hooks for extra storage. Regular maintenance and quick tidy-ups will help keep the under-sink area clutter-free.
Serving Dishes keep only the ones you regularly use. Get rid of duplicates, those that are chipped, or ones that haven’t been used in a long time. Consider donating gently used dishes to a local charity or community center. To prevent re-accumulation, make sure to regularly assess your serving dish collection and get rid of any that are no longer needed. By decluttering your serving dishes, you’ll have a cleaner, more organized kitchen and more room to store other items.
Measuring Spoons and Cups. I bet most of us have a ton of measuring cups that are not necessary. I recently purchased all new measuring cups and spoons. I donated the old ones to the local Goodwill.
Holiday Dishes. Do you need to purchase designated holiday dishes? I think the answer is no. I recently came across some stunning white and off-white clearance dishes at West Elm. There are classy and perfect for everyday use as well as holiday use. Having extra designated dishes is a complete waste of space. It’s time to let the turkey platter and the Christmas bowl go.
Small Appliances. Consolidate your appliances. I recently invested in a Kitchen Aid Commercial Mixer that has all sorts of attachments. I no longer need to have different appliances for different things.
Cooking Utensils. How many cooking utensils does one kitchen need? I will admit, I have quite a few because I use my home to host baby showers and small parties. However, I have the extra kitchen utensils stored in a box in the garage.
Everyday Dishes. As I referenced above I snagged some beautiful dishes from West Elm. When I got my new dishes, I donated my old everyday dishes to charity. If you are a family of 4, you do not need to have 12 plates and 20 mugs. It’s time to narrow down your choices and get rid of the extra items.
Tea and Coffee Mugs. I will be the first to admit that I think I’m addicted to coffee mugs. I struggle with wanting to grab the cute coffee mug from Marshalls. You only need 4 more mugs than the total number of people in your household. I do have more because I do have events at my home. I recently started storing my extra mugs in a plastic bin in the garage so they no longer clutter my kitchen.
Glassware. I should be ashamed of the number of glasses that I have. I recently purchased some boxes that store glassware and put all the extra glassware in the garage. On a day-to-day base, I drink out of my large Starbucks cup and I tend to grab a mason jar when I have company over. We do not need a ton of glasses, donate them to your favorite charity.
Baking Ware. I can pat myself on the back, I recently donated a few items to my son. I’ve narrowed my baking ware down to the essentials. You should check out the line of Southern Ware at Dillards. I’m officially at 3 main baking dishes.
Casserole Dishes. You are not going to cook a mega casserole dish and if you do, then opt for aluminum which can be recycled.
Mixing Bowls. I recently came across a set of stainless steel mixing bowls with lids. Honestly, this is all you need. Get rid of everything else.
Spices. If you are like most people, you have spices that you have never used and will never use. Toss these old spices today. If you have a local farmers market; I have Dekalb County Farmers Market, then make sure you check out their spice area. I am able to get fresh spices at a fraction of the cost of store brought spices. You really only need a few spices to make a ton of other spices.
Gadgets and Gizmos. Do you have to have an avocado peeler? Not really. Take an inventory of the gadgets and gizmos that are cluttering the kitchen. Pick 5 and donate the rest. Chances are you even have duplicates of the same items if you are like most people.
Knives. I suggest that you invest in a set of really good knives so that you don’t need different knives for everything. If your current knives are dull, you can resharpen dull knives with a knife sharpener. Get rid of all your misc knives as well as misc forks, spoons, etc. You don’t need to have 20 steak knives.
Tea Towles and Dishcloths. Store your towels and dishcloths under the sink. We are not our grandparents. We do not have to have matching tea towels and they do not need to hang off the handle on the stove. You only need one dishcloth, towel, and two sponges (you do in fact use a different sponge on anything that is contaminated with raw meat juice?)
Clear Off the Front Of Your Refrigerator. I recently removed all the items from the front of my refrigerator and I will be the first to admit that it automatically made my kitchen sparkle and look more high-end. This is an easy fix that you can do in a matter of minutes. Let me suggest that you use Rejuvenate Stainless Steel Cleaner to clean the surface of your refrigerator and give it a refreshing shine with no fingerprints.
Cleaning Supplies. Take inventory of all the items that you have and figure out what you need and what you don’t need. If you have multiple items of the same, then consolidate them. I recently discarded a ton of items as I’m looking to create a more natural cleaning environment in my home. It’s become even more important to me since my grandson Daniel arrived. You can check out the article on Homemade DIY Cleaning Products That You Can Make Yourself.

☑️Here a few items to help you along the way
with your kitchen decluttering
Spice Rack Storage , Kitchen Utensil Organizer

Bonus Items

Junk Drawer. I don’t believe there is a home in America that does not have a “junk drawer” which is the catch-all for everything that has no designated place. Go through your junk drawer and remove old batteries as the acid will leak out over time.
Vitamins| Medicine. Most hospitals have a program that will allow you to return old medicine and vitamins. Please do not dump old medicine or vitamins down the toilet. You can utilize the DEA link for controlled substance disposal locations to find the nearest facility near you.

Final Thoughts On Decluttering Your Kitchen

Maintaining a decluttered kitchen is an ongoing process. You don’t have to go in at once and try to accomplish everything. It’s probably going to stress you out if you have a lot. What I suggest is that you tackle one item at a time, ie, go through all the plastic containers first and tackle that. We know that plastic containers take up a ton of unnecessary space. Once you do that, then move on to expired food items.

If you are going to tackle the refrigerator, I suggest that you take everything out of the refrigerator and use this as an opportunity to deep clean your refrigerator as well. You might as well tackle two birds with one stone.

How To Declutter Your Kitchen- 21+ Things You Can Declutter Now

Decluttering The Kitchen