It doesn’t matter how spotless your kitchen is: If you have a counter full of appliances and an “anything, anywhere” strategy for food storage, your kitchen will inevitably look cluttered.
We asked two organizational experts for their top tips for reducing kitchen clutter. Read on for six quick and easy tasks you can accomplish today. A clean, clutter-free kitchen, here you come.
meet the expert
- Danielle Dorn is a home and interiors design expert and vice president of creativity and design at mDesign Home Decor.
- morgan oven is an expert organizer and founder of Haven Home Wellness.
Start each season fresh
Don’t put off spring cleaning—your kitchen deserves a summer refresh, FallAnd winter too. It’s important to take everything out of your kitchen cabinets and give them a serious clean once a season. Seasonal deep cleaning makes everyday maintenance much easier.
Pulling down empty cans and canisters provides the ideal time to wipe down the inside of the cabinets.
Danielle says, “When I’m cleaning, it’s easy to see which cereal is low or I’m almost out of snacks for the kids, which brings unexpected improvements to my cleaning routine — it Keeps me organized in other areas of my life.” Dorn, vice president of creativity and design at mDesign Home Decor.
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Store larger items elsewhere
Your grandma’s plate that you break out once a year for Thanksgiving dinner shouldn’t be taking up most of your valuable space. accessible kitchen cabinets,
If you have overflowing storage elsewhere, try moving larger-sized pieces there that you only use for holidays or special occasions (e.g., in a dining room cabinet). Keep them dust-free in a large clean container or separate in a cabinet with a soft liner.
“This will give your kitchen cabinets some room to breathe along with the things you only use on a weekly or daily basis,” says expert organizer Megan Owens.
organize your fridge
Poor fridge organization This not only makes it difficult to find specific items, but also results in wastage of food. So, take some time to organize your fridge.
Dorn suggests keeping similar items together using clear containers and labels to make them easily accessible and ensure that older items are used first. This reduces the chance of food spoiling, or mysterious leftovers being left behind.
Also use your fridge’s adjustable shelves and drawers. This will maximize your fridge’s storage capacity, as you can arrange them to be efficient for your specific needs, such as reserving space tall enough for your oat milk.
Remove excess packaging
Dorn and Owens both agree: Removing excess food packaging streamlines the look of your kitchen and pantry, creating a more attractive look.
Recycle as much packaging as possible, putting food into clean bins and airtight containers as soon as you get home from the grocery store. This not only clears up the mess of broken boxes and mismatched packaging, but also makes it easier to find the item you’re looking for, saving you time in the long run.
“When I’m quickly cooking dinner for my family after work, or preparing breakfast in the morning, the organized look of my cabinets adds a sense of calm to my usually busy day,” says Dorn. Is.”
Designate Zones in Your Pantry
one way to Keep your pantry less clutteredOwens says this is to zone out food categories. For example, keep all of your cooking supplies (like grains, oils, and canned goods) in one area. Snacks can be organized together in one another.
Meanwhile, drawers can hold chips, crackers and other individually packaged snacks, and add some drawer dividers for an especially neat look.
Consolidate appliances into one cabinet
design by burnham design / photo by Laura Hull Photography
No matter what size your kitchen is, counter space is always in high demand.
To eliminate clutter, the oven is a great way to collect all of your hardest-working appliances – like your blender, toaster, coffee maker, and even a microwave – and put them in a cabinet on easy-to-reach shelves. Recommends storing in.
Appliances you don’t use often, such as a food processor or ice cream maker, can be placed in the same cabinet, simply on higher shelves.
“Now that you have more free space on your counters, you can choose a few pieces for display, like fresh flowers and a chopping board, for a clean, styled look,” says Owens.
To take this clutter a step further, Owen suggests installing outlets inside the cabinet. This way you can use them in the same place, without having to move the toaster, moving the pieces all over the place. (Keep in mind that this will probably require hiring an electrician.)
