Part 2: Make Life Easier DeClutter Series
I used to have an amazing
We all probably spend most of our time in the kitchen, so a quick and easy kitchen declutter is fantastic to help make life easier. Well, that’s what I’m hoping for mine!
This is part 2 in my Declutter
If you haven’t invested in
Getting Started – 10 mins
First of all, you need
5 mins: put everything away and wipe your bench down and put the bins out. Make a clean start.
5 mins: wash, dry and put away any dishes
We’ll come back to the functionality of bench space later…
Work steadily and try not to get distracted here! The aim is to go through each drawer to:
1. Take everything out and keep like items together on the bench
2. Give it a wipe
3. Consider what you haven’t used for a LONG time
4. Consider what you really don’t need (follow exactly the same steps we went through in How to Declutter Any Room)
5. Consider a new layout or storage solution that will keep it from getting messy again
6. Put items back into the drawer, organised into sections, uses, size etc
10 minutes per drawer or less
Quick & Easy Kitchen Declutter
A few rules to help you decide what to throw out:
– any unused gadgets
– any gadgets that don’t even work
– containers with no lids
– containers that you hate using, for whatever reason
Cupboards (30 mins)
Much of this will be take everything out, give it a wipe and re-organise. Crockery, cups, glassware etc often don’t need much decluttering, but there are few things to consider:
– throw out any broken or chipped crockery, cups or glassware
– throw out any saucepan lids you don’t have saucepans for
– take out any items that don’t really fit – like platters, baskets etc and consider storing them elsewhere, as you may not need them so often
Plastic container drawer – take an extra 10 minutes here and check that you have lids for everything, reorganise it into squares, rectangles, circles, bigs and smalls. Spending a few minutes to tidy this up makes it so easy to maintain (or at my house, until my husband tries to find something and messes it all up again!)
Extra tip: keep your plastic cups and plates, and container drawers under your bench. That way
Pantry (45 mins)
Food takes a little longer to take out,
1. Throw out food past it’s ‘use by’ date
2. Throw out spices, sauces, jams that you will never use
3. Wipe up stains and spills
4. Relabel
Again, think about how you use it and what you need to access the most when you are putting items back and
You need to be able to know what you have in the pantry, not have things hidden away and forgotten.
Fridge/ Freezer (20 mins)
Your fridge probably isn’t that bad, but for me, it’s the shelf of chutney’s sauces, pastes etc that
Tips for the freezer
– Throw out anything that you can’t identify, or is over a year old! That’s my general rule.
–
– Label everything you can identify for quick searches when you’re busy
How to Keep Your Kitchen Decluttered
Now that’s you’ve done all of this hard work, you need some guidelines to keep it that way. Tell everyone in your family, if that’s what it takes!
1. Keep your benches clear. I had to stick a note on mine for about a month until my family got the picture!
2. Segment your drawers (like my pic above). It is a HUGE time
3. Invest in a saucepan lid rack, and a plastic container lid holder (perhaps even just a larger container just for lids)
4. Label everything that doesn’t have a shop label. Make it easier on yourself – you may not remember in 6 months time when you need something in a hurry!
5. Keep your benchtop clear. If possible, take away everything and try and find a space for it in your cupboards. This includes your toaster, tea and coffee containers, utensil holders and even your kettle if you don’t use it much.
The clear space will really help you keep it clear. Draw the line in the sand and say nothing on the benchtop. That way, you will be encouraged to continue to put things away and find space for everything before they start to collect dust.
The clear space will be easier to work with, easier to clean, and might even inspire your creativity!
So
I’d love to know if you’re up for this challenge!
Take action now, even if you just start on your drawers, you just need something quick and easy to do to get the momentum!
Let me know which section you’re going to start on in the comments below.
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