Every homeowner knows how tedious and stressful it can be to declutter the whole house. Each room in the house follows the same sets of decluttering techniques. However, there is one area that may require double the effort as well as some extra steps when decluttering: the kitchen.
The kitchen is the heart of your home. It reflects the health and wellbeing of your family. Regardless of your flat’s size, the kitchen should always be the cleanest and tidiest area inside the house. If you are preparing the meal for your family, you should also know how difficult it is to cook in a cluttered kitchen.
There are several things you need to consider to keep your kitchen free from clutter. It is easy to get lost when you miss an essential step in kitchen decluttering. Thus, we provided you with these tips and advice on how to get started on decluttering your kitchen.
Picture the whole kitchen and set your goals
Before you start with the decluttering process, make sure to set your goals first. Think about all the things you want to accomplish. Do you want to clean every corner of your kitchen? Do you want to move furniture or appliances to open up more space in the area? Take note of all your goals. If you can, write them all down.
When setting kitchen goals, picture the whole kitchen and decide how you would want to organise it. Assign the different kitchen areas: the cooking zone, the provisions zone, the washing area, the preparation area, and the storage area. If you have a small kitchen, you might need to combine different zones into one spot. Distribute the spaces among these areas depending on how you want to prioritise things. Feel free to read this article about the five useful zones in the kitchen to know more about this topic.
Keep only the kitchen essentials
If you want a clean and spacious kitchen, keep only those items that are essential to the kitchen. Everything that does not have anything to do with the kitchen: store them elsewhere. Many people who have limited spaces in their houses convert some kitchen areas into storage areas. While this is not entirely wrong, it is still advisable to keep only kitchen-related things inside the kitchen. If you are resourceful enough, you can find another spot in the house where you can keep your other belongings. One good way to store your belongings and increase space inside your home is to rent a self-storage facility. If you are living in Horsham, consider renting a self storage unit in Horsham now!
Let go of things that are no longer in use
Aside from those items that do not have anything to do with the kitchen, there are also other kitchen items you might need to let go of already. If you have items that you barely use or are no longer functional, it is better to throw or hide them already. There is no use in keeping that toaster or coffee maker if it is no longer operational. Extra space in the kitchen is better than unnecessary clutter.
If you have items that you barely use, it may be a better idea to hide them elsewhere. For example, if you only bake once in a while, consider storing your baking materials first. You can always retrieve them when you need them; don’t let them take up the valuable space in your kitchen.
Here is an article about items in your kitchen that need to go.
Limit your kitchenware
We know that it can be fun to hoard plates, mugs, and other tableware, but the kitchen is not the right place to keep these things. Keep only a couple of dishes that are enough for a daily meal. Add a couple of spares for visitors, but avoid having endless extras. Similarly, get rid of excess duplicates of your kitchenware. Keep these items in storage and get them only when you need them.
Assign a specific area for each kitchen item
To keep your kitchen clean and organised, designate a specific area of your kitchen for each item. For example, you can select a particular drawer for your silverware and utensils. You can also install hooks in your kitchen where you can hang your pans, pots, and other commonly used kitchen items.
The goal is to make things more convenient for you. If you are often preparing tea or coffee, you can set a spot in the kitchen and place all the tea or coffee-related items there. Keep those items that you frequently use in areas that you can easily reach.
Create a list for your food and ingredients inventory
A whole lot of kitchen space is taken by food. While it is okay to store food for the future, you should only keep those you will likely consume soon. Declutter your pantry and check the expiration dates of all the consumables. Discard those that are inedible.
People tend to buy too much excess food and ingredients because they forget what they have in their pantry. A lot of food also just ends up getting expired because of the same reason. To avoid this problem, create a list of all the food and ingredients you have in your kitchen.
You can write a list and post it on a wall or put it on your refrigerator. You can also make use of a whiteboard. When you consume something, or you run out of an ingredient, cross it out from the list. Regularly check the list to know which ones you should buy next when you go to the groceries.
Decluttering is a tough job. It may even take many days to accomplish. Regardless of how you want to execute it, the important thing is to start now. Everything will follow once you start with the decluttering process. Just follow the tips we listed in this decluttering guide, and you are good to go!