How to Eliminate Kitchen Counter Clutter
We all know that the kitchen is a very special place in our homes. This room holds so many memories for us, and it is where we spend most of our time cooking or eating with our family.
That’s why this area tends to be clutter-prone. To keep the vibrance of this space, here are simple tips on how to eliminate your kitchen counter clutter so you can keep working on your goal of kitchen organization that you can stick with without freaking out!
Have you ever walked past your kitchen counter and seen something that shouldn’t be there in the first place? It can be a magazine, or maybe a new pile of mail just fetched from the mailbox.
Personally speaking, I get a little overwhelmed when I see things being left in places where they should not be.
But this scenario is just one of the examples of why our kitchen counter becomes cluttered. When things do not have a specific home, they end up in any place that is available.
How to Eliminate Kitchen Counter Clutter
Our counters are the perfect spot for all sorts of things – spatulas, mail, appliances, keys, and more.
And with so much cooking going on in our kitchens, it is no wonder they’ve been turned into areas where messes lie.
I am going to give you my best tips on how you can get your kitchen counter clutter-free in no time at all.
#1. Give Everything a Home
It is important to have designated spaces for anything and everything.
One reason why our counter gets cluttered is that this is an open space where we can easily lay our stuff down.
It may be because this stuff has no suitable home where it could be placed, or the storage for that item is far from reach. This is why the kitchen counter becomes a common dumping ground.
Here are some of the items you may see on your kitchen counter:
- Magazines
- Keys
- Utensils
- Cooking tools
- Cookbooks
- Homework
- Tools
- Office Supplies
- Toys
- Pet items
- Appointment cards
- Phone chargers
- Food
- Water bottles
- Medicine
- Sunglasses
- Small Kitchen Appliances, and more.
How to Organize Random Clutter
Step #1. Keep Like Things Together
The reason for organizing is to help you find the things you need quickly and also to put those things away when you are done using them. So grouping like items together will help you to do both of these tasks on autopilot.
You can use bins, trays, baskets, and other storage ideas for the things you are looking to create a home for. Match the style of the organizer with the location you plan to keep it.
So, for example, if you plan to keep office supplies in a drawer, you will want to use small baskets to hold each group of items.
- Long skinny bins can hold pens and scissors.
- Short square bins can hold sticky notes or tape.
The more homes you can create, the less you will have lying out on your kitchen counter.
Step #2. Label Your Storage Basket
To help you remember what belongs where use labels as your reminder.
So, for example, if mail is a big clutter headache for you setting up a basket to toss that mail into every day will eliminate that clutter source. To be sure you remember that the mail now belongs in. your new basket, you can make a label that says “mail” and attach it to the front.
This label will not only remind you where the mail now belongs but your family as well.
Step #3. Find a Spot for Your Storage Basket
Next, you will want to select a location for keeping your new organizing tool. Your goal is to make putting things away super easy, so choose a spot that is convenient to where you are tossing those items how.
Let’s see it in action.
Referring back to our mail basket. You will want to choose a spot that is near to where you are already tossing the mail. This will make it easier for you to use the basket whenever mail comes into your home.
If right now you are used to tossing the mail onto your kitchen table, you can place your new mail basket organizer on the table. This will get your cue and reminder to put any new mail inside.
As you get used to the mail basket, you may want to move it to a different location that makes better sense. This can be on a side counter, on a table in your entryway, or even on your office desk.
Setting up a basket not only works for daily mail but for all paper piles in your home. This includes school papers, newspapers, or papers from work.
Step #4. Make Your Storage Easy to Reach
Remember, the goal of a successful storage solution is one that is easy for everyone in your family to reach. The more they can use it, the more you will have help keeping your kitchen counters free of clutter and mess.
Tip #2. Keep Out Only What You Use
If you have a collection of appliances from coffee makers and toasters to air fryers and crock pots, a good tip to remember is to keep out only what you use daily.
If you use an appliance or kitchen gadget once a week, you will do better to store those items in a cabinet, drawer, or kitchen pantry.
When you let your appliances sit out on the countertops unused, it instantly looks more cluttered, and it is prone to be a home for dust as well.
The room that unnecessary appliances can take up makes a big difference in the space you have to work in. The more you can store away, the more room you will have to cook, bake, and do other fun kitchen activities.
Kitchen Gadget Organizers
To help organize even more, you can use a few of these tips.
Tip #1. Use a basket for kitchen tools.
Tip #1. Use a crock for spatulas and other cooking utensils.
Tip #3. Use a tray for oils and spices.
Tip #4. Use a slider tray for coffee makers, toasters, or can openers.
or an organizer for some cookbooks so you can easily reach and use them.
D/M Pro-tip: The more you use it, the closer you will want to keep it! Daily appliances can stay on your counter, weekly, you can keep them in a lower cabinet in your kitchen, and monthly appliances can go on the floor in your kitchen pantry.
Maximize Using Cabinets, Drawers, and Pantries
Doesn’t it excite you to cook and prepare meals when you see your kitchen counter clean and spacious? I know I get excited! There is something inviting about a neat and tidy kitchen counter that motivates me to cook a delicious meal.
A cluttered counter can make you feel lazy and dull, so it’s important to keep things clean for your mood to stay up.
Some kitchen tools that can take up space on your counter are:
- Kitchen gadgets – Keep them in a lower cabinet, so they are easy to get to.
- Utensils – Use a pretty crock to hold cooking utensils inside.
- Condiments and spices – Keep them on a tray near your cooking prep zone so you can get to them quickly.
- Foods – Set up a bread basket to hold baked goods.
By using drawers, shelves, and a pantry, you can quickly eliminate quite a bit of your kitchen counter clutter.
Storage Solutions and What Can Be Stored In Them:
- Cabinets are a counter-clutter solution that lets you store appliances, dishes, glasses, cookware, and more. It saves your counter from the mess while safekeeping your stuff to avoid dust and dirt.
- Drawers can be the home for your utensils, towels, food wrap, and misc supplies. Keep items in drawers that are near to where you use them.
- Glass storage containers can be used to store condiments and spices. Not only do they look pretty but they will keep your condiments neat and fresh.
- Plastic storage containers can be used to store pasta, cereals, beans, and more.
- Hanging organizers can be used to store pots and pans.
- A kitchen shelf can be used to hold cookbooks and recipes.
- A door organizer can be used to hold potholders, kitchen towels, or aprons.
- A kitchen tray can be used to hold vitamins, cooking oils, or spices.
D/M Pro-tip: You can also use hooks, install extra cupboards or use pull-out-baskets, shelves, door units, dividers, and more. These organizing solutions not only save space but also give you a clutter-free counter.
Keep Your Decorations Minimal
Some people think that the more decoration you have, the better. But when decorating our kitchen counters, less is best.
When we use a lot of decorations on our counters, it will give a cluttered look and take away space needed to cook and bake. The more you have out, the harder you will make it to move while leaving less space for kitchen tasks.
Kitchen Decorating Solutions
If removing decorations is a deal breaker, here are a few ideas that you can use instead.
#1. Have a few potted plants as your kitchen table centerpiece, or you can hang them in your kitchen window.
#2. You can display paintings and photos of a family recipe on a kitchen shelf.
#3. Use organizers as art, such as a hanging pot rack or a shelf holding your collection of cutting boards.
By keeping fewer decorations out, you will avoid visual clutter and save your kitchen and countertops from unwanted dust and dirt.
D/M Pro-tip: Less is more in decorating a kitchen counter. Display only what you love and save the other decorations for another space in your home
It’s amazing how much better you feel when your kitchen is free of counter clutter. It lets you breathe easier, which creates an instant sense of peace for both mind and body.
Practice maintaining and removing kitchen counter clutter and find yourself more motivated to do more of what you love in your kitchen.