In the world of kitchen organization, there seem to be repeat offenders causing clutter in our kitchens. As the first rule of organization is to declutter, I’m highlighting some common kitchen clutter causers to see if they can be tamed in your own home.
1. Koozies – these suckers multiply like rabbits! Gather all of the koozies in your home (kitchen, bar, garage, etc.) and see how many you own. Now, think about how often you use them and if the quantity you own makes sense for this use. Make the kept quantity reflective of your entertaining, lake going, bbq hosting, beach tripping habits. Organize the kept quantity in a container with a boundary. Koozies will multiply without this boundary.
2. Plastic restaurant cups – a cousin to the koozie, these multiply in the darkness of cabinets. Cup clutter is real and prolific. The more you own; the more will end up on your counter and cause clutter. Decide on a realistic number for your family and organize them where they are visible and accessible. Donate or recycle your castaways and break the habit by not bringing cups home from a restaurant. Break the kitchen cup clutter cycle.
3. Novelty utensils – a Star Wars pancake mold, a gingerbread man spatula, a weird fruit specific knife, the list is long. Chances are you have been gifted something zany for your kitchen. If you do not use it, it is clutter. As we tell our clients often, if an object doesn’t serve a function for you then its only function is clutter. Your kitchen real estate deserves to be filled with objects you use. Decluttering unused utensils increases visibility for your cherished kitchen objects.
4. Bags – the winner of kitchen clutter! Bags seem harmless enough, but they are the sneakiest clutter causers of all. These infiltrate kitchen pantries and hide in many nooks and crannies. Gather all the bags into one location and sort into types. Decide upon a quantity to keep and donate or recycle the rest. As with the other clutter creators, weeding out the bulk allows you to see the bags you love and use. Create a boundary for your bags and hold yourself accountable to stick to it.
Tackle those kitchen clutter categories and you are well on your way to an organized and functional kitchen.