How To Declutter Your Kitchen By Tossing These 20 Items

Decluttering your kitchen is one of the most important tasks you can do. It will improve the functionality of your kitchen. This is especially true of a small kitchen. This checklist will get you started in the right direction with twenty items you should toss.

When your kitchen is relatively small, cabinet and drawer space become even more valuable. You have to be clever about storage solutions. But the biggest impact to making a small kitchen efficient is to only keep those items that you really need.

With a smaller kitchen, less clutter is essential to keeping it clean. Simplicity is key to keeping a small kitchen clutter free. We spend a lot of time in our kitchens with our family, that it just makes sense to simplify the kitchen as much as possible. Less is more definitely applies here.

Tips To Start The Process Of Decluttering Your Kitchen

I think this can be the hardest part. Just getting started. A good point is to not let yourself get overwhelmed. Tackle this list by giving yourself five minutes at a time to go through one area of your kitchen. You don’t need to accomplish this entire list in one cleaning session.

Declutter your kitchen in steps. Use the decluttering tips below to help determine what items to need to leave your kitchen.

Clutter didn’t happen suddenly. It developed over time. So, you should give yourself time to declutter your kitchen. Small changes can yield big results. If you only do one of these steps, you will see a difference.

How To Declutter Kitchen Cabinets And Drawers Checklist

This twenty item checklist is intended to give you ideas to get rid of the things that are no longer useful. Things that are just taking up space and not letting your space be as efficient as it could be.

1. Broken small appliances.
   • It is tempting to hold onto a broken small appliance. Maybe it can be fixed, you say to yourself. In reality, it is probably less expensive to just replace it. More than likely, the replacement will perform better anyway.
2. Plasticware storage containers.
   • Plasticware is every kitchen cabinet’s nightmare. Somehow, lids seem to get lost. You need a good system to keep all like items together. Toss any containers that are useless without the lids. You may want to consider replacing the plastic storage containers with glass ones.
3. Condiment packets, plastic forks and spoons.
   • I think packets of ketchup and mustard multiply while I am asleep. Don’t let this happen to you. Before putting these away in your junk drawer, consider if you will really use these.
   • The same applies to those packages of plastic forks and spoons from takeout meals. If you have too many, donate them to your workplace.
4. Sponges and scrub brushes.
   • Sponges do have a short life span. Examine yours and see if you can remember the last time, they were replaced. Can’t remember? Toss them and start fresh. The same goes with scrub brushes. Once the bristles are curling back on themselves, it’s time to buy new ones. The dollar store has the best price on scrub brushes.
5. Expired spices.
   • It is a good idea to go through your spices on a regular basis. Check the expiration dates. The older spices get, the less flavorful they become. If you decant spices into different jars, have a system where you can identify the date. The easiest way is to use a chalk marker to write on the bottom of the jar. This type of marker is easy to remove when you need to refresh your spice jars.
6. Plastic bags from the grocery store.
   • This is another item that seems to multiply on its own. Those grocery store plastic bags are perfect for small trash cans but how many do you really need? Gather all the extras and put them in the recycling bin the next time you go grocery shopping. Better yet, begin bringing your own reusable bags to the grocery stores. Many chain grocery stores are beginning to have a time frame when they will no longer offer plastic bags. This is a good habit to begin now.
7. Warped and stained cutting boards.
   • It gets to a point where cutting boards just can’t be thoroughly cleaned any more. Plus if you run them through the dishwasher, they do warp after awhile. Go ahead and replace them. It will make cutting those fruits and veggies much easier.
8. Cracked dishes.
   • It isn’t safe to continue to use cracked dishes. They will eventually break. And at the most inopportune time to. I once used a serving dish that had a hairline crack going through the middle of it. Just as someone was getting some food off of it, the dish split in half. Talk about embarrassing! Toss those cracked dishes.
9. Chipped glasses and mugs.
   • It is tempting to keep a chipped mug. Especially if it a souvenir mug. Again, safety is a concern. Relinquish the souvenir mug to a decor piece or toss it. The same goes with any glasses.
10. Potholders that are burned and stained.
    • I love potholders. I use them as decorations in my kitchen. My family has instructions to only use the old potholders. But really the enjoyment in having pretty potholders is to use them. So, get rid of the icky potholders. They aren’t that expensive to replace. Or if you sew, I have a tutorial on sewing potholders. They are an easy project.
11. Rusty bakeware.
    • Baking is a big part of our family meals. Having good bakeware is important. Unfortunately, baking sheets get rusty and grungy fairly quickly. Give your bakeware a good scrubbing. If you can’t get them clean, it’s time to replace them.
    • Baking sheets warp. Replace with good quality ones. This makes baking more enjoyable.
12. Unused kitchen gadgets.
    • You bought that kitchen gadget that promised it would do everything but wash the dishes. You used it once and put it away, never giving it a second thought. It’s simply taking up valuable cabinet space. Donate it. Make room for something that is useful for you.
13. Multiple sets of mixing bowls.
    • Having too many mixing bowls is one of my problems. I love bowls. Do I really need more than one set of mixing bowls? Be realistic of what you need and give away the rest.
14. Melted or broken cooking utensils.
    • Declutter kitchen utensils. With non-stick cookware, it best to use nylon, silicone or wooden cooking utensils. However, over time the nylon does melt. The wooden utensils do break. Examine yours and determine what needs to be replaced.
15. Extra pots, pans, casserole dishes etc.
    • Go through your cabinets and decide if you need as many pots, pans and casseroles dishes as you own. Chances are you could free up some cabinet space by donating the unused items.
16. Expired food in the fridge.
    • Every week you should purge your refrigerator. Have you ever come across a container in your fridge that you didn’t know what was in it? Go through your fridge and throw away any food that you know won’t be eaten. Then give your fridge a good wipe down.
    • To prevent food waste, think about meal planning each week.
17. Expired food in the freezer.
    • Ideally, you should keep an inventory list of what your freezer contains. This makes it much easier to plan your meals.
    • Toss any food packages that you can’t identify. Always label packages with the contents and the date.
    • Look for any freezer burned foods. Food that has ice crystals. This maybe something where the quality has deteriorated.
18. Expired food in the pantry.
    • Examine any oils to make sure they haven’t turned rancid.
    • Check dates of all canned goods.
    • Be sure to look in the back of shelves for expired packages.
    • Toss any opened bags of chips or crackers that may have gone stale.
    • Read this post on organizing your pantry. These tips will help to get your pantry in order.
19. Multiple cleaning supplies.
    • Look under your kitchen sink. Are there lots of cleaning supplies hanging out in the back of the cabinet? Go through them and toss any cleaning items you no longer use or need.
    • If you have any cleaning products with questionable ingredients take them to a local recycling center who can dispose of them properly.
    • Consider how safe your cleaning products are and if they should be relocated to another area of your home.
20. Pans with non-stick coating that is chipping off.
    • Non-stick coatings on pans don’t last indefinitely. Inspect yours and toss the offending pans. Then look for better alternatives.

Now that you have decluttered your kitchen, it is time to clear off those kitchen countertops.

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