Cut Kitchen Clutter

How many of these common clutter traps can you find in your kitchen?

Whether you plan to stage your home for pictures or if you’re just looking for some quick tips to keep things looking spic and span in your kitchen, check out these tips from the pros at the Food Network.

Here are some easily-remedied, common circumstances that contribute to your kitchen’s disheveled look—how many can you find at your house?

·        Refrigerator used as display space.  Oftentimes, everything from magnets from last year’s vacation destination to grocery lists to schoolwork can find its way to the refrigerator door.  This look becomes a distraction from an otherwise tidy kitchen.

·        Countertops become mailboxes.  After you’ve picked up the mail, do you sort it and manage it or allow it to pile up on the counters?  Get in the habit of tossing or filing your daily mail to avoid an overwhelming pile.

·        “Special occasion items” take permanent display or storage in the kitchen.  Does your large wooden salad bowl or huge holiday cookie jar take up too much space?  Ask yourself if you really need these items or if you could part with them.  If you’d like to keep them, are there other storage places you can use to keep them out of your way?

·        Appliances, appliances everywhere.  How many coffee makers, mixers, ice cream makers, toaster ovens, and the like take up valuable workspace?  “Aim for clear surfaces,” notes the article.  “While it might be tempting to leave lots of appliances out, tucking them into a cabinet can be so rewarding.”

·        Bulk purchases pile up in the corner.  Are you walking around cases of tuna or boxes of mac and cheese?  How about that 20-pound bag of flour?  Create a storage area elsewhere and only bring small portions of bulk items into your everyday kitchen space.

·        Wash those dishes instead of letting them pile up in the sink—and put them away once they’re dry.

·        Think about vertical space.  Can you add tiered shelving in cabinets or install some floating shelves?

One final suggestion is to recognize that you may be confusing “having to little storage with having too much stuff.”

Once you limit your kitchen storage and display to only the essential items, you’ll likely have adequate space and be able to easily find what you need.

What can you do today to clean up your kitchen area?

Post authored by Lora Bray.

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