How to Declutter Your Kitchen in One Weekend
A cluttered kitchen makes cooking slower and shopping more expensive, because you buy things you already own. Here is a two-day plan that works for a normal family kitchen.
Saturday morning: the counters
Take everything off the counters and put it on the table. Wipe the counters. Put back only what you use every single day, usually the coffee maker, a knife block and a fruit bowl. Everything else goes into a cabinet or a donate box.
Saturday afternoon: the pantry
- Pull every item out and check the date. Throw out anything expired.
- Group what is left: baking, breakfast, canned goods, snacks, spices.
- Put the groups back with the oldest items in front so they get used first.
Sunday morning: cabinets and drawers
Work one cabinet at a time. Ask of each item: did I use this in the last year? If not, and it is not a holiday item, it goes in the donate box. Duplicate utensils are the easiest win. Nobody needs four spatulas.
Sunday afternoon: the fridge
Empty one shelf at a time, wipe it, and put back only what is still good. Keep leftovers in clear containers at eye level so they get eaten instead of forgotten.
Keeping it that way
- Keep a small donate box under the sink. Add to it whenever you find something you do not use.
- Before buying a new kitchen gadget, decide which old one it replaces.
- Do a ten-minute counter reset every night after dinner.