4 EASY STEPS TO DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN

For most people, having a clean kitchen is a benchmark of a good and hygienic home keeper.  After all, it is where we cook, store, and sometimes, eat our meals. 

But do you know that a clean kitchen is more than just a physical health issue?  Also, it is a psychological health issue.  It is important to declutter and organize your kitchen because it will prevent the formation of cortisol, a hormone that induces stress to a person. 

Also, a messy kitchen can trigger unhealthy eating. According to various studies, people eat twice as many calories in cluttered kitchens compared to organized kitchens.

CLEAN KITCHEN EQUALS CONTROL

Other than that, having a cluttered kitchen can make you feel out of control which will, in turn, attract many unhealthy habits.  In fact, a messy kitchen will discourage you to cook.  Therefore, if you will have to swim through a sea of food containers just to find the measuring cup, I doubt you will have the strength to peel, chop, and stir anymore.  Rather, you will succumb to the temptation and order fast food or eat whatever junk or processed foods can be found in your pantry.  That is, if you can find it.

It is important to maintain a clean and organized kitchen so it will be a healthy haven for you and your family.

To find out the steps on how you can effectively declutter and organize your kitchen, read the following :

1.      GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES

Before you start cleaning, get all your cleaning supplies first so that once you start with your project, you won’t have to stop to look for a rag, or a garbage bag, etc.  As a result of constant interruption, you will risk losing your momentum and time will certainly be wasted.  

Also, don’t’ forget to dress for success.  Wear old ratty clothes so that you won’t feel bad if they get stained or torn in the cleaning process.

Here are the few essentials you will need to declutter efficiently:

• Trash bags – to keep the garbage in
• a place to lay everything out so you can segregate things
• Boxes to store things in the attic or to be used as Donate-Sell-or-Recycle boxes.
• Cleaning Supplies such as vinegar or dish detergent for grease, a couple of rags to keep in rotation to ensure you always use a clean one, paper towels, brush, mop, etc.

Cleaning Supplies such as vinegar or dish detergent for grease, a couple of rags to keep in rotation to ensure you always use a clean one, paper towels, brush, mop, etc.

2. DECLUTTER AND CLEAN STARTING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, AND ONE DRAWER AT A TIME

Clean your kitchen by going top to bottom and by sections that can be either left to right.  This will make sure that you won’t miss anything when you are dusting and cleaning.  Also, you won’t waste time cleaning random areas in your kitchen, only to find out that you have cleaned it already. 

After that, take things out from the top of the cabinets. Wipe the objects down before setting them onto a wide flat surface such as a kitchen table.  Finally, clean the cabinets where the kitchen items were taken. 

For the rest, follow the procedure for the second cabinet and work your way down. 

3. SEPARATE EVERYTHING IN PILES

Once you have finished cleaning the cabinets, decide on the fate of each item by assigning them to one of the four piles:  to keep, to throw away, to recycle, and to donate.

When sorting, ask yourself the following questions:

1.      Do I use this often?

Evaluate what you use regularly.  Think hard and recall when the last time you used the item is.  If you haven’t used it in six months, chances are, you will not need it anymore.  Put it in to recycle or to throw away, depending on the material.

In addition, items you haven’t used in months but in good condition may be placed in to donate pile. 

2. Does this help to make my life easier?

Your quest to declutter and organize your kitchen will be easier if you will keep items that you use regularly and help you simplify things.  If an item is useful to you, you can keep it.

3. Do I have more than one of these?

Donate the useable duplicates and spares. 

Do you have five rusty strainers and a useable one?  Throw the others and keep the one that won’t give you tetanus. Remember, keep one favorite item and donate or get rid of the others.

Remember, your kitchen can only take on so much and you have to be ruthless on what you should keep for your kitchen to be clutter-free.

Keep one item of each of the basic kitchen essentials:

• Knives
• Colander
• Chef’s Knife
• Cutting Board
• Glass Baking Dish
• Prep Bowls in 3 Sizes
• Pot
• Saucepan
• Sheet Pan
• Oven Mitts
• Glass Baking Dish
• Non-stick Frying Pan
• Tongs
• Whisk
• Can Opener
• Wooden Spoons
• Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons

4.   ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN CABINETS, DRAWERS, & COUNTERS

Once you have determined what to keep, put everything back to the cabinets. Just make sure that the items are disinfected before they are put back in the shelves,

READ: HOW TO AVOID CORONAVIRUS WHILE SHOPPING

As much as possible, keep the countertops clear. Put out only those you use often.

When you organized your kitchen items, group them by use.  For example, dishes that are in and out of the dishwasher a lot should be placed inside the cabinet closest to the dishwasher for ease of loading and unloading.  Also, your cups and coffee maker should be close to each other.

Furthermore, you should invest in organizers to keep everything in sight and within easy reach.  Baskets and shelves will help corral the various knick-knacks that tend to get displaced and look cluttery.

According to Vicky Silverthorn, a professional organizer, getting your kitchen in order is simply a matter of being practical and realistic.

Therefore, when decluttering, think practical, not pretty because a sensible storage solution is more important than countless knick-knacks.

It will be hard at first, but have faith that once you have started decluttering, the future kitchen cleanups will be easier.  In the future, you will thank you!

Just remember, if you invest more time to declutter and organize lesser time you spend in dealing with a cluttered kitchen, you have more time to make nutritious, delicious meals for your family.