As you start to prepare and plan for hosting guests this holiday season, now is the time to step back and take an objective look at how you can make your kitchen a more organized and happier place to cook. For some, this may seem like a daunting or even unbearable task. We promise it’s not impossible. An organized kitchen is within your grasp; it starts with decluttering your space.
Declutter and Purge!
Decluttering is the first step to organizing any room, and the kitchen is no exception. Grab some boxes and go through your countertop, pantry, cabinets and drawers. Put items into boxes that you plan to get rid of, donate or sell.
Evaluate everything – appliances, gadgets, tools, pots and pans, baking ware, utensils, dishes and cookbooks. Nothing is exempt from our decluttering quest. Yes, even the dreaded “junk drawer” full of old batteries, spare change, rubber bands, scratched sunglasses and who knows what else, must be pulled out and looked through.
If you’re torn between what to keep and what to toss, these five important questions should help you make the right call:
- Do I use this? This is an easy one. You either use it or you don’t. Don’t keep it around because you think you might use it in the future. If you’ve never baked muffins in your life, you probably don’t need to hold onto that muffin tin (remember, you could always borrow one from friends or family).
- When did I last use this? Similar to the point above, ask yourself if you should ditch this item based on how often you use it. If your answer is “today”, “within the last week”, or even “within the last month” it’s a safe bet to assume it’s a keeper. If your answer was “within the last year”, get rid of it – with one exception.
Holiday cookie cutters, tins and other seasonal items that you only use once a year are safe from the declutter purge. Just be sure to put them somewhere out of the way from the everyday kitchen items you need and use.
- Does this belong here? To quote a line from a Sesame Street song, “one of these things doesn’t belong” can apply to your kitchen. At some point or another, an item that doesn’t belong in there may have wandered on to your kitchen table, island or countertop. Put everything that doesn’t belong in another box for you to return to its rightful home later.
- Does this make my life easier? There may be some items that you don’t really need, but you use regularly and they make your life easier. For example, the slow cooker that sits on the end of your counter allows you to throw all the ingredients for a stew inside in the morning so dinner is waiting for you when you get home. Sure, you could make that same meal in the oven, but the slow cooker allows for maximum convenience – not to mention the awesome smell of a meal that’s been slowly cooking all day long.
- Do I have multiples of this? Is it really worth keeping five baking sheets when you only use two 99% of the time? Do you really need two sets of oven mitts? Keep things simple by only keeping what you need and use on a regular basis. As mentioned earlier, you can always borrow from friends and family for those rare cases where you need extras.
When in Doubt, Enlist A Clutter Buddy to Help
If you’ve asked yourself those questions and you’re still struggling with whether to give away that bread maker you bought five years ago because you were so sure you were going to make your own bread but never did, enlist the help of a ‘declutter buddy’. A close friend who can give an objective opinion is generally the best person for the job. They should also be someone who can be firm, but not judgmental, when they insist you toss all those plastic containers you no longer have lids for.
Do you have any secrets or tips for keeping your kitchen a clutter-free zone? Tell us about them on Facebook.
from Devonleigh Homes http://ift.tt/2nwd59w
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