How to Turn a Cluttered Kitchen into a Clutter-Free Space

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Last updated on October 31st, 2022 at 08:35 pm

The kitchen is the heart of the home, which means by nature, it’s the dumping ground for everything that comes through the door. This is why people have cluttered kitchens.

Everything from this morning’s breakfast dishes to the mail from three weeks ago can pile up in the kitchen, making it hard to complete the most essential tasks.

The best and easiest way to make your kitchen less cluttered is to have good habits.

But where to start?

Use these 5 habits to turn your cluttered kitchen into a clutter-free space.

01. Banish the paper

I do not allow paper to live in my kitchen. Period.

The only papers I keep in there are recipes and our emergency numbers (AKA the Babysitter Kit). All the paper goes to our designated paper hubs that are NOT in the kitchen.

Many people do have their paper hubs in the kitchen, and that is totally fine if it works. Just be sure that you have a system that keeps the paper in its hub and not all over the counter.

For my family, I’ve found it’s easier to reduce countertop clutter by not allowing paper in there at all.

Need to figure out the paper clutter thing? Check these out:

02. Clear the counters every night

As part of my nightly tidy-up, I clear the counters of any stray items that left their homes throughout the day. It’s much easier to make a habit of wiping down the counters every single night when there’s nothing in the way. Then the kitchen is ready for a whole new day of living before I make my first cup of coffee.

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03. No dishes in the sink

This goes with the last habit. When I clear the counters I usually have dirty dishes. I make sure they’re all in the dishwasher or washed and put away before I go to bed.

It’s such a letdown to wake up wanting to enjoy my morning coffee and scripture reading to find the sink full of dishes.

04. Find homes for all the other stuff

The kitchen is meant for cooking and eating and making memories. Sometimes it’s easier to have all the art supplies in the kitchen because your toddler gets a little crazy with the markers. I get it.

I make sure that toys and random things that don’t need to be in there have designated homes in other parts of the house. It’s ok for a game or puzzle to go on the table as long as it doesn’t stay there after the fun has ended.

05. Declutter often

The fridge and pantry happen to be a couple of places that you can’t just declutter once and be done. Food goes bad. Messes happen.

We declutter our fridge once a week on the night the garbage cans go out on the street.

Decluttering the pantry monthly helps me keep an inventory of what I have.

I also try to declutter all the dinnerware and kitchenware one to two times a year. There will always be something we stopped using, or I realize I’ve never used something that’s been hanging out in the back of a cabinet.

Here are 5 effective tips for decluttering a kitchen.

These 5 habits can take a cluttered kitchen to clutter-free: no paper, clear counters, clear sink, designated homes, and weekly decluttering.

How to Turn a Cluttered Kitchen into a Clutter-Free Space