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Last updated on April 8th, 2022 at 03:02 am
Organizing a kitchen can be tough. The kitchen has more gadgets and little pieces than any other room, and it can get murky figuring out where to put different things. One of the hardest parts of the kitchen to keep tidy and organized is the kitchen counters.
It’s easy to have lots of items on the counter, including things that aren’t meant to be there at all.
Today I’ll show you how I keep my kitchen counters organized along with tips for how you can do the same in your kitchen.
Items that are used daily
I keep the number of items on my kitchen counters at a minimum. Having too many appliances and gadgets and spices can make the counters look and feel more cluttered.
As a rule, I only leave out appliances we use daily –the coffeemaker and the toaster oven. For a long time, I left my stand mixer on the counter. But once I realized how much real estate is was taking up versus how often I used it, I moved it to a different location.
I also keep my most used cooking oils, seasoning, and a crock of utensils on the counter. It’s more convenient to me than digging through cabinets as I’m cooking.
Other tools I use daily are my wood cutting boards. One is overlarge and doesn’t fit in my cabinets, but I love how it adds a different texture on top of the stone and tile and adds interest against our dark cabinets.
Corral your items
As I mentioned earlier, many oils and seasonings are on my counter. I keep them all in one place by corraling them onto a tray.
One of the organizing rules is to keep “like with like,” and you don’t have to use just baskets to keep like items together. I use trays in a couple of places around my home to corral my items.
Create zones
Each part of your kitchen is used for different things. For instance, my coffeemaker is located next to the refrigerator and underneath the cabinet with the drinking glasses and mugs.
Colanders and veggie brushes are stored next to the sink since that’s where they’re used.
You’ll start seeing patterns in where you do which activities in your kitchen, and you can organize your kitchen counters to match what you’re doing.
For example, if you work on papers in your kitchen, you’ll need a zone dedicated to papers, like a command center or an Actionable Paper Hub.
Utilize drawers, cabinets, and other storage
One change I made that took a lot of clutter off the counters was to move my spices and knives into drawers.
This might not be an option for you depending on the size of your kitchen, but there are other creative ways to move those things off your counter.
Stylize your kitchen counters
Adding pretty things to your counters can motivate you to keep it organized.
Using pretty canisters, trays, and utensil holders don’t just make it easy to keep your kitchen organized, but makes it pleasing to the eye. We’re constantly in search of beauty, so making an effort to make your counters look pretty can help with organization.
This isn’t required, but it makes a huge difference in keeping it neat, tidy, and organized.
Here are some ideas to help you style up your kitchen counters:
Clear the kitchen counters daily
The most crucial action to keeping your kitchen counters organized is to make a habit of clearing them off daily. I do this during my 10-Minute Tidy and my Nightly Reset.
Those two habits are the key to keeping my home organized.
The 6 ways to organize your kitchen counters and keep them clutter-free are:
- Only leave out items that are used daily
- Corral your items
- Create zones
- Utilize other storage areas
- Stylize it
- Clear the kitchen counters daily
My challenge to you is to pare down the items you have on the kitchen counters by asking yourself how often you use them. Then, make a habit of clearing of your kitchen counters of excess clutter every single day.
Need examples for creating zones in your kitchen? Download the free Kitchen Organizing Action Plan for a breakdown of kitchen zones.
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