Kitchen Organization Tips to Keep Clutter at Bay on Counters
Making your Kitchen Counters: the No-Clutter Zone
Have you ever been tempted to post a “No Dumping Allowed” sign on your kitchen counters? It’s often difficult just keeping them visible, let alone actually clutter-free! But your kitchen can be optimized to help it be as functional as possible, and the benefits are tremendous.
Little ones especially grow and flourish being in the kitchen with Mum. Life lessons can be given in the course of making something delicious, and our children can build strong associations from such moments. That being said, we have all the more reason to spend a little time on kitchen organization! Being able to find what we need and keep little fingers safe is a tall order when you have toddlers in the kitchen. Here is one solution that has made life a little easier for mums with eager helpers. While there are many ideas about how to organize what belongs in the kitchen… what about all the stuff that doesn’t belong there? Here’s one suggestion for keeping habitual dumping of clutter on the counters at bay.
Recycle Jars!
It may not seem like much, but this one step can really make life a lot easier. Sometimes, you need to be able to keep utensils upright – stash them in a jar. Didn’t use up the entire package of something? Pull out a jar for visible, upright storage in the pantry. They are so handy because they are transparent, so they don’t require a label. With the variety of products that we often end up purchasing, in no time one can end up with a wide range of sizes and shapes available. Use them for leftovers, layering parfaits or storing cut-up vegetables that can be mixed into a salad later.
They are so versatile! And they are the perfect size for organising – they can only get so full before it’s time to empty them out with a purge or by putting things away. Think about the things that end up on your counter. Loose buttons that fall off of clothing, hair pins, pencils or crayons, etc. Where and to whom do all of these items generally belong? Unfortunately, it’s pretty common during busy days for everyone to contribute to the clutter on kitchen counters, and it’s mum who needs her work-space clear at the end of the day! It can be an exhausting chore to put everything away and get your counters back, and recruiting help is sometimes just as big of a challenge.
For some, the solution seems to be having a “junk-drawer” into which one can sweep the whole mess when counter-space is required. But it’s more practical to have a system in which you can easily get the counter-space you need without creating another mess elsewhere, or putting dinner on hold while you are redistributing items all over the house.
Get Your System Going – Just Not On the Counter!
One space-saving hack is to have a small shelf nearby on which you can put a line of recycled containers, each one designated for a different room in the house. Again, jars are great because they are transparent so it’s easier to remember that things need to be put away. But, if you notice something has been left on the counter, and it belongs in another room, rather than drop what you are doing to get it out of your kitchen, drop it in the corresponding jar. Have one for the bathroom where you can drop hair pins, ponytail holders, etc. Have an office jar where pens, pencils, and paperclips can be stashed. You get the idea.
Or the jars can be designated as one for each family member. It’s not as hard to get people to tackle big items – it’s the little bits that take time to gather up and put away. But it makes the job easier for you if abandoned items can be gathered up in the owner’s jar – and it’s less work for others if they can remove everything that’s theirs all at once rather than make several trips.
Make it easy for the family to jump in to help declutter. You know what tends to land on the kitchen counters in your home, and who the culprits are, so plan your “redistribution solution” accordingly. Large items shouldn’t end up on the counter, to begin with, and they are easier to patrol – “Don’t set that down here – take it to your room, please” – and bins can be easier to neglect until they are overflowing. I have found that jars hold small enough volume that they are more likely to be emptied regularly and the job stays small and manageable for everyone. Put them in a visible place near the surfaces that endure the most clutter, but OFF of the counter, and make it a routine to “empty the jars” before bed each night.
Every night, do a “once-over.”
It’s hard to be consistent, but every night before bed, clean everything off that doesn’t belong on the kitchen counters. This sounds like an enormous task! But, try to implement something to break the job down into more manageable pieces, such as the home organization idea mentioned above. If all the little bits of clutter are gathered up in an organized way, then it’s not so bad at the end of the day, when it really matters. But don’t let it stop there! We all know what happens when we implement a new “system” only to forget about it and let the work pile up afresh. Stay on top of it – every night, hand your family members jars to empty.
Even if it’s just you two parents redistributing items because the little ones are too small, you still have something going for you with this system. Husbands often don’t jump into the decluttering fray because they don’t know what to prioritise. This makes the job very straight forward, letting him know what activity is the most helpful to you in your kitchen organization efforts.
Once your kitchen is a “food-preparation zone only” you’ll find all sorts of cute ways to optimize the items that belong there. That’s when organisation becomes fun!
Here’s to your success!
Have other solutions for foreign items in the kitchen? We’d love to hear them! Tell us below.
Author bio: Mumsy & Bub is an Australian-based community of mothers who aim to inspire and educate mothers about the ups and downs, and in-betweens of motherhood.
