These tips for how to declutter kitchen counters are perfect if you are in serious need of a kitchen organization overhaul. Use these kitchen decluttering tips to clear your countertops once and for all.
Clutter = Mess, and Mess = Stress.
That’s why I’m a big proponent of keeping clutter and knick-knacks to a minimum. Although, I have to admit it can be really difficult with two kids’ worth of toys/clothes/birthday party favors/bubblegum machine toys/lifetime supply of crayons… you get the idea. And not to mention, a husband that drops his dirty shorts right in front of the hamper instead of IN the hamper.
And I don’t know about you, but my kitchen is a prime spot for collecting clutter. It’s why I made these awesome printable Kitchen Cleaning Checklists!
As one of the most used rooms in the house, the kitchen takes the brunt of our clutter. It’s natural to walk in the door and go straight to drop our stuff on the kitchen counters. If that sounds like you too, then here are some easy tips for how to declutter kitchen counters.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission from these links at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
1. Use a tray to store frequently-used cooking items.
This tip for how to declutter kitchen counters is number one on my list because it is the easiest and most effective way to keep your kitchen counters clear.
My husband is a culinary genius… not exaggerating. Every single dish that he whips up is delicious. But, he also makes a huge mess in the kitchen, and he has so much kitchen countertop clutter! Which I guess is a very small price to pay to not have to cook dinner by myself. 🙂
I felt like I was always trying to push his olive oil, butter, salt and pepper into a small corner of the kitchen counter so that it looked semi-clean…
Until we were at Hobby Lobby one day and found a gorgeous wood tray on sale.
We brought it home, and in literally TWO MINUTES, out kitchen counter looked way less cluttered.
By the way… yes, that is an old Siracha bottle filled with olive oil. He likes to use that bottle because it has a convenient squeeze cap which he says is easier than pouring the olive oil straight out of its own bottle.
If you want to try the same thing to declutter your kitchen counters, then you can find some great trays HERE!
2. Create a contained coffee station.
The tray method of containment also works great for kitchen counter clutter from your coffee supplies.
If you have clutter from K-Cups, Splenda packets, sugar, and coffee mugs, then all you need to declutter kitchen counters is a large tray.
I LOVE the Coffee Station that Feeling Nifty created on her kitchen counter using a thrift store, basket-style tray. Doesn’t this one simple trick make her kitchen counter look nice and clear?
3. Move the dish drainer to the inside of the sink.
Yes, we have a dishwasher. But for some reason, I prefer to wash dishes by hand. Our dishwasher pretty much only gets used on holidays, so I always have dishes out that are drying.
I have tried using my dishwasher as a “drying rack”, but I found that putting the wet dishes in there to dry without any airflow just caused them to smell bad. And then I just had to wash them again… no fun!
So for a long time, I used a countertop dish drainer with a fabric draining mat underneath. That worked fine, but it made my kitchen counters look even more cluttered.
Then I found this dish drainer that I LOVE that fits perfectly in one side of my sink. Just by moving the dish drying rack to the inside of the sink, I was able to declutter the kitchen counters.
4. Get your knife block off of the kitchen counter.
Knife blocks are usually one of the bulkiest items on the countertop, besides a coffeemaker or a microwave.
You can swap out your countertop knife block for an in-drawer or wall mounted, magnetic version to neatly store your knives off of the counter.
Here are some great options from Amazon:
16 Inch Stainless Steel Magnetic Knife Bar:
5. Add floating shelves to the sides of cabinets.
This idea is a genius way to use forgotten space to declutter kitchen counters.
By adding floating shelves to the sides of your cabinets like The Chronicles of Home did here, you can clear clutter from your countertops while still being able to easily access your stuff.
6. Hang cooking utensils on the wall.
There are other ways to store your frequently used cooking utensils besides in a canister on the countertop. If drawer space is limited, then you can use a simple towel bar and “S” hooks to hang your utensils on the wall and out of the way.
You can also find some great utensil hanging racks HERE!
7. Use a dish soap and sponge caddy.
You don’t have to go out and buy anything fancy, but even a simple cube-style plastic bin can work to corral your dish washing supplies and help to declutter kitchen counters.
8. Relocate small appliances that are not used frequently.
Yes, I know that your KitchenAid stand mixer is a show piece. But how often do you actually use it? If you only use it once a month, then get it off your countertop. (Assuming that you can lift it easily… those suckers can get heavy!).
The same goes for blenders, toasters, waffle makers, etc. If you only use something occasionally, then it probably isn’t worth leaving it out on your kitchen counter.
9. Declutter kitchen counter decorations.
Relocate items that are purely decorative to the living room or dining room. Don’t use your valuable countertop space for items that are not functional or useful.
Having too many decorative knick-knacks out is a surefire way to make your kitchen counters look cluttered.
10. Create a command center to declutter kitchen counters.
Before I invested a little bit of money to create my family command center, the kitchen counters were my drop zone for all sorts of paper clutter.
Even though I tried to keep it tidy by neatly stacking important papers into piles, those piles were still on my counters.
Kids bring home field trip permission slips? Add it to the pile.
Coupons come in the mail? Add it to the pile.
Husband brings home important work invoices? Add them to the pile.
Creating a command center with baskets for my kids’ school papers, mail, coupons, and other important documents was one of the best things I did to declutter kitchen counters.
Plus, you can take it a step further and organize paperwork using this easy home filing system! I recently redid my family papers organization system, and I’m sharing it with you here!
11. Mount your paper towels to the wall.
Try a wall-mounted paper towel holder to get yet another thing off of your kitchen counters. Or, if you don’t like the look of the paper towels mounted on the wall, then you can mount them to the inside of a cabinet.
12. Wipe your kitchen counters every night.
I picked up this tip from my Mama, who can’t stand to go to bed if she has a dirty kitchen.
And, yes, believe it or not, even a few crumbs from dinner can make the kitchen counters seem cluttered and dirty.
Take two extra minutes each night to wipe your kitchen counters to instantly make your kitchen seem cleaner and decluttered. *You can also check out this post for FREE Printable Kitchen Cleaning Checklists to hang on your fridge!
13. Have a “Junk Drawer”.
Yes, I know… it sounds counter-intuitive to have a drawer designated for “junk” when you are trying to declutter your kitchen… but think of it this way…
Would you rather have a “Junk Drawer” where all of your miscellaneous clutter is hidden from view, or would you rather have a “Junk Countertop”? Just saying. 🙂
And if your junk drawer is a HOT MESS too, then check out this post: Junk Drawer Organization – Keep it Clean Once and For All!
14. Relocate canisters to the pantry.
It’s tempting to buy the cute, decorative canisters for flour, sugar, etc to display on your countertops. Heck, the sole purpose of those decorative flour/sugar bins is to have them out on the counter.
But, most of those decorative canister sets take up A LOT of space. Instead of having those dry baking items out on the counter, store them neatly in the pantry in labeled, airtight containers.
Plus, I don’t know about you, but it’s been a while since I’ve used plain old flour or sugar. And if I don’t use something on a regular basis, then I don’t keep it out in view.
15. Try other mounted or hanging storage.
Depending on what your own kitchen counter clutter looks like, you may want to try one of these other useful organization products to declutter kitchen counters:
- Hanging or wall-mounted fruit baskets
- Wall-mounted spice racks
- Hooks for keys, dog leash, etc.
- Wall hooks to store coffee cups
- Cutting board racks mounted on the inside of cabinet doors
- Pegboard for kitchen organization
Get my FREE Printable 30 Day Decluttering Challenge!
After you’ve finished decluttering your kitchen counters, maybe you want to move on the WHOLE HOUSE! I can help you with that, too!
I created this awesome 30 Day Decluttering Challenge which breaks the monumental job of decluttering your entire home into small bite-sized decluttering jobs… like your medicine cabinet, your nightstand, and your freezer.
Just imagine what your home could look like after this 30 Day Challenge! Just use the form below to join my free email newsletter, and I’ll send you the printable 30 Day Challenge as a welcome gift. Plus, you’ll get access to my entire FREEBIES library!
And, if you’re stressed out about the constant clutter on your counters, then try these easy decluttering tips for the kitchen! These tips will help you to have clutter-free kitchen counters in no time.
Do you have any tips for how to declutter kitchen counters? Anything that I’ve left off my list? I’d LOVE to hear from you! Drop a comment below. 🙂
Want other cleaning and organizing ideas? Check out these posts:
15 of the Best Kitchen Organization Ideas to Inspire You
How to Keep a Clean House Even if You’re Crazy Busy – 11 Easy Tips!
Great tips thank you so much!!!!
Really great tips.
Thank you for all the wonderful great tips. I do however have a kitchen table that I say is a catch all and I just don’t know how to keep it clear of catching all the stuff from the day. HELP
Thank you for sharing. Do you have any ideas on counter storage for fruit and vegetables. Want to look into nice baskets.
A lot of helpful tips. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been trying to declutter my kitchen counters for awhile and I haven’t had the motivation and time to declutter I came across your Pinterest page and it was perfect and your decluttering list is really going to motivate me thank you so for coming to my rescue
I keep cleaning stuff under bathroom sink in each bathroom. It’s right there. Try to keep it that way with nothing else under it. My husband places and keeps all mail on kitchen table. I have to gather it all and put in a basket in den for him to look thru later. A garage with cabinets to place appliances that don’t fit in kitchen cabinets.
I am always looking for ways to simplify the look in my home. Thanks for the tips.
/love the kitchen declutter it hit the nail on the head. We have piles on one counter that has our sons mail, husbands mail, and a pile where I have paid bills and receipts from purchases I have made. Those take up the front part of counter the rest of the counter is or has the sugar, flour canister set that we rarely use but they are out and the counter is full not to mention a toaster oven on that side also. I’m really going to work on my kitchen counters you have some really great ideas . You don’t really realize or think about it until you read it like I did hear! Thank you so much for the great ideas.
I hope I can unclutter my kitchen counters! I really do have too much crap on them.
I just had to comment regarding your “dishwasher dilemma.” We are a family of 4 adults; therefore, I have a lot of adult (large dishes, bowls , etc). After the dishwasher is full, my husband opens the door and leaves it ajar so it “air dries”. One of us empties it and has no problem of “smelly dishes”. Anything that can go in the dishwasher goes in…all plastic containers, lids, travel mugs etc that can’t be dont in the dishwasher is hand washed. I can’t imagine handwashing everything….sorry but I would go crazy.
i need this realy bad
love your ideas, except one thing what about those who have limited counter space and a Small 4 shelf pantry. I still have issues with my pantry on keeping it organized and my counter, I have an old formica counter that goes up the back of the wall under my cabinets that takes upba lot of space and my cupboards dont go up to the ceiling
Some good ideas but I live in a 2 bedroom Apt. I do not have a double sink and my counter isn’t very big. I don’t want to put a bunch of holes on my kitchen walls being I rent. So some of the suggestions May work for other’s. I do clean my counter tops I clean as I go.
I don’t have a pantry and have a small kitchen. I’m always looking for new ideas!
Wow, these ideas are doable for the most part. The “junk draw” got me though. Really? Will try. Thanks.
This information and suggestions were very helpful. Now to get that done asap😱
I am ready to declutter a whole lot of things but keep procrastinating. I love the idea of the 30 day deal. It sounds so doable. II may need 60 days! I am pretty sure I can do this using your guidance and suggestions. I know I can do this. I will also follow some of your clearing my kitchen countertop ideas. Sometimes I feel like I am very slowly drowning in my disorganization. Not sure how this happened so gradually after renovations. This is one of the best articles I have read to help. Thank you so much!
love your ideas. I am a 4th generation “pack rat” so needless to say I need all the help I can get
While I am, in the words of my family, a ‘putter awayer’, I DO use trays, I DO put many things in storage BUT!!! I like my lamps, my copper dish drainers…..and above all, the photos of my 11 grands, right on the kitchen counter. It is a very big kitchen so I can afford to leave some things in wooden trays .
I love your ideas. I am like your Mom I can’t go to bed if my kitchen is dirty. My daughter is the same way. Thanks for your ideas. Have a great day.
many thanks for all the kitchen decluttering ideas. I will try to get these embedded into my daily routine.
I don’t have any wall space in my kitchen. so I have put things on the inside of cabinet doors. ie. magnet knife strip, pot holders hooks.
Yes, the insides of cabinet doors are a great space to store things in a small kitchen! Thanks for the tip Linda!
I have a very small kitchen where can I put my drain board after the dishes are dry?
Do you have room under your sink to hang it on the inside of your cabinet door?
I already use many of the hints that you’ve mentioned in your column. I have no place to store my knives, so I have a knife block and no wall space and no place to store my canister set.I use white for many of my things in my kitchen and it does make it look less cluttered. Enjoy your articles.
None of these is doable in my kitchen! I have practically zero countertops and wall space, I have cabinets with center posts that make the openings small enough you can’t put a pot of normal size in it , a larger cabinet under the counter that is so deep I have to get on my hands and knees to reach inside ( basically useless). I use my dishwasher and have to hand wash stuff that won’t fit in a single load added to that with so little storage space under the sink is where all the household cleaning supplies are. I couldn’t fit another thing in my kitchen using a crowbar! Half our weekly groceries are stored in the cellar and we run down when we need stuff. It was even worse when my three kids and father lived with us, but they don’t live here now. Trust me, I ame the queen of managing to organize a LOT of stuff into a small space, but the physical space has to be available to state with. Your ideas are nice given the space you have, but there is nothing that will work for me!
For your larger cabinet under the counter, that is really deep, buy the pull out from Lowes, Home Depot, or Amazon. They have many sizes and styles to choose from.
I like my pull out under the sink. I have one for each side. One is double shelf and I have a trash can pull out. The double has one full shelf and the top has a half shelf. Another double shelf pull out would be beneficial for you.
Very well thought out. Looking forward to seeing more of your solutions to see if I can adapt them to my situation. Enjoyed your presentation.
Love your ideas. I am moving and this is the best time for me to start fresh.
My kitchen counters have not been clear since my husband agreed to paint the house and I put everything on any flat surface I could find. He hasn’t finished the painting and the stuff is getting to me. What can I do to clear it off? My grandmother’s Hoosier Kitchen cabinet is really a ‘hot mess’. He never throws anything away. I have to fuss about how it looks.
Start painting the walls yourself. I have never taken over a project he was “getting to” without him taking it back immediately.
Try putting things in boxes and store in a garage, closet or basement until the painting is finished. Only leave out the things that you will be using daily.
I think this is really going to help me the declutter!
I put an appliance lift in a cabinet for my KitchenAid mixer. It gets it off the counter and enables me to lift it to counter height without straining my back.
I like the ideas but I stay in an apartment can not put holes in the wall to hang things very little cabinet space not much counter tops apt.is not very big could you give some more ideas for smaller spaces.
roll away cabinets even if you have to make them yourself it’s really not too hard and you could prob find something and just modify it Walmart.com even has a lot handy type furniture.it depends on the set up obviously but I put all my baking stuff in mine and blenders etc so when I am making my smoothies or baking i just roll it to the main part if the kitchen so I don’t have to go back and forth. Also less is more so try to just simply ad much as possible or put in smaller containers that you refill monthly. Hope that’s helps. also I shouldn’t say this but depending on the cabinets wood putty and filler are like magic when it comes to covering holes & depending on your landlords they might appreciate the improvement so maybe consider asking if it’s OK or sometimes it can be better to ask for forgiveness 😉 instead.
There are a lot of different types and sizes of baskets that you can hang on the wall with command hooks or command strips. You might try a few of those!
my kitchen is a NIGHTMARE BC IT IS SO SO SMALL!!!! I’M 72YRS OLD DISABLED USE ROLLATOR WALKER + have no 1 2 help me!
Some great ideas, most of which I already do……but education is good information. I had my husband put a couple of metal plates (Home Depot) on the inside of some of my cupboards. A magnetic clip holds my recipes up and out of the way in the baking center and by the stove…not using counter space. They also hold other things I want handy, especially (thank goodness) because my stainless steel refrigerator does not hold magnets.
I don’t have a comment, I have a question. I keep my pills on counter so I don’t forget to take them. I don’t want them any place else. This way I WON’T forget. Any idea what I can do with them. Thank you for any ideas. 😊 I love your ideas. My knives are already on magnetic strip 😊
Hi Patricia! If you want to keep them on the counter, I would suggest a small decorative basket or tray, so that they are all neat and together. Depending on how many bottles you have, you can also use a tiered tray – because then you can have a few levels of bottles, and it may take up less of a “footprint” space on your counters. 🙂
Hi best thing to remember to take pills is a medication organiser, you fill them up once a week then the box looks really tidy on the kitchen counter.
That is what I do. I have all my pills, 12 bottles because of transplant, and have them in a basket that i keep in my bathroom closet. Every Sunday I fill the 7 day pill organizer that contains 7 separate/removable daily pill trays. Then I put the daily container on my side table with bottles of water. I can put that days container back into the organizer and take out the next days. Amazon has one like I have… Apex Large 7 Day Weekly Pill Organizer – Weekly Pill Organizer, 4 Times a Day, Easy-Open, Organize Medication or Vitamins.
That’s a great tip Nancy! My Mom does something similar to this as well.
I have some of my pills on a very small tray along with my needles for insulin. The rest of my pills are in the above cabinet. So I have my paper towels, coffee maker w/coffee canister on one side.
Everyone’s had great ideas for pills. Keep the bottles in the pantry, fill a pill box once a week and keep it accessible.
I love your ideas for decluttering the kitchen. Now I need to incorporate them in my kitchen. I can’t wait! Thank You
Oh my gosh I am so happy to see I am not the only one with cluttered countertops!!! I feel so much better, and I vow to keep mine clutter free. I like the idea of the dish drainer in the sink. Also, the knives in a drawer or on a magnetic strip on the wall. Definitely going to try some of these ideas.
You’re definitely not alone! Yes, I love having my dish drainer in the actual sink instead of on my countertop. 🙂
Home is decluttered. Summer home has small kitchen & counter space; limited cabinets, too!
The tips are GREAT, Thank you for Sharing.
Read an article stating that orderly kitchen counters can reduce 50 to 70% of stress in a home. That motivated me.
your tips are very helpful. I’m constantly in to declutter. I love it, and I found you have some good ideas, I can use as well. Thanks for your help and your colorful personality! I have way too much stuff! I’m selling some furnature . My second husbands wife , who died before we got together, collected ever thing. Now he’s gone and I’m stuck with all her collections and his tools. He passed 6 yrs ago. They had no kids. Pray for me, at 81, to be able to clear this stuff away.
Regarding your tools: In our city, we have tool libraries where you can donate tools that people can check out for free (like library books). That way you are helping others. (Now if I can only get my husband to donate the tools he inherited from his father that will never be used). Good luck with your decluttering. I need to do this myself
I’ve used some of the ideas. I have an unusual request. I have a pantry that is in the corner and the shelves are triangle. There is no thoughts anywhere about how to organize the can goods. Everything is on straight shelves, I do not have that. Any suggestions?
I take it you cannot replace the shelves and that you just have a “v” shaped space????? I think I would still line things up in a straight row, with the greatest number of same items at the widest part and the fewest number at the points. If I had enough length across to put in some either wire shelves to give more room, or those that hang under shelves to give more space. That is a tough one……especially without seeing what you have or the space size.
good ideas
Also I like to use lazy Susan on those shelves.
Great tip! You can also buy lazy susans that are not round – they are more rectangle shape so there is less wasted space. 🙂
EXCELLENT THANK YOU
Does anyone know what to do with the Big Microwave that takes up half your counter space. I do use it everyday. All day. Any suggestions ?
If you have an electrical outlet in your pantry and enough space put it in your pantry. Or opt
For an over the range microwave.
Great tip Cheryl! Thanks!
awesome. just want a month to get this all started and “cleansed”. such good reminders. I so often feel like I’m fighting an uphill battle
Needed a starting point and this is it! Thanks!
Loved all these ideas. I do have too many decorative things in my kitchen. Took most of them away and my kitchen not only looks de cluttered but it looks bigger!!
I love the ideas for a clean counter but my cabinets are limited. I cannot put the big mixer in it. I did purchase two 6 shelves with 6 cubby holes and laid them horizontally under the lip of the ” breakfast bar”. I put the fabric boxes in them and store pans, bottles, etc. They are all full. I like the idea of putinng things in a tray. Thanks
I always wabted s clutter free counter but didn’t know where to start. I need to get some things and yhrn it will br done. Thank you
I love the wax paper ironing tip.
I like all your ideas and will put them to good use. I do however have a spice cabinet drawer type that has 3 shelves. When you put the spices in it you cannot see what it is. Can you help with how to make this 12” wide cabinet more user friendly? It really isn’t good for anything else Let’s put it this way, I can’t think of anything. Thank you
For a spice drawer, put labels on top of each lid and try to keep them in alphabetical order so you can find them easily.
Great tip Ann! 🙂
This sounds all good. What do I do with a microwave ,a toaster oven that takes up one whole counter space.?
I stacked the toaster oven on top of the microwave. works really well on an open counter in a corner.
While putting a drying rack in the sink looks better than on the counter you have to make sure your drain is sanitized really good. There is a lot of bacteria down there. However I did enjoy your post.
We recently complete our kitchen renovation with a cabinet refinishing, and I love the idea of putting the dish drainer in the sink! That was part of the reason we had to refinish our cabinets in the first place. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Having a junk drawer feels counterproductive. But it is honestly the most helpful tip in my opinion. I never had a “junk drawer”, until after we finished some cabinet painting. During that week we worked, I just put everything into one drawer. and it honestly makes life so much easier. Having one place for junk is so necessary.
I feel like my kitchen counters are always getting so cluttered it’s hard to keep them clean! Your advice helps out a lot, so thank you!
I love all of these ideas!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing them!!!
I have a bit of an older home, and I realized a few months back that my kitchen is just the worst. It was messy and hard to want to cook in. I’m such a penny pincher, but I decided to update my kitchen. My neighbor does countertop installation and was willing to help me in exchange for my famous chocolate chip cookies. My new countertops look great and I have kept them clean and tidy so far.
love you ideas
Great ideas, since my kitchen is minuscule! Can’t wait to get started! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Looking for tips to help me get organized and clutter free. I really likes several of your ideas and plan to use them.
Awesome Donna! Glad you found some good ideas! 🙂
I found this article very helpfyl…I plan on using some of the ideas.
I’ve did some of the ideas on my own. I did like some other ideas.
Love it very sound and reasonable suggestions thanks
I really like your ideas. And I will be using lots of them.Cant wait to receive the password to your list sheets and more. I live in a 1968 vintage mobile home. A nice kitchen, but but not much cabinaye space. my counters ate always cluttered. I will defiantly use lots of your great ideas. Thanks so much.
Sunny ☺️
These ideas are just great. It makes your kitchen neat and comfortable to work . Really love this.
Whats wrong with using the drawers for knives and cutlery in cutlery divided trays that hold them togehter. Cupboards for the other stuff thats out. The jars you show for instance, stand them upright in a drawer that is just tall enough. I do. If you cannot see what’s in them put the labels on their lids. Change the round jars to square containers this makes more room . Plastic Square edge containers that are air light are best as they are also lighter in the drawer. Use your cupboards to put away the other ‘stuff’ On my couner I have a Kettle , a small long tray that holds 2 x 4 in cubes, 1 with instant coffee and 1 with herb tea bags and a small container with normal tea bags. Beside the hob is a paper roll holder that holds it upright. and a spoon rest for placing cooking utensils as i am using them. when washed they go back in drawer Nothing else is out. I dont make fresh coffee as family and friend dont drink it either. I hope this is useful. You did have some good ideas. I enjoyed looking.
Instead of a junk drawer I have a decorative box but I go through every week so it doesn’t get out of control.
That’s a great idea! That’s the key… going through and organizing often. 🙂
Thank you. Your tis are awesome.
Hi, I just read each of your steps for decluttering your counters. I have a question. I was wondering what you think would be appropriate amount on a counter. Ver small. I have a small coffee station and a pitcher on 1 side. My problem is the other side. I have my toaster and a bowl for fruit. (Not my idea). I also have a tray with napkin holder, butter dish & salt & pepper. This counter seems to be the dumping counter. HELP what could you recommend to keep it looking good. Thank you. Greatly Appreciated.
HI. Could you not put the napkins in a drawer and take what you need each time . Small effort great space. Possibly roll them into a glass or small thing for daily or weekly use they will be small space users that way . I have a flat holder with an arm that sits over them to keep them together also to stop them blowing away if used outside. If you have foom this is what i do. Mine is used daily. i put it on a tray the same size and keep it in a cupboard. the tray also help keep most crumbs from the work top. Difficult if you have little space though.
I like your ideas. I have a big house but I really need to declutte !! I needed urgently . Thank you for your tips
Hi Graciela! I just emailed you some resources to help you with decluttering and organizing. 🙂
We’re expecting a baby towards the end of this summer, so we’ve been deep cleaning and dejunking our whole house, including washing the walls, hiring a carpet cleaner, and dejunking as much as possible. The kitchen is the only place I’ve been struggling! I love the idea of floating shelves on the side of the cabinets and keeping things I use all the time stored together. Thank you so much for sharing these tips, I finally have some direction!!
I have very few cupboards, not much counter space and only 1 usable drawer. Unfortunately, lots of stuff. I don’t have any solutions. I have tried decluttering but can’t get rid of enough.
Do you have room for a small rolling cart? It can store most used items and have a tray for the top for serving use. It can be in the middle of the kitchen like an island or roll out of the way for other times. Lots of styles to choose from, so pick something that has shelves or drawers to fit your items. You can spend low, like going to Big Lot’s or another discount store and look for a sale. If you find the right style but not color. Try using removable wallpaper to change it up. I also like the stacking cube with pull out canvas drawers. Inexpensive and they will hold chips, table linens, spice packs, marshmallows and lots of other pantry items that are not super heavy. You also can label them. Makes a small pantry to free up another cabinet for other items. Over the door clear plastic pockets can also hide some clutter when short on drawers. Good Luck….
I like these simple ideas!
Thank you I have found this so very handy, all these ideas. I am finally am empty nester all by myself after 38 years. no husband no kids at home and no family living with. wow what a difference this is a new world for me
Love all of this!! Realized I haven’t baked in ….EVER 🙂 and threw out my flour and sugar containers totally.
I love this new ideas . make me decided to start cleaning my kitchen. thank you!.
Hi Patricia! So glad the kitchen decluttering tips helped you! Once everything is decluttered, you should check out this post for a super cute kitchen cleaning checklist: https://thesavvysparrow.com/kitchen-cleaning-checklist/
it is just my husband and me. even though I always rinsed dishes off before putting them in the dishwasher, I always felt like I was creating a petri dish. I am just glad to someone else doesn’t use it.
Since retiring 14 years ago and downsizing alot!!!, I have come up with a solution for my baking needs. I put all the related items with baking ie pot of sugar, measuring cups, chocolate chips, yeast, baking soda flour in one foldable fabric holder (from the Dollar store) When I bake all my things are already there so all I have to do is get the eggs butter and milk. I take out the items I need and as they are being used put them back in the container, thereby knowing I have added the ingredient and once everything is in the mixer, the bin goes back in my small closet. Things that don’t fit in the bin ie oil, flour I grab as I take out the bin…..Other things are arranged in the same way…IE crackers are all in one basket, cookies in another ….etc.
sounds like simply moving from one place to another: counter to wall-still looks cluttered…counter to shelf-have to acquire one…counter to drawer (who has an empty one?). Putting coffee supplies on a tray only creates another item to clean. I use sugar and flour on a daily/weekly basis…canisters on my counter. Sink full of clean dishes???…not pleasant to look at. Just saying 🤷
These are some very good tips! Thank you 😊
Lol loved that I came across this after a dishwasher leak rocked my world. Emptied off everything on the counters and said wow I love this declutter stuff. After the Reno I will be sure to post my remake of declutter for all to see!
Awesome Lori! Not about the dishwasher leak, but at least you got your counters cleared off. Good luck with the rest of the decluttering! 🙂
Thanks, I got some good ideas, I’m hyped to put those ideas to work!!!
I try to do exactly as stated, but it doesn’t work. I am a chef with alot of tools in a sma kitchen. My pantry is tiny, and Iamazingly put tons of boxes, can etc into it.
I am better with a checklist as I am a very busy caterer.and I need strict guidelines. My 6qt. mixer must stayout along with my husbands favorite commercial 3 pot coffee maker.
I am always looking for suggestins as I am sort of OCD!
Sounds good, but I don’t have many cabinets. I don’t want to hang everything on the walls either as it still looks cluttered.
Inspiring words
All of these ideas are great! thankyou!
great decluttering ideas!
I enjoyed reading about your decluttering tips. I need all the help I can get, especially re: paperwork. By the way, when you say digitize, are you talking about taking snapshots? Is there a difference? Thanks so much!
Great ideas! Thank you!
I do some of these some of the time, but not one all of the time. This looks enormously helpful!
Hi Melanie! So glad that the kitchen decluttering ideas were helpful! 🙂
You have efficient ideas. I have a household of 7 with multiple pets and I do almost all the cleaning, organizing, and work while everyone else makes most of the mess. I have to be fiesty and pushy to get my point across so things done, or nothing would get accomplished. We have a huge kitchen remodeling project in progress, so I have to function in limbo. I have already implemented many different ideas that make life easier, and this site is a great addition to the idea file. Many thanks to you!
Hi Teresa! So glad you liked the decluttering ideas! One of my favorite recent quick and easy organization projects that I’ve done is these top shelf closet organizers: https://thesavvysparrow.com/top-shelf-closet-organization/ – I absolutely LOVE them! Good luck on the kitchen remodel! I know that’s got to be tough with a house of 7. Eek!
Love all the great ideas!!
Your post is just what I needed. I have been begging my husband to let me do some cabinet painting in our old kitchen. His comment is always, “Our kitchen is never clean, let’s clean up, and then we can decide on a color for painting.” I have felt so overwhelmed with cleaning because it really is messy. I love your comment about how bulky knife sets are. I moved mine and it gave me a boost of excitement to clean up. We haven’t used our toaster in about a year so I tucked that away in a cabinet. You’re a miracle worker! cabinet painting here I come.
One needs to think “do I need all of this”. do we need three chef knives, do we need 4sets s of glassezs this will give you extra space in your cabinets for the things that you tend go leave on the counter.
Yes, Hallie! Those are great tips! Getting rid of duplicates of certain items can definitely save space.
Hope I can stay with the plan!
Thanks….these are great tips..very helpful !!
Thank you. l appreciate your ideas.
I have the same challenge, super tiny 1950 rented-apt kitchen, with not much counter space, floor space, wall space, drawerspace, cabinet space, a miniature stove/oven, etc.
But Amy didn’t reply to your (our) situation.
My kitchen is so cluttered, I even have things on the top of the refrigerator and washer/drawer, and it’s difficult and frustrating to cook.
Do you have a post on your command center? I’ve been dreaming up ideas, but they are massive projects that I would likely do with a new build rather than to my existing space.
great Ideas
I hope this works. I’m OCD AND I didn’t have clutter any where! But my boyfriend moved in and there went the clutter! I try to compromise with him but it’s not working! I guess it’s kind of hard to say anything since he cooks and does the dishes!
Hi Vickie! Yup, if he cooks and does dishes, you might want to choose your battles… Haha! My husband cooks also, so I’m in charge of cleaning up after him. Hope the decluttering tips help you out! 🙂
Great tips that are free or very low cost! Thanks for sharing, I’ve signed up my mom for your newsletter so she can learn to pare down. I keep xplaining that a good bit of her anxiety comes from her clutter. I don’t honk people realize it until it’s gone!
Yes, this is so true! I feel so much more anxious and stressed when my house is a mess… Thanks for your comment, and for sharing the blog with your Mom. 🙂
love this!!!
THESE TIPS ARE JUST WHAT I NEED TO GET RID OF CLUTTER IN MY KITCHEN. THANK YOU
Hi Vita! Glad you found the tips helpful… happy decluttering! 🙂
We recently got a cabinet resurfacing done so our kitchen got a much-needed facelift, but we still had a ton of clutter on the counter tops. I love the knife block, mine is supposed to be here tomorrow! Thank you so much for sharing this, it’s super helpful!!!
Awesome Daphne! Glad the tips helped you. 🙂
I do these things that you suggested. My countertops are clutter free and clean. It is a great feeling to get up everyday and find everything in order. I also straighten up everything in the a.m. – makes for a clutter free home and doesn’t take much time either!!!!
I am retired and am trying to set my home up
With safety in mind, am downsizing but I have an issue in the kitchen. I’m short, and with difficulty can reach first shelf of overhead cabinet. When I was younger I was able to stand on counter top and store the things I rarely used all the way to the top shelf. Now I get dizzy on a step ladder! So I had to
take quite a bit to Goodwill, and Now store the rest in lower cabinets and two shelves of upper cabinets : the second upper shelf I use for dried food stuffs: ( rarely use, cook fresh) and am able to reach it with a 12” step stool. Any suggestions? I’d love to have baking equipment in kitchen, but there’s no room. I live alone so I am able to get by with a lot less than a normal family….
Hi Jean! Yes, sometimes those upper cabinets are definitely more difficult to reach… Do you have room for a rolling kitchen cart? If so, you may be able to find one with 3 shelves and then a flat surface on top also to provide extra storage. Or could you try the shelf risers/metal stands that allow you to fit more in your bottom cabinets. Also be sure that you’re utilizing the insides of the cabinet doors… you can add small 3M command hooks to hang your measuring cups since they take up more space in the drawers. Hope those ideas help! 🙂
Your list, great. A few things I want like to change for myself . Thanks.
Thanks Toron! Glad you enjoyed the kitchen counter decluttering tips. 🙂
This was extremely helpful, thank you! My kitchen is a catch-all for everything that comes into the house. Time to declutter and minimalize. Less is better!!
Hi Anna! YES, less is better! We’re starting a little remodel of our bathroom and I was cleaning out my linen closet thinking that I have about 20 different bath towels but I only use 4. Haha! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Very nice ideal!! I must try this. Thanks I need all the help I can get
Hi Martha! Glad you liked the decluttering ideas! 🙂
I just got counters around my sink hardly no cabinets just around sink top and bottom so how I get stuff off counter tops when I dont have space
Hi Mary! In that case I would suggest that you use as much wall space as possible… The peg board organization system is great for that, or a magnetic wall knife block, etc. Also, can you store items that are infrequently used in a storage closet elsewhere to free up space? For instance, we have a whole storage rack in our garage dedicated to “kitchen overflow” because my husband has a cooking YouTube channel so we have a lot of kitchen odds and ends. 🙂
I would definitely love to do the 30-day declutter challenge.
This was very interesting and a very nice idea to declutter your kitchen counter.
Thanks so much, Teresa! Glad you like the decluttering tips! 🙂
Thank you for your genius tips
Thanks so much Joani! Glad you enjoyed the decluttering tips! 🙂
I have used your tips as I have downsized 5 times. Big or small, countertops are the most difficult. Every day is the answer. Clean up after supper so no mess for the morning. I’m 79 so I use my morning energy for other things.
Hi Elizabeth! Yes, I completely agree… I can’t go to bed with a dirty kitchen either! Glad you’ve liked the tips! 🙂
I have downsized five times (at least) because I had to. I have already used most of your ideas. Thanks for the list. The most difficult part is putting things back in the cupboards when they are clean. I have a storage shelf in our garage that helps a lot. Now all I need is the energy to do it. Morning is the best time to put everything away before it’s time for lunch.
Yup, we have garage storage for our infrequently used kitchen items also (like countertop ice maker and punch bowl that we only use a few times a year). 🙂
I HOARD BECAUSE I FEEL I CAN USE THIS OR THAT IN THE FUTURE.
After 80 years, i realized that the future is now, and it’s best to get the most bug free current model.
The problem, how to effortlessly get rid of all this accumulation with a low physical, high emotional, poor psychic energy level. Alas.
That’s a great point David! So many people hold on to clutter because they think that they “may” need it sometime in the future. Personally, I would rather have a clutter-free space and figure out a way to make do without the extra stuff, especially if I haven’t used it in the last year. 🙂
Nicely thought out! Thank you!
Hi Teri! Thanks so much! Glad you like the decluttering tips. 🙂
I have a a high bar type of counter attached to the counter , perfect height for dropping stuff off, mail , cups , just stuff , It causes me such aggravation , because I don’t know where else to put the mail that starts the domino effect . Just got a basket and put it on a side island and what a peaceful difference.
Hi Theresa! Yes, small changes like a mail basket can make a HUGE difference! I also have a high bar type of counter like you, but I’ve managed to only keep a candle on it for when I want the house to smell nice. Having designated spaces or “drop zones” for things that you bring in to the house, like purses and mail, has really helped me. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
That’s my goal..to have only a candle or a vase with flowers on my island instead of the neat little piles of paper! Thanks so much for the great tips!
Thank-you found you hopefully just in time! Been fighting my Kitchen counter forever…at least two years! It is very tiny counter in a studio.
Hi Mary! Hopefully some of these tips can help you! It sounds like your best bet could be to utilize wall space for storage, like with a pegboard system or rods for storing utensils and pots. Good luck, and thanks for your comment!
Cool ideas
I love these ideas. One idea I’m already using is a hanging spice rack. I took an old wooden shelf and added the bar across the front of each shelf and boom 3-tiered spice rack with tons of room for all spices I currently have.
Hi Heather! That’s a great idea to repurpose an old shelf… spices are always so difficult to organize for us… especially because my husband has a cooking YouTube channel so he has a TON of spices. 🙂
Love these idea’s, my room mate is packing to leave, so I’m excited to get my kitchen back under control.
Very good ideas. But I have a super small counter area.
My nails have split towards the end of my factory 😘
TY. Not too old to teach an old dog new tricks!😉
Great ideas! (I will always leave my beautiful candy apple red KitchenAid stand mixer out though) They’re too pretty to keep tucked away;) Love your other suggestions!
Hi Bethany! Yes, if you have a beautiful mixer I would definitely leave it out… Ours is not so cute! Haha! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
I love the declutter calender. Small steps for big jobs.❤❤❤
Hi Rossana! Yes, that’s the key… Small jobs make it much less overwhelming! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Going to accept challenge!
Awesome! Hope you enjoy your new nice and tidy counters. 🙂
Thanks for offering such excellent tips! Other than moving my KitchenAid mixer, I had already decluttered my kitchen before reading your tips. Yet I found excellent ideas here to further declutter my small kitchen. I like your coffee station idea, and I will reorganize part of a wall cabinet, rather than using a tray. I used your tray idea for the different sweeteners, s&p shakers, and snack nuts we like to have handy. I have too many pots and pans, and I will donate several of them. I’m eying my utensil caddy, and I will likely donate some of those, too. I have no room in my bottom cabinets to hold my KitchenAid mixer, and it’s too heavy for arthritic me to lug from a storage area for its monthly use. Another idea? BTW, I buy my groceries online and have them delivered, thus freeing up my time and saving my limited energy.
Hi Sonia! Glad you found the tips helpful! Yes, my KitchenAid mixer is kind of a pain to get out from the bottom cabinets, but we don’t use it that much so it works… A few suggestions – 1) You can actually buy a “Mixer lift” especially for those heavy mixers. Then you mount it in one of your bottom cabinets and it’s spring-loaded and allows you to easily lift the mixer out of the bottom cabinet and it sets on a little platform table that’s built in, so you never actually have to lift it by hand. Downside is they’re about $200… Option 2) You could try a 3 tier rolling cart. If you get a sturdy one, you can store your mixer on the top shelf and mixer attachments and other supplies on the bottom shelves. Then, just use the mixer while it’s on the cart, and you can roll it back away when you’re not using it. You can find some pretty good rolling carts on Amazon for about $70. Or, of course, just leave it on your counter. If the rest of the countertops are pretty clear, I don’t see a problem with leaving it out. 🙂 Hope that helps! Thanks for your comment!
Hey there, thanks for sharing. I absolutely loved your tips.
I have decided to buy what I need for the week (or at least 5 days up to 10 days) and cook everything for that time frame at one time and freeze it (as flat as possible) that way when some says “I’m hungry” (which my husband is notorious fir when I’m in the middle of doing something else) I can just go to the freeze at heat something that won’t take from my time and momentum of cleaning and everyone in the house can still eat. Bonus to doing this is that I will only have 1 big mess to clean and not daily (it’s a win win all the way around) and using the crock pot will help to save me time as well , I have three – one for main dishes, one for side dishes, and a flat one for meats) this way I will be able to cook more with less time….. Now to go find those counter tops so that I can start doing this!
Hi Char! I LOVE your ideas! I’ve also found that trying to limit my grocery shopping to just one big trip a week also saves me money. 🙂 Do you have a rolling kitchen cart to store your Crock Pots? That could be helpful… and it could give you more space in your cabinets and countertops. My Crock Pot (I only have one!) takes up a lot of cabinet space, and it’s a pain to get out because it’s way in the back of a bottom cabinet. Thanks so much for your comment!
Love your ideas as I have a tiny kitchen and like it that way. I hang a whole drawerful of utensils on cup hooks on the inside of my cabinet doors. Also, inside the upper cabinet doors, I tape fav recipes, coupons, telephone numbers, small papers I want to keep.
That’s a great idea to tape up your misc papers to the inside of your doors… a great way to eliminate the paper clutter that always seems to build up in the kitchen! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I use the tiered hanging wire baskets for produce storage like onions & sweet potatoes. I use another of same for larger utensils like oversize spoons, ladles & tongs.
Also, have injured shoulders & couldn’t get up to the lay Susan of spices in my upper cabinets. Got another lay Susan for the counter to hold just my most commonly used spices. Hugely helpful.
That’s a great tip to use the hanging baskets for stuff besides produce! What a great way to store your oversized utensils that always get stuck when you try to put them in a drawer! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hi, those are very useful tips, thanks. Now my problem was pots and pan lids, BUT I came up with a solution. On a wall that holds my microwave was a blank space sooooo I mounted cheap curtain rods that stuck out a couple of inches And now they fit right in the space between the wall and rod. I also made a little wall ladder and put baskets on it for my veggies. And I lined the baskets with burlap so NO MESS!,
Hi Cathy! These are GREAT ideas! I keep meaning to get some sort of produce storage for the veggies that I pick from my garden. Great idea to make your own! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
During a major cabinet cleaning project, I put a dated slip of paper inside pitchers, pots, and serving dishes when I put them away. It made me aware of how seldom I really use that item.
Hi Monica! This is a GENIUS idea! I’m going to add this to the post… but not before I hunt down my post-its and stick a note inside some of my dusty, hardly ever used dishes and appliances. Thanks so much for your comment! I’m sure this will help a lot of people! 🙂
Great ideas. My 2 additions to this list would be take a mail/magazine sorter and use that for all the spatulas, spoons, and other kitchen items. Also I have a big knife/can opener/ice cream scoop etc drawer. What I do is take cutting boards and store them on top of the knives in the drawer, then they are next to the stove when I need them.
Hi Kris! I love the ideas for sorting your kitchen utensils and cutting boards! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Great ideas and very useful. Just wanted to say, my cabinets and my counters are organized, however; I like having my appliances, utensils, coffee supplies, plants, cooking oils and spices on my counter ready to grab. Minimalism isn’t for everyone. Thanks for the tips.
Yes, Elsie! It is nice to have some stuff on the counters… my husband is the cook in our family, and he is quite messy! But I LOVE the little wooden tray that holds all of his salt and pepper shakers, butter dish, oil bottle, etc. At least it LOOKS organized, even though it’s still on the counter. Thanks for your comment!
We have little bench space and not much room in cupboards. It was nice to know some of your ideas we have in place but one area collects junk the very day I clear it out. I will try those that will fit my kitchen and see how it goes. Thanks
Hi Pam! I totally understand about spaces getting dirty the same day you clean them… two kids… haha! 🙂 Hopefully some of these ideas work for you! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Yep my hubby cooks too and makes the most amazing mess!
Hi Lesley! Yes, but it’s a good trade-off, right?! I tell everyone on the days that I “cook” that we have salad for dinner. I can “cook” a mean salad. 🙂
You sound just like me and my husband! Bravo.
Haha! I’m super grateful to have a husband that does the majority of the cooking, but he sure does dirty up the kitchen in a hurry! I guess that’s a small price to pay for great meals prepared for me, though. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
my hubby makes noodles and uses 3 pots happens quite often I ask why and he says not big enough the thing is they are very close in size maybe 2 are same size.
Haha! Sounds like my husband! But I guess I can’t complain since he cooks. 🙂
On my island l have to keep my brita water pitcher & electric water tea kettle a fruit plate. Plus a plant ,l wish l didn’t have to have to have the water containers there but there’s no other place to put them,,