How to Declutter Your Kitchen

Last Updated on August 31, 2023 by Ellen Christian

Have you been wondering how to declutter your kitchen? Do things fall out of the cupboards when you open them? I’ll let you in on a little secret right here.

How to Declutter Your Kitchen 

I love kitchen stuff.  It’s one of my weaknesses. If it’s interesting or different or meant to save me time in the kitchen, I have probably purchased at least one of them in the past.  

I have a drawer full of kitchen gadgets to pit cherries, mince garlic, pit olives, separate egg yolks, etc.  I rarely use them and forget they’re there when I do need them. 

In the beginning, my thought was that if I organized my kitchen properly it would look neat and tidy. Unfortunately, all I managed to do was to accumulate more things than I need.

Organizing vs decluttering

No matter how many baskets, bins, shelving systems, cupboards or racks I purchased, my kitchen still looked messy and disorganized. The key wasn’t that I needed to organize my kitchen.

The key was that I needed to declutter my kitchen.

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The first time I decluttered my kitchen, the result was complete chaos that wasn’t at all helpful. I ended up shoving everything back into the cupboard in just as much of a mess as it was in the first place.

The second time I declutter my kitchen, I used this method and it worked. Now, over six months later, it’s still decluttered.

Block out the time

Set aside a few hours in one afternoon to complete the entire process. You’ll want to finish decluttering the kitchen all at one time. Otherwise, your kitchen will just be a mess for several weeks which will frustrate you and make it harder to complete.

Find a flat surface

Clear off a flat surface to work on. This can be your table or your floor. It depends on what’s most comfortable for you to work on.

Place like with like

Begin bringing like items together. The best way to declutter is to get see how much you really own of each type. Place all of the plates, bowls, utensils, pots, small appliances, kitchen towels, cookbooks, plastic storage containers, etc all in one area.

Do this ONE item at a time or you risk creating chaos in your kitchen.

Quantity and quality

Evaluate the quantity and quality. After you have all of one item together (example: all bowls), realistically evaluate how many you need. Are there 4 people in your home?

If so, do you need eight plastic cereal bowls? Are there storage containers with no lids? Appliances that do not work? Donate or recycle what you do not realistically use.

Keep what you use

 If you haven’t made waffles in two years, do you need a waffle maker? If you were given an omelet pan that you never use, is that something you need to keep? Only you can answer those questions.

I tend to have a thing for coffee so I have several coffee makers. I also like convenience so I have a Ninja Cooking System, an InstantPot, and a Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven.

But, I use them all even though in some ways they are similar. Decide what’s necessary for you and get rid of the rest.

Clean and return

Wipe down the surfaces of your cupboards and cabinets and return what truly brings you joy to the spot that will be easiest for you to find it. I find that clear surfaces are much more peaceful and organized for me. Plus, they are easier to keep clean.

Stop shopping

Don’t buy more. I know this is difficult. I love to shop. It’s best that you NOT bring new things into the home. But, if you do bring new kitchen towels (or new plates, appliances, or cookbooks) into your home, be certain that you remove the old ones.

Now that you know how to declutter your kitchen, what will you begin with? You may want to learn more about menu planning.

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