7 Expert Hacks on How to Declutter Kitchen Countertops to Keep Them Clutter-Free
Want to learn my top professional organizer tips for how to declutter kitchen countertops to keep them clutter-free? These are the tried and true tips you need to know and implement to make it happen.
Kitchen countertops can easily attract clutter. It’s one of the most accessible places to dump items and you tell yourself you’ll tidy up later — but that time never comes. Soon enough, you’ll realize there are a lot of items that can get in the way of your cooking. As a professional organizer who’s served hundreds of clients, I’m sharing with you my top tips on how to declutter kitchen countertops to keep your kitchen tidy.
You are going to learn how to declutter kitchen countertops to ensure your kitchen counters stay clear of clutter and mess, how to keep your counters clean and tidy, and even a few small kitchen countertop organization ideas to help you maintain it long term.
After learning how to declutter your kitchen countertops, you will be more excited than ever actually to be in your kitchen for family and meal time!
This post is all about how to keep your countertops clean and clutter-free. Check out these seven tips.
Clever Tips to Declutter Kitchen Countertops
1. Remove Everything From the Counters
First, take everything off your countertops at once — from appliances to the stack of papers on the corner. Clearing everything allows you to see the available space. Throw away any old or defective items, clean appliances and wash the pile of dirty dishes by the side of the sink.
Placing dishes straight in the sink or dishwasher keeps them out of sight and encourages you to clean them as soon as possible.
2.Declutter and Designate
Giving every item a designated spot is one of the most important solutions for keeping a clutter-free countertop. The mess will build up unless you designate a home for everything in your kitchen.
Designate an easy-to-reach overhead cabinet for condiments and deep drawers for spoons or a canister on your counter for everyday items that allow easier access. You’re likely to spot unnecessary items that cause clutter in your kitchen, like duplicate items and expired foods inside. Doing this will free up more storage space for more items that are currently on your countertops.
Consider investing in kitchen storage containers to maintain a tidy and functional kitchen. For example, transferring your pretty, go to kitchen utensils in a decorative container does several things for your kitchen.
1. It creates a designated spot somewhere on your kitchen countertops for your high-use items, and
2. It adds a little personality to your kitchen counters, creating beautiful design elements.
Here’s an example of some kitchen utensil containers I really like… again with the purpose of keeping your kitchen countertops tidy and orderly.
Once you designate a spot to keep things, it’ll be easier to maintain clean countertops.
3. Invest in Functional Organizers
Often times, I find that your kitchen countertops can be cleared off by simply storing things in the kitchen drawers and cabinets. After you’ve taken the time to fully declutter your kitchen countertops, now it’s just a matter of deciding where kitchen items can naturally live. Look for areas where your drawers and kitchen cabinets could benefit from storage tools to house countertop utensils, appliances, and gadget that you decided to keep. Consider these functional choices that will help keep your countertops clean and organized:
Baskets & Storage Containers
- These are ideal if you have spacious open shelves. They allow you to store groups of items, such as drinks, foods, chips and condiments.
Roll-out Shelves
- If you have cabinets with extra depth, adding roll-out shelves allows you to easily access all the contents by sliding them out.
I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend them.
Magnetic Knife Rack
Maximize your wall space by installing a wall-mounted magnetic knife rack or wall hooks.
Drawer Dividers
Consider buying drawer dividers to maintain order in your drawers. Adjustable dividers, which can be expanded, are great too to fit your kitchen utensils and small appliances.
4. Clean Your Countertops
Spend some time cleaning your countertops before filling them back up. If you have quartz countertops, a natural cleaner is the best way to gently clean surfaces without damaging them. Vinegar — a common natural cleaning solution — can help remove stains and disinfect countertops. However, it has a pH level between two and three, which can dull certain materials. If you must use it, dilute it in water before applying it to surfaces.
Taking the time to clean your countertops gives you a fresh start with the space, helping ensure you are more considerate to keeping it orderly.
5. Store Daily-Use Appliances Elsewhere
Countertops make a convenient space for daily-use appliances, such as coffee makers and toasters. However, they often take up the most space. For instance, making sandwiches with your panini press every morning only takes around 10 minutes. After that, your panini press will remain unused — taking up precious counter space.
Place smaller appliances that are used less in your cabinets to free up more countertop space. Consider things like your electric kettle, toaster, and blender as great cabinets to go in your kitchen cabinets, opposed to on your kitchen countertops. You’ll be surprised how cleaner your space will be after they are placed inside cabinets.
6. Follow The “One Touch Rule”
This concept refers to only touching an item once to keep an organized space. This method is ideal if you often put something off to deal with later. Maybe instead of keeping the blender in the cabinet, you’d leave it on the counter, thinking you’ll use it soon, but that time never came. Since you didn’t finish the task, you’ll need to use a “second touch” to return it to where it belongs.
With the “one touch rule.” you can bid goodbye to clutter. Imagine the time and energy you will save by touching every item only once. Dealing with a kitchen item immediately — whether a blender or a cookbook — will simplify your life and decrease clutter.
7. Avoid Overdecorating Your Countertops
Remember that less is more. Avoid placing unnecessary items in a highly functional space. Get rid of decorative items, such as fake flowers and cookbook stands, as they only take up space you could use for meal preparation, especially if you don’t use them often. Consider accessorizing with a statement-making object, such as a bold sculpture or a functional item, like a beautiful fruit bowl filled with your favorite fruits.
Another thing to note is if you have a countertop that you’re proud of, you’ll let it speak for itself as a decorative piece rather than feeling the need to add loads of clutter. For example, pretty countertop slabs are easy to clean, are attractive, and will help deter you from overloading them with items, even if they’re decorative.
Keep Your Countertops Clean
Remember to be intentional about what you put on your countertops. With these tips, you can achieve and maintain more room for kitchen work like meal prepping, homework for the kids, and even just hanging out with your family and friends.
Ok, now you know exactly what you need to do to declutter your kitchen countertops to keep them neat and tidy. Decluttering your kitchen utensils and appliance that you rarely use and organizing what’s left in your kitchen drawers and cabinets is going to be a game changer for you.
All of the kitchen organizing products I shared above are super helpful and will allow you to fully enjoy your kitchen counters with ease.
My absolute top kitchen organizing product recommendation for keeping your kitchen countertops clean are the pull-out shelves. They are functional, practical, make grabbing thins super accessible, AND of course create more opportunity for you to clear off those kitchen counters. You can buy them from Amazon here.
Best Places to Buy Kitchen Organizing Products:
- Amazon
- The Container Store
- Target
- Walmart
This post was all about learning how to declutter kitchen countertops to keep a clutter-free kitchen.
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