The time you spend cooking or baking in your kitchen should at least be pleasant, if not enjoyable. But cluttered countertops, jammed drawers, and a total lack of available storage space can make it anything but!
If you’ve been struggling with any or all of these symptoms of clutter in your own kitchen, then you’ve come to the right place! :-) Because today I’m sharing a list of 11 things to get rid of in your kitchen in order to cut down on clutter.
Even if you kitchen is so cluttered and chaotic that it sometimes feels like a lost cause, I’d encourage you to start by tackling all the items on this list. Addressing just these items will go a surprisingly long way, and will motivate you to continue on in your journey toward a kitchen you love spending time in!
11 Things You Should Get Rid Of In Your Kitchen
1. Duplicates
I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of buying a new kitchen tool to replace one that was broken or dysfunctional, only to forget to actually get rid of the old one. Having two of something can be useful in certain cases, but for things like can openers or potato mashers, you really only need one.
Go through your drawers and cupboards and pull out any duplicates you can find. Then keep the one that works better, and get rid of the other one!
2. Takeout Freebies
When you get takeout or order delivery, the food is usually packed with extras like chopsticks, seasoning packets, sauce packets, and utensil bundles. Many people hang on to these freebies because it feels wasteful to throw them away, but at a certain point, that stuff is just contributing to clutter!
Get rid of the freebies you don’t actually use, and put that extra space to good use. If you do actually use them, cut your collection down to reasonable size to save space.
3. Mismatched Food Containers
Keeping food storage containers organized is hard enough without dealing with a bunch of containers without lids (or vice versa) too! Performing an inventory of your food storage containers is a great starting point for streamlining your collection.
First, go through all your lids and containers and get rid of anything that’s broken, warped, or otherwise damaged. After that, go through and match each lid to a container. If you end up with any lids or containers that aren’t part of a matched set, get rid of those too.
4. Fridge Clutter
Fridge magnets can be a fun and functional way to dress up the front of your fridge, but they can also make your kitchen look messier than it actually is. Get rid of any fridge magnets, wedding invitations, business cards, and anything else from your fridge you don’t need or want, then rearrange what’s left into a more organized display.
For magnet collectors who can’t bear to part with their collections, consider displaying them on a rotating schedule. Choose a reasonable number of your magnets to keep on the fridge, and store the rest in a cupboard or in another room. Switch them out for a new selection of magnets once a month or so to continue enjoying your collection without cluttering up your fridge!
5. Expired Foods
If your pantry always seems to be cluttered, you may be able to clear up a considerable amount of space simply by getting rid of anything that’s expired. Once you’re done going through your pantry, you’ll know that everything in there is still fresh, and you’ll have more storage space to work with!
6. Neglected Gadgets
Ever bought a kitchen gadget that you thought was going to be a game-changer, only to realize it wasn’t actually that helpful? It doesn’t make sense to continue storing gadgets you know you’ll never use, so toss your neglected gadgets in a donation box, or look for a willing buyer online.
7. Chipped Dishes
If you have any chipped ceramic cups or plates, now may be a good time to part with them. And it isn’t just about presentation or aesthetics—chips expose the ceramic’s porous interior, inviting germs and bacteria to make themselves at home in your dishes.
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8. Old Sponges
According to the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, one minute in your microwave is enough to kill 99.9% of bacteria present on your kitchen sponge. But even with regular cleanings, the average kitchen sponge isn’t built to last forever!
If you have any old or smelly kitchen sponges hiding somewhere, replace them with fresh ones.
9. Unread Cookbooks
Sometimes the beautiful photographs and mouth-watering recipes in a cookbook are enough for us to convince ourselves that we’ll actually use it. But lo and behold, it’s still sitting untouched in the kitchen a year later.
Reclaim the space that your unused cookbooks are taking up in your kitchen, then sell or donate them so someone else can enjoy them.
10. Water Bottles
Between the impulse buys, the freebies from conferences, and the ones you bought to replace the other ones you thought were missing, it’s easy for a collection of reusable water bottles to get out of hand! A good rule of thumb is to keep one water bottle per person living in your house, plus one or two extra. Wash the rest, then donate or recycle them.
11. Reusable Shopping Bags
Don’t get me wrong—reusable shopping bags are great and I use them all the time! But if you keep every free tote you’re ever given at work, conferences, or elsewhere, it’s highly likely you have way more of them than you’ll ever actually need!
So gather all your shopping bags and totes together, then choose 10 of the best ones to keep and get rid of the rest. And store your shopping bags either by the garage door or in the trunk of your car, so you’ll be more likely to remember to use them!
Need Help With Clutter In Another Room?
- If the kitchen isn’t your biggest concern when it comes to clutter, check out the links below for more useful decluttering tips for other rooms around the house:
- 3 Things To Get Rid Of From Each Room In Your House
- 9 Things To Get Rid Of In Your Closet
- 7 Things To Get Rid Of In Your Bathroom
- 30 Things You Should Get Rid Of Today
What are usually the main sources of clutter in your kitchen?
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I remember having to deal with the bagging your own stuff during Covid. I worked in retail and one customer got nasty with me because I told her they had to bag their own bags during Covid due to our policies. The thing with the plastic bags at Walmart etc – must just be in certain States. Thank goodness they haven’t done it in our area. One more thing to mess with when shopping.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good timing! I read through this article on decluttering the kitchen, and the many ways to do so. I just decided to start this humongous job today, Before turning on the computer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Lo & behold, you had this up on your blog !
There is one thing that wasn’t addressed among the things to get rid of. (And it’s way past the time for me to do so), and that’s throwing out old dishes and possiblly other items that are known to have BPA’S. Those will be going into the trash, as they are NOT SAFE to be recyled. If the item doesn’t have that triangle with a number within it, it will be trashed. In our area, anything with the numbers 1 through 7 are ok to put in the recycle trash can. Never have seen any thing above a 7, but still look anyway. If there isn’t any number at all, it’s very possible to be made with BPA. By-by to all the old Tupperware items that are still in the house ( I stopped using those a long time ago … not to worry. Lol, just too lazy to throw them away, that’s all).
Another thing …. I read online that Walmart changed their policy on plastic grocery bags, and will expect the customers to use their own bags. This policy will most likely spread to all of the grocery stores soon.
Absolutely, Sandra! Great addition! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My extra reusable shopping bags, especially the freebies from conferences/charity races etc, I use for donation items. I keep them in my hall closet. I start one with those duplicate items in the kitchen, the shirt that I’ve tried on several times and still doesn’t work etc. When the bag is full it goes in the car to drop off at the local thrift store and then I start another new one. Many of the thrift stores use them for their customers or sale them. Triple win!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My friend displays all her “refrigerator” magnets on a (new) cookie sheet that is hung on the wall – it makes a cute display that looks framed.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In regards to cookbooks. I’m bad to pick up cookbooks at the Goodwill or yard sales, but here’s what I do. I go through the whole book and photocopy out any recipes I think I want, then I donate the book back to a charity so they can make money off it again. Now I just need to go through the stack of recipes I have and get rid of the ones I’ll never actually make.:)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do keep a certain number of chopsticks on hand. I stick on in each flour and sugar canister to level the measuring cups. (I have white, whole wheat and rye flours going all the time.) Also, each one of those little packets holds 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, which is handy if you do a lot of Asian cooking. The mustard and duck sauce packets do go in the trash!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Always have a second can opener as a backup for when the one you use dies right in the middle of making a meal but you’re right, I don’t need that 2nd potato masher. Good post Jillee
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m even more motivated now to clean out all my cupboards and drawers. I have read on several blog posts that we should be replacing our kitchen sponges every week to every two weeks based on how frequently we use them. Nuking them or running them through the dishwasher isn’t enough. I started to replace once a week. I take my kitchen one and scour sinks and the tub with Comet before I toss it so I feel less like I’m wasting a sponge. lol I buy the yellow and green Scotch-Brite ones in bulk at Sam’s Club.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There is one thing I disagree with and that is tossing food that is “expired.” Unless it is obviously stale or weird looking or smelling, expiration dates don’t mean much according to the USDA website. People waste a lot of food going by the dates. No food requires a date except for baby formula by law. There is a reason for that. They explain that for most products, it’s not a safety issue, it’s a freshness issue. I’ve eaten food that is at least two years old and no loss of freshness is noticed.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My duplicate kitchen gadgets are kept for my kids who are setting up their own apartments. It makes me smile to visit them and there’s my old cutting board, etc. As to plastic utensils, I hate to throw them out as it adds to the landfill without even a purpose. I was bringing them to work for a germaphobe friend but now that’s not happening!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Reusable shopping bags need to be washed after every use – especially now. We don’t know what “bugs” get left in them. Just wanted everybody to be healthy!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi
About reusable shopping bags…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You could either buy the kind that fold up into a tiny space and attach to your purse (that way you always have one). Or if you have fabric bags you can fold into a tiny square or roll and put them in a little bag that will attach to your purse with a carabiner or other kind of clip. If you don’t have a little bag or carabiner – you could get them at the Dollar store. Thank you for all of the tips!
As far as the statement under ‘Duplicates'<<<<but for things like can openers or potato mashers, you really only need one.>>>>A potato masher and a can opener are two different items and they do not accomplish the same thing—–or am I missing something??????
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Lol! I think she means if you have duplicates of each of them you really don’t need 2. Like 2 potato mashers or 2 can openers, not that you only need 1 total and can use them interchangeably.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love your shares, but I disagree with a few in this one.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.1) We grow a tons of food (enough to share with friends & family) so when it is time to process, we have several helping hands. Extra tools are needed.
2) Take out freebies are used for crafting in our home. The plastics make great flower art, the chopsticks help with my yarn flower art (also hot glue together for other fun stuffs with the kids), and we always use any sauce packets (usually as an extra kicker to a homemade sauce).
3) We wear out our sponges too fast for them to be used for anything else (hahaha).
4) We don’t throw out chipped dishes. If they are too sharp I use our Dremmel to smooth them off. Things on our little farm are used until they are completely unusable.
4) The magnets on our fridge hold kid handmade treasures. The only other thing up there is a list of emergency numbers (yes, I agree that I have seen some fridges that are just a jumbled mess!)
5) Cookbooks in our family have always been “hand-me-downs” so many have a sentimental value of past times cooking with loved ones. Very few end up as donations.
6) I am a Yarnie and have made dozens of reusable shopping bag from yarn. They are 100% machine washable. Can easily be used to help carry everything from any store, the produce from our gardens (can also wash them up in the same bags before bringing in to the kitchen.), and I have even worn it (many times) messenger bag style to carry heavy things with ease (like load of canned goods down stairs to our pantry).
We try to live by the 3-R’s rule (reduce, reuse, recycle). Anything that can’t be reused or given to someone else (in good shape of course) to use, is usually too far gone to be saved from the ultimate death – the trash. LOL!!
Thank you again for sharing such wonderful, helpful, and amazing stuff!
Then these things aren’t clutter to you and this article isn’t needed. Some of us aren’t doing as good as job using the 3R rule and can use help learning to de clutter our lives. But thanks for your tips, I will use a couple of them too and try to get better at not wasting so much!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like what you said, but some of the things you keep don’t need to be kept in the kitchen. The things you save for crafts should go right to the craft room. The cookbooks that you keep for sentimental value can go on a bookshelf in another room. Etc. That way your kitchen stays less cluttered.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Check to see if this is going on in your area. Near me there are a few enterprising young ladies in high school who are collecting the reusable bags, purses, and backpacks. They are filling them with toiletries and delivering them to homeless shelters nearby. That drawerful of free toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash from my dentist is going too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Our eldest daughter always brings us toiletries from the hotels where she stays on business trips. The hotels always put two of everything in the rooms, so she brings home the extras. Bless her, she has been known to take the ones she’s used in hotel A, so she can sue them again in hotel B, and bring all of the stuff from hotel B. That kid was “brung up” right!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The reusable grocery bags are not welcome in grocery stores right now, with the pandemic going on. But when we can go back to using them, throw them in the washing machine to get them clean!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Different locations have different rules, and it’s annoying that you are forced to use a plastic bag, In some stores, the cashiers won’t touch them, but you can load your own groceries into them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.not all bags can be washed. I use rubbing alcohol sprayed both inside and out including the handles then hang to dry. I also spray down my mask every time I use it. Washing it when needed (about once a week)……………………..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Rubbing ETOH is great and so is a hydrogen peroxide spray, which I use, it is cheap and it disinfects well. I use it when I bring the bags in and unload them, I, do have OCD :-) so I usually lightly spray the canned and packaged food items.
Since I can’t use my reusable bags in the store, I don’t use any bags in the store – I put everything back in the cart, take it out to my car and load my reusable bags there.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hope lots of those go to charities and young families who can use them! It sometimes takes a bit of effort to distribute but never ever throw all this in the bin…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Crush the old saltines and toss to the birds or find some other inventive way to use them, casserole topping maybe? I hate to see useful items thrown away-so wasteful.
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