It seems like most of the kitchens you see online are perfectly organized and clutter free and not a spatula in sight. People often wonder what magic is behind these beautiful kitchens, but the truth is there is none, it all starts with smart habits that anyone can adopt. We’ll take you through 5 steps that will give you better cleaning habits that will hopefully make your kitchen sparkle.
Keep the countertops clear
Now this first tip sounds daunting but clutter starts at the countertops, and there is a reason most clutter free kitchens don’t have anything on them. Resist the urge to use the countertops as a drop-off place for keys, mail, dirty dishes, or other miscellaneous items. Now the key to de-cluttering is getting rid of non essential decor. Make sure what you keep on your countertop is functional and essential to your cooking (like a cutting board, salt & pepper).
Keep things in cabinets
It’s true kitchens look neater without appliances on the countertops, and it helps to keep things behind closed cabinet doors rather than out in the open. If your aiming for a clutter free kitchen your better off sticking to cabinets so you can at least hide the clutter in. But if you love open shelving it might be time to go minimal and get rid of things you haven’t used in awhile. Having a unified color palette and only displaying pretty things in nice containers can help keep things looking intentional and tidy.
Follow the ‘one in one out rule’
If you ask anyone with a clutter free kitchen they will tell you that there must be a plan in place to keep things looking good. This will usually involve the one in one out rule, which means for every new thing you bring into the space something else has to be taken out. This will help you maintain a healthy balance and the ‘stuff’ doesn't begin to take over.
Follow the ‘don’t put it down, put it away’ rule
Now this rule is probably the most important one when it comes to cleaning in general, but it’s a great for the kitchen too. Everything you own should have a place and it should always be in its place unless you plan on using it. Think every time your about to put something down. Is it dirty? Put it in the dishwasher Is it clean or new? Put it in the cupboard or refrigerator. This will help you not only maintain a clutter free kitchen, but will also help you maintain a clean house!
Don’t use your refrigerator as an art gallery
This next tip is probably the easiest one of them all. It’s simple but true, remove excess paper, notes, pictures, and magnets. Your kitchen will thank you and will immediately look neater in the process. Instead maybe think about buying a (cheap) frame to house all the excess artwork and hang it elsewhere in the house, but definitely keep it out of the kitchen.
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