One of the most used areas of our home is the kitchen. It is also a gathering place where we cook, eat and chat. I am not the only person to use it; my husband and my children also use the kitchen. It is difficult to function in a cluttered kitchen with no counter space and the stress of trying to look for things. The journey of decluttering and simplifying our space has helped our family to enjoy it more.
I like to start the process of knowing my kitchen essentials based on what we use all the time. For example, we have seven kitchen knives, but we often use two types, occasionally we use the bread knife and the rest we have never used. Why do we keep so many knives? Time to let some go. If I am not sure, it goes into the ‘Considering’ box for a specific time. If I gave it and needed it, I can always get another one from the store if necessary. The same principle goes to the other kitchen appliances and things.
For me, one of the hardest to clear was my mugs. A simple solution is to keep a few cups you love and let the rest go. It is good to set a limit to the number of mugs you would like to keep. I have a set for our guest, and I have two cups that I love for myself. Each of us has our mugs, and we decide on how many we would like to keep.
To declutter as a family takes time, especially when it involves everyone in the home. It should not be a pressurising time of letting go off things but a cleanup time. Take it easy and one step at a time.
Similarly, with the pantry decluttering process. Below are my simple steps.
- My first step is to empty the kitchen shelves.
- Clean the shelves.
- Declutter. Throw any spoiled or broken pieces and sort the rest into Keep, Sell, Donate or to be Considered.
- Next, I organise my kitchen using containers to corral small items. Then I keep like items together and arrange them neatly into the cupboards.
- The function is essential, remember to think of the purpose of specific areas in your kitchen and store necessary items in that area — for example, store pots and pans by the stove. An organised kitchen is an efficient kitchen.
Have our kitchen a place that’s clean, organised, clutter-free and beautiful. It should be a place that inspires us to cook and gather.