Hello friends!
You know what your kitchen isn't? A junk market. Today we're talking about sorting out your unused kitchenware. So dishes, cutlery, and also cooking utensils and kitchen gadgets. Most people have a lot of these. More than they need, probably.
If you enjoy cooking and you use most of the items in your kitchen, then you may not need to purge very many items today. But either way, take a good look around to identity your favourites that you use most of the time, and let go of the unused pieces.
If you enjoy cooking and you use most of the items in your kitchen, then you may not need to purge very many items today. But either way, take a good look around to identity your favourites that you use most of the time, and let go of the unused pieces.
The Goal
- a neat selection of functioning kitchen tools
- dishes that you love and use all the time
- less clutter, more space
- less dishes to wash
- well organized cabinets
Guiding Questions
Which utensils do I use regularly?
Which dishes do I enjoy to use?
Are any utensils broken or missing parts?
Are my kitchen cabinets overflowing with mugs?
Do I find anything ugly or annoying?
When have I last used this item?
Working Steps
1. Declutter
Take out any kitchenware from their cabinets, shelves and drawers, including:
plates
cutlery
cups & mugs
glasses
cutting boards
pots
pans
baking trays
casserole dishes
cooking knives
vegetable peeler
whisks
soup ladles
spatulas
stirring spoons
measuring cups
mixing bowls
colanders
funnels
graters
garlic presses
lemon squeezers
corkscrews
can openers
biscuit cutters
mortar and pestle
salt and pepper mills
blender
food processor
coffee machines
toaster
microwave
electric kettle
...
There are so incredibly many kitchen utensils!!
Clean the surfaces of your empty shelves, cupboards and drawers.
2. Go through your guiding questions
Do you really need 30 mugs for three three people living in your house? What about that apple cutter? Or that blow torch you only used once in four years? Or those tacky oven gloves you got as a wedding gift but don't really like?
3. Assess & organize
As always, divide your belongings into a keep and a don't keep section.
Determine how many dishes and cutlery you need for the number of people in your family, based on your meals, and how often you use them (e.g. do you really need 20 sets of each, or are 5 sets enough?)
Consider how often you make homemade meals that require multiple pots and pans at once and determine how many of each size and type you really need (e.g. do you need 5 big frying pans?)
Consider how many dishes you need when you entertain guests too.
Keep in mind how often you wash dishes and only keep as many utensils and gadgets as you regularly use between washings!
4. Return
Return your favourite and regularly used items to their designated home.
Consider a more efficient storage system such as hanging your mugs on hooks under your cabinets, storing your pots and pans (or your cutting boards and baking trays) vertically using dividers, building in a pull-out cutting board right about the trash bin, or putting shelves inside of your shelves for storing plates, bowls and cups to make the most of your cupboard space.
I also like to place our most used tools (scissors, flipper, stirring spoons, spatula, pasta tongs, whisk) in a separate container on the kitchen counter for easy access – in my case it's a repurposed chickpea tin.
5. Donate / Discard
Sell any high quality items that are perfectly intact but you just don't use, e.g. blender, kitchen aid, smoothie maker, rice cooker etc.
Donate any items that you don't like, that are duplicates, or that you have not used in the last 6 months (unless it's some special utensils you only use occasionally – like your Christmas pudding basin), and that aren't valuable enough to sell.
Recycle / repurpose anything that is too cute to give away, but doesn't get used. For example, pretty mugs make great planters, pencil holders or cosmetic brush holders when you have too many of them to use! An old colander can be turned into a cool hanging planter, and cast-off graters can be recycled into a unique suspended lamp for the kitchen!
Toss anything that is chipped, broken or missing pieces.
6. Celebrate
Yay! You've made it through the kitchen clutter!! I'm proud of you :) Tomorrow we tackle a tricky little corner of our house... Till then, celebrate by making yourself a creamy hot cocoa, a London fog latte, or a hazelnut macchiato, or whatever you prefer in your favourite mug!
♥
Maisy
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