Chances are, you probably have a small kitchen if you live in an apartment, condo or small home. And, small kitchens usually come with limited counter and cabinet space. As a result, small kitchens can feel cluttered, especially when there is no proper organization. My busy schedule doesn’t give me much time to clean so I’ve learned how to declutter my kitchen quickly over the years. Discover how to declutter your small kitchen in a day with these seven steps.
Related:
- How To Declutter A Bedroom In Five Easy Steps
- How To Get Rid Of Sentimental Clutter (And Why You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty!)
How To Declutter Your Small Kitchen In A Day
1- Clear the counters
The easiest way to declutter a small kitchen is to keep the counters clear. We tend to leave our appliances on the kitchen counters because it’s convenient. Store these in your kitchen cabinets or an appliance garage, if space permits. However, consider placing one to three appliances you use daily on the counter if you have insufficient storage space.
Besides that, store all of your food items in the fridge or pantry whenever possible. This helps to keep food fresh. My husband and I only have our kettle and air fryer out on the counter at all times. Everything else is immediately put away once we’ve used it. It took us a while to adjust but it was well worth the effort. A clean kitchen gives me so much joy!
2- Check food supplies once a week
Food is one of the main clutter found in most kitchens. I’m definitely guilty of leaving around one too many ripped cereal boxes! Instead of constantly buying in bulk and hoarding food, make it a habit to check your food supplies once a week. Create lists for grocery shopping and replenish weekly. This practice helps to prevent food wastage too!
Since we don’t have a pantry in our condo, we allocated two drawers to store our food items. Having less space encourages us to live as minimally as possible. Before we stock up on groceries, we usually conduct a full sweep of our fridge and drawers. Not only does this give us an opportunity to discard any expired food, but it reminds us to only purchase what we really need!
3- Minimise cookware and tableware
Now, some may not consider cookware and tableware as clutter because they’re functional. But, let’s be real. Do you really need a dozen wine glasses if there are only two adults at home? Do you also really need a food processor, a blender, a juicer, a slow cooker and a mixer?
When my husband and I first moved into our condo, we had a grand total of four large plates, two small plates, six glasses and a handful of cutlery for two years. It worked out great because everything fit within two kitchen cabinets. We never had to worry about having insufficient storage space!
Although we have accumulated more cookware and tableware since, we made sure everything could fit within the designated cabinets. How did we achieve this? Well, we only buy multi-purpose cookware AND we don’t keep anything we don’t use!
4- Declutter any freebies
If you only have ten minutes to declutter your small kitchen today, start by decluttering any freebies you don’t use. Common freebies in every household includes free mugs, takeout containers, sauce packets and more. Don’t save them for later. If you haven’t used any of these things in the past week, it’s time to discard, donate or recycle them.
My husband and I had so many takeout containers during the pandemic because we stayed at home a lot. I initially saved most of them because I thought I’d be able to use them for something. After a few months, I still couldn’t think of anything other than using a few to store my spices. So, we decided to recycle them instead.
5- Choose space-saving organisational tools
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read full privacy policy here.
If you truly lack storage space, choose practical organisational tools to help you store your kitchen essentials. Here are some of my favorites:
- Storage shelves – Put away kitchen appliances here when not in use (Recommended: #2 Ikea Lack wall shelf, #7 Target 2-tier corner shelf and #8 Amazon Basics 4-shelf storage unit with wheels)
- Carts – Set aside spices and other dried goods for your convenience (Recommended :#1 Target 3-tier Metal Tier Utility Cart)
- Storage jars and bins – Keep your fridge or pantry organized with storage jars (Recommended: #4 Target glass jar and lid and #5 Target glass storage container with wood lid)
- Baskets – Store similar products in baskets to create a simple organization system (Recommended: #3 Ikea Lustigkurre basket and #6 Spectrum Scoop Wire Basket)
6- Utilize vertical space
Vertical space is a great way to add storage without cluttering a specific area. Keep dishes and glasses you use on a daily basis on open shelves. If you cook a lot, hang your cooking utensils over a stove on a hanging rod.
While vertical space is valuable real estate in a small kitchen, be mindful to fill your storage solutions with necessities. Less is always more!
7- Declutter non-functional decorative items
When it comes to the kitchen, I’m personally a fan of using functional decorative pieces. Otherwise, they are simply clutter. And clutter attracts clutter.
I only make an exception for plants because they bring life and color to a space. This tip may seem a little severe but a tidy kitchen makes my mornings feel a lot more calm.
At the end of the day, I genuinely believe a clutter-free kitchen (and home!) creates a stress-free environment. It took me a while to make decluttering a habit but I promise it will change your life!