Get Rid of These Tools in Your Kitchen Today
March 18, 2021
We use our kitchens arguably more than anywhere else in our homes so it’s easy for them to get cluttered quickly. At least twice a year I like to separate the treasures from the trash to keep things working in tiptop order. Cleaning out expired, mismatched, forgotten and unused items from your kitchen allows you to optimize storage in an organized manner. It also lets you give empty cabinet shelves and drawers a thorough cleaning before restocking the things you know you’ll use.
DECLUTTERING + PURGING Questions to ask yourself
The first step to any kitchen revamp is the (sometimes dreaded) step of decluttering and purging. As you’re working through your items, try to make decisions quickly about what you want to keep and what you will donate. With anything you get hung up on, try asking yourself these questions…
- Do I use this? You shouldn’t really have to think long about this. You either use it or you don’t. Take note that the question is NOT “Will I possibly use this one day?”.
- Is this item extra? How many wooden spoons do you really need? Do you really use all four cookie sheets? Evaluate what you need and use on a regular basis. Remember that you can always borrow items from friends or family for those “one time” events. Choose your favorite and donate the extras!
- Would I buy this today? I find that this is a really helpful questions when looking at decorative items. Ask yourself if you still love it and if it is still your style. Is it adding beauty or function to the space or is it just adding to the clutter?
- Does this help to make my life easier? There may be some items that you don’t really need, but you do use regularly and they help to simplify things. For example, we have a rice maker that we use at least a couple of times per week. Yes, I could make rice on the stove and get rid of the rice maker, but it really does help to make things run smoother. You can definitely splurge on some items – just make sure they are useful to you!
Take a look 25 things you should toss, relocate, or donate immediately. Once everything has been cleaned out make sure to check out my post on 50 Things Every Kitchen Needs.