It feels SO GOOD to work in a peaceful kitchen that is simplified, clean and efficient. When our kitchen is under control we cook more, we eat out less and it feels like the whole house is under control!
Having a simplified kitchen is going to make a HUGE DIFFERENCE in your house, so let’s get started by asking some questions to make the process of decluttering happen QUICKLY and EASILY:
Or watch this video on YouTube here!
Am I OVERVALUING the items in my kitchen?
Many us have large items in our kitchen that we’ve spent a lot of money on that take up a lot of space, like a Vitamix, juicer, bread maker, Instant Pot, etc.
If these things have been taking up room in my cupboard and I haven’t used them in 1-2 years, WHAT WILL CHANGE in the next year that I will be more likely to use them? Very likely, because we’re creatures of habit, they will continue to sit there and take up space.
I may have spent a lot of money on an appliance, but it’s not actually giving me any value if I’m not using it. If it’s just taking up space, it’s actually costing me money because I’m using valuable storage to keep it.
It would be better to pass it on to someone else that can use it or sell it at a loss, because that’s still a better value than letting it being a source of guilt.
Part with it now and get back that valuable storage space!
How many FOOD STORAGE containers do I ACTUALLY need?
You probably need a lot fewer storage containers than you think! We think we need a lot of variety and sizes, but it’s so easy for the small ones to get lost in the back of the fridge and you end up with food going bad.
We only have a few sizes that stack up nicely and don’t take a lot of space, and three Pyrex bowls with lids, which helps to keep things really simple and easy to find.
The best thing to do with food storage containers is keep a few and put the rest away in storage for a while. If in 3-6 months you haven’t pulled anything out, get rid of it. Your kitchen will feel much better if you don’t have random plastic containers and lids all over the place!
Does this REALLY need to be on the COUNTER?
It’s fun to have some decor in the kitchen to add pops of color, but try to keep the counters clear.
If your kitchen is clean but there’s still stuff out on the counters, your brain will tell you there’s more that needs to be done and that is very STRESSFUL.
Try it out for a week or two: get your counters completely cleared off and just see how it feels. My guess is that once you realize how peaceful it is, you won’t go back!!
Do I want to have to deal with this item AGAIN? (aka Deferred Decision Making)
If I have something in my kitchen that I haven’t used and not sure if I will, I need to ask myself: Do I want to spend more time dealing with this item again in another six months or year?
It’s better to just part ways with it now and not have to deal with it again, taking a risk that I might want to use it again. If I get rid of something that I really do need in the future, I could likely find it again on Facebook Marketplace or borrow it from a friend or family member.
My kitchen does NOT need to be a warehouse for all the things I could possibly use!
How many POTS and PANS do I need?
How many burners do you have on your stove? We have three burners that work so we have THREE pots and pans:
- 1 medium pot with a strainer lid
- 1 bigger pot with a clear lid
- 1 frying pan
They all fit really easily in the bottom drawer.
We also have a stock pot in the basement which gets used occasionally and a Dutch oven. That’s it.
I have never come across an occasion where I needed more. In our season of life, efficiency is key and we’ve simplified our meal planning, often cooking the same things over and over again.
The best part of decluttering is I don’t have stacks of dirty pots and pans next to the sink. EVER!
How do I want my kitchen to FEEL?
If you’re like most of us, you probably cook a lot of the same foods and you need your kitchen to be EFFICIENT.
Imagine having a kitchen that is highly simplified like a vacation home, where you have only the things you need and nothing else. The drawers are only half full. Wouldn’t that feel AMAZING!?
You’re more likely to do more cooking at home if it’s an enjoyable place to be and it’s easy to find the things you need.
The kitchen is the center of our home and when it is clean and organized, it feels like the rest of life is under control too!
How many DISHES do I need?
At our house, we have simplified our dishes and cups to have one place setting per person. The kids have to wash their own dishes or put them in the dishwasher.
This has been AWESOME!
It makes such a difference to not have so many dishes stacked by the sink and I don’t feel overwhelmed at the end of the day anymore.
I have heard from many people that this has been a GAME-CHANGER in making their kitchens more manageable!
We need to get TOUGH on our stuff.
YOU HAVE PERMISSION to get rid of things to make your kitchen function well!! If you’re not using them, it’s time to let them go! And as your kitchen becomes a more peaceful place to be, your whole family will benefit.
FREE Printable Kitchen Declutter Guide
We’ve created a free printable list of questions to ask yourself when simplifying your kitchen. Questions like:
- How do I NEED my kitchen to FUNCTION?
- Am I keeping this just in case?
- Could we completely clear the counters?
- Am I OVERVALUING appliances and gadgets?
- Is it taking up valuable space?
- Could I put this in storage to see if I miss it?
- Could I borrow or replace this inexpensively?
- Would our WHOLE HOUSE feel more peaceful and enjoyable with the kitchen simplified?
Click here for the FREE Guided Kitchen Declutter Checklist!
I would love to hear from you! What are your struggles with decluttering your kitchen? If you have already simplified your kitchen, how do you like it? What advice would you have for others who are just getting started?
Best of luck on your decluttering journey!
For more on simplifying your kitchen, check out these links!
Simplifying & Decluttering Kitchen Dishes
Decluttering Diana’s Kitchen! Our Favorite KITCHEN TIPS!
Meal Plan in 5 min + Top 3 tips for Getting Started!
Things we LOVE in our Kitchen:
If you’d like to save this to Pinterest, here is a picture for that!
