How to Declutter Your Kitchen Fast (the exact action steps!)

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How to declutter your kitchen fast and easy. What to declutter to organize your kitchen counters, with 8 simple action steps!

Are you sick of those cluttered countertops, and that messy kitchen table?

Or how about when you have to use brute strength to stuff those cooking utensils into the overcrowded holder?

Yep, I’ve been there!

If that sounds all too familiar, it’s time to declutter your kitchen!

Lucky for you, I have laid out the exact action steps to organize one of the most used rooms in your home.

So if you want to know how to declutter your kitchen fast (ya know, so you can actually use it), check out these tips and tricks!

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How to Declutter Your Kitchen Fast

How can I reduce my kitchen clutter?

See, I live by a very simple life philosophy. It’s called “Don’t make it difficult.”

So while the Konmari method is quite lovely and detailed, I am not. I like to get things finished quickly and move on with my life.

(So don’t worry, I’m not gonna ask you if your pots and pans spark joy.)

The way I see it, there are 8 main things to declutter in the kitchen to make it look and feel uncluttered.

We’ll check them out in a second. First, let’s lay some decluttering ground rules.

Because let’s face it, decluttering your kitchen probably isn’t the thing you’re most excited about this week.

In order to get it done quickly, you gotta get your mind right!

How to declutter your kitchen fast and easy. What to declutter to organize your kitchen counters, with 8 simple action steps!

Step 1: Get excited about it

Picture the result of your newly organized kitchen…

  • You know where stuff is
  • Prepping and cooking dinner goes more smoothly
  • You don’t immediately want to turn around and run every time you walk in

Step 2: Prepare to be decisive

Reaffirm to yourself that you’re going to make quick decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of.

There will be no stopping to call your friend and tell her the story of your grandmother’s colander.

Try to decide in 5 seconds or less whether or not to keep something in your kitchen. One second would be even better.

Every item has to earn its real estate!

Step 3: Turn on your favorite music

To keep you motivated (and make the time go faster), crank your tunes.

Dancing while decluttering is highly encouraged.

Step 4: Set a timer

Try setting your kitchen timer for 60 minutes.

See how much you can accomplish in that one hour. If you have (and need) more time beyond that, feel free to keep going.

But there’s just something about knowing you have a deadline that’s extra motivating.

Plus, you know you can quit in an hour if you really want.

Step 5: Do the dishes

A major component to any tidy kitchen is having zero dirty dishes.

Just wash your dishes, and you’ll already feel so much better.

How to declutter your kitchen fast and easy. What to declutter to organize your kitchen counters, with 8 simple action steps!

Things to Declutter in the Kitchen

Ok, now that you have your mindset ready, let’s get to it!

1. Countertops

Decluttering kitchen counters can be accomplished in a few simple steps.

First, take everything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen out of the kitchen.

If it’s become a dumping ground for your kids’ sports equipment, your husband’s briefcase, and your makeup bag, get it out of there.

This should start to clear up a little counter space.

Now, if there are things on your counter that belong in cupboards, put them away.

Same goes for food. Ideally, all of your food will stay in the refrigerator, pantry, or cupboards.

(A bowl of fruit is okay of course.)

Clear everything off the countertops that isn’t related to prepping or cooking food.

The fewer things on your counters, the less cluttered the room will look.

2. Fridge Doors

All those random magnets, old Christmas cards, pizza flyers, and kids’ schoolwork really make your refrigerator and kitchen look messy.

Try adopting a minimalist approach to what you hang on the fridge doors.

And if there a few really important things you wish to keep hanging there, try to arrange them neatly.

3. Utensils

I’m guessing you wash and reuse the same few utensils over and over again.

Donate or toss all the cooking utensils that you can’t remember using in the past 6-12 months.

Specialty ones that you only use for holidays can be kept tucked away if you think you really need them.

You want to have space in your utensil holder to easily grab and put back what you need.

It functions much better, and just looks SO much tidier.

How to declutter your kitchen fast and easy. What to declutter to organize your kitchen counters, with 8 simple action steps!

4. Mail

Many people bring their mail into the kitchen. In order to keep your kitchen looking clean and organized, try to break that habit.

For now, go through any mail that might be residing in the kitchen. Toss or recycle what you don’t absolutely need.

Going forward, try not to let any mail stack up. Each day, immediately sort and process any mail that arrives.

It just takes a minute, and saves your future self from having to look at it for days, or lose something important.

Plus, stacks of paper just never look nice!

Related: Do these 6 things every day to keep your house tidy ALL the time

5. Under the sink

The area under your kitchen sink can get gross and cluttery so fast.

Take a few minutes to go through your cleaning supplies. Get rid of anything that you don’t regularly use to clean the kitchen.

While you’re at it, arrange the cleaning supplies (and whatever else is under there) neatly. That way you can see everything that’s in there, and access it easily.


6. Plastic Storage Containers

Oh the Tupperware containers can sure get out of control, can’t they?

It seems like ya never have the right lid, and they just always look a hot mess.

It’s time to streamline that nonsense!

Go through all your plastic storage containers, matching up the right tops and bottoms.

Whatever doesn’t match, is stained or cracked, or you never use, has to go.

Trust me, it will just be so much easier to grab the one you need, fill it, and move on.

If you can store them with their lids actually on, all the better.

7. Small appliances

Remember when you thought you were going to use a Ninja blender, food processor, smoothie maker, and immersion blender?

Then you realized that they all do the same thing?

Try to keep only the small appliances that you actually use. Not all the ones you think you MIGHT use, but the ones you’ve actually touched in the past few months.

If they’re dusty, it’s probably time for them to find another home.

How to declutter your kitchen fast and easy. What to declutter to organize your kitchen counters, with 8 simple action steps!

8. Mugs, Cups, and Glasses

You probably have so much drinkware taking up precious kitchen cabinet real estate.

And I’m guessing you just use the same ones all the time.

Take all the mugs, cups, and glasses out of the cupboard, and put back just the ones you remember using recently.

Specialty glasses (like for wine) can be stored elsewhere or on the top shelf if you use them sometimes.

Otherwise, just keep the cups you love.

If you have time left (or want extra credit), feel free to also:

  • Declutter your spices and condiments
  • Go through the food in your pantry (and toss what’s expired or you’re no longer interested in)
  • Organize your fridge and freezer (tidy it, and throw away spoiled or freezer burned food)
  • Plan a pantry challenge to use up the odds and ends

Related: How to do a pantry challenge the RIGHT way

Wrapping it up

There you have it, the exact action steps to declutter your kitchen fast.

If you’re donating items, I recommend dropping them off at the donation center ASAP.

That way, you don’t start looking back through them, and thinking “maybe I will use this…eventually.”

Nope! You won’t! Best to part ways now.

You can now enjoy your kitchen so much more. It’s the heart of the home, and keeping it clean and organized means you’ll feel more comfortable every time you walk through.

Not to mention, it makes preparing meals at home SO much faster and easier. Which also means you’ll save money!

Talk about a win-win!

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How to declutter your kitchen fast and easy. What to declutter to organize your kitchen counters, with 8 simple action steps!

How to declutter your kitchen fast and easy. What to declutter to organize your kitchen counters, with 8 simple action steps!

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