Spring is here and it’s a chance to declutter your living space, ready for summer and the rest of the year.
While social media is full of nifty hacks on how to clear up clutter, one area of the home can get overlooked in the rush: the kitchen.
A clean decluttered home isn’t just good for a sense of accomplishment, but also for mental health and wellbeing, making you more effective in other areas of your life. In fact, one 2019 study said that parents dread a messy home more than losing their child in a crowd.
Meanwhile, decluttering your kitchen can make it easier to eat well, meal prep, and give you an overall sense of satisfaction.
Below we’ve compiled the top tips on how to clear out your kitchen. Professionally trained by Dilly Carter of BBC’s Sort Your Life Out, Declutter and Flourish’s Emma Axcell-Roocroft is an accredited home organiser working across Sussex and Surrey and shared her top tips with HelloFresh.
Have the right tools
From tiered shelving, to labels, Axcell-Roocroft recommends having the right foundations in place when you’re trying to sort out your kitchen. That includes working with what you’ve got. “First things first, use the right cupboard for the right-sized items,” she says. “It sounds obvious, but so many people squeeze oversized pots into cramped spaces or scatter smaller essentials across deep shelves where they get lost.”
She adds: “Tiered shelving systems are an absolute game-changer. These handy risers mean no more forgotten tins lurking at the back or mystery jars gathering dust.”
Clear zones can save seconds if you’re busy
“Create clear zones, a separate coffee or breakfast station keeps morning chaos at bay,” she says. “Follow the golden rule of ‘don’t put it down – put it away.’ Those extra few seconds save time in the long run. Then have 15-minute resets, a quick morning and evening tidy prevents mess from piling up.”
One in, one out
Decluttering isn’t just for spring, but it’s a year-long practice according to Axcell-Roocroft. She says it’s good not to let items pile up, and suggests getting rid of one thing for every new thing you buy.
“Bought a new pan or kitchen gadget? Make sure something old or unused leaves the kitchen,” she says. “This simple habit prevents cupboards from overflowing.”
Make the kitchen workable for you
Instead of hiding everything away, or copying whatever the latest storage fad is, Axcell-Roocroft recommends paying attention to your own habits and making things easier for yourself.
“Instead of just finding a place for everything, think about how you use your kitchen,” she says. “What do you reach for daily? What only comes out once a year? A common mistake is keeping all your baking gear next to the cooker - great if you bake often, but unnecessary if your rolling pin only sees action at Christmas. Prioritise easy access for the things you use most and store away the rest.”
How to get started
It can be overwhelming to do a deep clean of your kitchen when you’re busy. To get started, she suggests breaking the task into chunks.
“Opt for power hours and set aside a day at the start of each season for a one-hour declutter session,” she says. “Do you really need ten water bottles? Are those Tupperware lids missing their containers? A quick reset keeps clutter from creeping back in.”
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