Whether there are too many items of sentimental value or you just haven’t thrown anything away in a while, tidying up can be tricky. However, if a kitchen is cluttered, it can be worse than an overcrowded closet or garage as it affects the functionality of a space that you use several times a day.
We all have that junk drawer full of sauce packages and menus, but our kitchens can get a little closer to a carefully curated space that makes our everyday lives a little easier. The “one-shelf method” is a way of tidying up your kitchen and optimizing your cooking space.
How to clear out your kitchen with the one-shelf method
Open cabinets or open storage concepts are a way to keep your glassware and ceramics easily accessible, and open shelves also mean your dishes are on display. However, having too many cups will leave your shelves disorganized and quite messy. Lifestyle author Shifrah Combiths with Apartment therapy uses the “one shelf method” to organize her kitchen. The method combines a Marie Kondo Method with some minimalist ideals.
You start out by taking whatever you have in abundance with you, be it plates, glasses or, in Combith’s suitcase, cups, and only keep what you can keep on a shelf. She suggests starting with the things that mean the most to you. Once the shelf is full, stop.
The hardest part is keeping yourself from stacking items just to hold onto, but try to keep only what you use or absolutely love. If you’ve got those champagne flutes from your cousin’s wedding that you never use, they’re probably just taking up space.
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How to sort the overflow items in your kitchen
Sentimental value is a big part of how cluttered a kitchen gets, but it’s not the only part as it’s easy to pile up kitchen accessories that we think will help but then end up in the trash drawer. Organization website Clean & fragrant offers four good questions to ask yourself while tidying up a room:
- Do i use this?
- Is this item extra?
- Would i buy this today?
- Will this help make my life easier?
The project neat adds the question, “Have I used this more than once this month?” Basically, if you find excuses to keep something, it’s probably a sign that you can get rid of it.
How to avoid kitchen waste in the future
When you’ve got rid of everything you don’t need, clean up the space and reorganize your shelves and drawers. The Project Neat has a handy checklist to help you clear out:
- Collect detergents.
- Clean one area at a time: remove everything and wipe the inside.
- Separate all items into piles: keep. Rubbish. Donate. Recycle.
- Make sure you have at least one work item of every kitchen necessity.
- Organize cabinets, drawers, and counters.
- Bring items back in newer, organized areas.
Buy when reorganizing empty containers and baskets for storing items so that they can be seen and used Drawer organizers for easy access. That will help avoid future clutter and make your next kitchen cleaning so much easier.
