The KITCHEN………. Is it dé-cor or de-clutter?
What are you comfortable leaving out on your kitchen counter? Decorations, functional kitchen items, etc. Me? I like a nice, clean, clear counter space. Do I have it? Generally, no. Newspapers and the mail, phones and chargers, books and bags usually find their place where I would much prefer nothing. I could point a finger but I promised him I would never do that in an article. I do place a decorative item on the counter it is usually flowers or a holiday decoration. Kitchen appliances are not my favorite countertop décor, BUT, I also don’t want to drag my toaster out every morning either. I guess I choose to have these unsightly domestic devices (toaster, food processor, stand mixer) be handy and within easy reach than to have them tucked neatly into another cupboard and not handy at all. There’s no way I’m going to haul my kitchen stand mixer from one place to another when I want to use it. It’s HEAVY!
But here are a few tips to tidying things up a bit:
Sort, toss, organize, put away……..these are the hallmarks of any de-cluttering operation.
Sort ~ this is at the heart of any successful de-cluttering campaign. DECISIONS, DECISIONS!
- Is this item trash? THROW IT!
- Does it belong somewhere else? Put in a “put away” box
- Should I donate this? DONATION PILE (I hate the word “pile”, that’s where the need to de-clutter started) so let’s say donation box
- Seasonal item? Put it in an appropriate “seasonal” bin
Evaluate the newly vacated cupboards and pantry, dust and wipe all those crumbs and unidentified food particles. Add some new shelf-lining (I love shelf lining, especially the non-skid kind with the holes. Particles fall right through and make for easy shelf cleaning). Also, a good time to wipe clean any jars with sticky fingerprints.
Only a couple things left to do. Put away all the things in the “put away” box and drive to the donation center in your area and drop off your “donation” box before you change your mind.
Well, to each our own. I have decided over my several years (I refuse to say “many”) that my kitchen is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy.