Whether you have just had a new kitchen installed or are looking for tips on spring cleaning on your existing kitchen it is the perfect time to really think about what you want in your kitchen, minimise clutter and make it as usable and beautiful as possible.  We have put together a checklist of things to declutter so that you can get the best out of your beautiful space.

There are three important questions to ask yourself when going through drawers:

1. Do I use this?
2. Is this item extra?
3. Would I buy this item today if I didn’t have it?
4. Does this make my life easier?

Think about what you use the most, what is essential to you regularly and start with them.  Go in with the positive attitude what do I want to keep rather than the negative what do I NOT want to keep helps me to really decide what I love and what will work properly in the kitchen.

1. Cookbooks – think about only keeping the ones that you use.  If you collect recipes from magazines, perhaps just keep the page with the recipe and collate them all into a recipe journal.
2. Utensils – how many wooden spoons do you really need?  
3. Crockery/ Cutlery – how many sets do you really need?  If you are a family of 4 do you need 15 sets?  If you don’t want to get of these items, perhaps think about storing them somewhere until you need it.
4. Mugs and Glasses – as with crockery – how many do you need on a day to day basis – perhaps store extras away until you need them.
5. Dishtowels and oven gloves – I think we all have a habit of keeping too many.  For the ones that you keep, fold them into rectangular parcels and stand them up on their ends and stack them in the drawer horizontally rather than vertically – in this way you will be able to see what you have and there won’t be stragglers at the bottom of the pile that never get used. If you want more information on folding and storage see Marie Kondo.
6. Mixing bowls – try to be really honest about how many you need.
7. Baking-ware – get rid of anything that is unusable.  Think about what you bake (if you bake) and only keep what you need.
8. Tupperware/ food storage – with more and more people going plastic free and also taking in packed lunches/ saving leftovers there is more need to keep these, but remember, only keep what you really need.
9. Spices – before putting them all away check they are still in date – you will be surprised!  When storing spices, and any other foods, make sure you can see them or bring them all out easily.  A spice rack, inside cupboards is a great way to store them, or in a storage box that you can easily bring out, rather than having to dig to the back of the cupboard.
10. Countertops – keeping the counter tops clear optimises your prep space and also makes wiping the surfaces down a lot easier.  Think about what you use regularly and what you don’t – perhaps it’s worth storing the things that you use less regularly away.   For example if you are using your toaster and kettle everyday regularly it’s worth having them out on the counter top, but if you have a coffee grinder or smoothie maker that you may only use once a day, or a couple of times a week, storing them in a cupboard may be a more useful option.  This helps you figure out what you do use and what you don’t – who knows, you may find that you haven’t used your milk foamer in months – do you really want to keep this?
11. Finally; the bits and bobs – the junk drawer – everyone has one right?  Well, batteries/ Sellotape/ string/ various pens…. Keep them in little storage boxes/ jars so that they are easy to find.  And the medicine – check the dates…. You will be amazed!

We know that it is difficult to get rid of things that you still deem useful and there is nothing wrong with them, but charity shops welcome them and if you have had something at the back of the drawers for years not being used, perhaps it is time that you freed up that space.  Decluttering is a great way to get the best out of your kitchen.

Happy decluttering.