Clear the Counters, Clear Your Head: The Ultimate Kitchen Declutter Checklist
Let’s overhaul one of your most hardworking spaces: the kitchen.
Maybe you’re hosting for the holidays, revving up for a healthier New Year, or simply need to hit that massive RESET button to bring order back to your home.
If you are like most of my clients, you’re not sure how to start, so this list has concrete, action items that you can print and check off. Go in any order, whatever feels easiest/fastest, aiming for quick wins.
I’ve included a list of local resources for donation and recycling at the end of the blog.
Focus on one area at a time, and if THAT feels too overwhelming, break it down into smaller jobs like one cabinet (glasses/mugs) or one category (breakfast foods).
Gather the following to prep:
trash bags
a large box or container to gather recycling
a laundry basket to collect any relocate items (your kid’s sock? face wash from a recent shopping trip you never put away?)
empty bins, boxes, or bags for donation; reusable shopping bags are perfect for food donations
Pro tips to get started:
Read the list and just think of the low-hanging fruit you already know you can let go of
Set a timer for 30 minutes and go all in, and do what you can to reduce distractions
Hold yourself accountable by letting a friend or family member know, or even social media if you dare, that you’re committed to this goal
Take your own before and afters of your space or even make a timelapse of you moving through the space—it’s so satisfying to see your own transformation
Have a plan in advance for what you’ll do with the donations—maybe you load your car as you go and then drive them away, OR recruit someone else to be your runner
Categorize as you clear—sort like with like so you can see exactly what/how much you have
AROUND THE KITCHEN (cabinets, drawers, countertops)
Coffee mugs—we all have more than we need: reduce by 5 or by 50%
Reusable cups/thermoses: decide on how many each person needs and pick your favorites, ditch the rest. You can definitely free up a ton of space if you honestly assess what you keep!
Plates/bowls: most people have far more than they need on a daily basis. Over time, we tend to accumulate and therefore have incomplete sets, some with small chips on them, some that—if you stop to really look at it—you may realize you never really liked, or wow, I’ve had this for so long
Real-life example: My semi-newly divorced client was surprised to see she’d had a few peach-colored bowls and matching plates from her first apartment after college. In this empowering session to reclaim her space and have exactly what she wanted and needed, she was able to let go of decades-old dishes and keep her favorites
Tupperware: toss anything that doesn’t have its matching counterpart, let go of any sizes you honestly don’t use, or if lids are cracked or the dish has been overly worn from microwave/dishwasher etc
Pots and pans and allllllll the lids: this is a category that gets away from so many of us. Bringing them all into one space to review can be eye opening. Did you forget you had some of these? Were you gifted a new set that you never unopened? Are some badly burnt and no longer usable? Do you aspire to use a certain one but just…never…do? Don’t beat yourself up. Look for the ones you truly use, make sure you have matching lids, and donate the rest. You can create a TON of space by ruthlessly editing this category.
Dish towels, pot holders, etc: most people don’t even realize how many of these they have. What is a reasonable number for your family? Pull out your faves and the ones that are not burnt/holey or that have years-old stains, and send the rest to textile recycling*
Baking: pull everything out and sort like with like (all the mixing bowls, all the measuring cups/spoons, all the ingredients). It can be surprising how many of something you find here. Take time to be honest with yourself about what you actually use/need, and release the rest.
Appliances: if it’s brand new, unopened in the box and you’ve had it for a year or more, let it go (mini waffle maker). Do you actually use it, or do you just love the idea of it?
Recent real-life example: My client found an unopened pasta attachment to her mixer in the back of a low cabinet. She had forgotten it was there, but was excited to find it, imagining it’d be so sweet to make homemade gnocchi with her daughter. We unboxed it and put a mom/daughter date on the calendar. Everyone loved it their delicious meal!
Duplicates: go through your utensils cup and/or drawer, pick the best of the best and let go of the rest (you don’t need 12 tongs!)
Single-purpose items (grape splitter?)—these add up quick
Plastic and/or baby- or kid-sized dishes and silverware etc especially if they are older now
Aspirational clutter:
baking supplies if you don’t actually bake
all of the make-your-baby’s-food-from-scratch supplies (no shade)
the DIY sushi set you received as a gift
Cookbooks: keep your family recipes or a favorite on you actually use, but ditch the rest!
Papers: appliance manuals, takeout menus, receipts, old recipe papers from a meal prep service
Cleaning products you don’t actually use, or products or attachments for cleaning items you no longer have (an old vacuum, a mop you upgraded, etc)
Samples of products you received but never used, it’s ok to admit you won’t
Serving ware/specialty items for when you host
Real-life example: My clients loved hosting, and had really beautiful pieces. When we categorized and brought all of them together, we counted 7 cheese plates. Coming face to face with what you have, knowing exactly how much/how many, allows you to make the most informed choices of what stays and what goes.
Seasonal items: these are helpful to sort and assess if they’re still important to keep. Do you need this many holiday mugs or seasonal place settings? This is also a category in which you can free up cabinet space by relocating items. Easy example: I commonly see turkey roasting pan, giant serving plate, gravy boat that clients use once a year. It doesn’t need to live in the kitchen, but could go in your Thanksgiving bin in storage.
Expired food (common culprits: spices, snacks, specialty items, anything that’s pushed back in the pantry or cabinet)
Opened but long forgotten cereals, bags of chips, etc
That “healthy” snack you hoped the kids would like but the truth is no one does, and you still have the rest of the pack (or that flavor of something no one likes, etc)
Any pre-Halloween candy, birthday favors, little take-homes from school/community events
Expired and/or gross tasting “healthy” shakes, powders, etc. Or, if you have excess but no longer use, donate if not expired.
Your stash of condiments and sauces from years of delivery/takeout
And finally, let’s look at your bags. It’s time to recycle and keep the best/favorites and donate the rest.
the bag(s) of plastic bags
your collection of brown paper bags
the reusable bags and totes
the lunch boxes, old and current
BONUS: On a roll? How about lightning round:
⚡️expired medications/supplements
⚡️decor
⚡️writing utensils in your junk drawer (bet you have a TON!)
⚡️cutting knives
⚡️wine glasses, champagne flutes, etc
⚡️cutting boards
⚡️pets’ items: food, treats, etc
⚡️vases
⚡️magnets/items hanging on the fridge
⚡️those glass jars you’ve rinsed and sanitized but never used
⚡️clear off the top of the fridge and cabinets!
LOCAL RESOURCES (New Castle County, DE):
Safely dispose of household hazardous waste with the Delaware Solid Waste Authority
How to donate unopened/not expired food:
Find a nearby Little Free Pantry
Local nonprofits that accept gently used donations of all of the above items: Phoenix Family Resources (*also offers FREE textile recycling), Forget Me Not Families, Friendship House, CHILD Inc., Hope on Deck
Please remember that decluttering is a practice, and not a one-and-done event. Sometimes you’ll do a first pass and remove 5 travel mugs, but then after a week or two of continually reaching for the same one, you can pare down a few more. There’s no right or wrong way. It’s meant to be a guide to help you LET GO of what you don’t really use/need/love.
No judgment if you want to call in a professional. Having a thorough refresh of your kitchen is a gift you can give yourself and your family. I’ll invite you to try a virtual session or sign up for my waitlist for an in-person session.