If your countertops are always cluttered, you keep finding duplicate pantry items, and you can never find what you’re looking for, you probably have too much stuff in your kitchen and it may be time to reorganize your space.
“You’ll find that your meal prep will be more efficient, cooking will be more enjoyable, and when it’s time to go to the grocery store, a quick look at your organized food will let you know if you need to add an item to your grocery list or use what you already have at home,” Lauren Saltman, a professional organizer and owner of Living Simplified, says.
We asked professional organizers to share their top six signs that there’s too much stuff in your kitchen as well as their best tips to remedy the problem.
Meet the Expert
- Lauren Saltman is a professional organizer and owner of Living Simplified.
- Sarit Weiss is the founder and lead organizer at Neat & Orderly.
Cluttered Countertops
Experts say cluttered countertops are a clear sign you have too much stuff in your kitchen. Take inventory of your countertops and remove any items that don’t need to be out at all times. Saltman recommends starting with small countertop appliances.
“Keeping the toaster oven and coffee maker that you use daily on your countertops makes perfect sense, but rethink the other small appliances,” Saltman says.
For example, if you only use your bread maker once a month, then consider putting it underneath the countertop or in a pantry, Saltman explains.
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Extra Storage Containers
“If you keep buying bins and storage pieces to add to your kitchen in order to fit more things, take a step back and think about the amount of clutter you’re actually creating and inviting in by doing that,” Sarit Weiss, the founder and lead organizer at Neat & Orderly, says.
Instead of trying to accommodate everything that’s cluttering your kitchen, the expert says you should reduce the number of items you have before going out to buy more storage containers. This way, you’ll actually be able to use everything you have without more clutter building up.
Duplicate Items
While it may seem like having duplicate cooking utensils, measuring cups, and water bottles is practical, if you have too many, it leads to cluttered countertops and overstuffed drawers.
Saltman recommends taking the actual time to gather your items and removing duplicates of ones that you no longer use. This will help clear valuable spaces like your countertops, kitchen drawers, and cabinets. You can also consider donating any excess items especially if you no longer need them.
Excess Expired Food
If you’re noticing expired food in your pantry, cabinets, fridge, and freezer, it’s a sign you have too much stuff in your kitchen.
“If it’s been more than a few months since you’ve taken a close look at your food, set aside an hour or two this weekend to do just that,” Saltman recommends.
Check expiration dates, look for signs of freezer burn on frozen foods, and gather unexpired items you know you won’t use so you can donate them. Dispose of all expired items immediately.
Overflowing Drawers
If you can’t open a drawer without it getting stuck or fully close cabinets after you’ve emptied the dishwasher, a thorough declutter is needed.
Saltman suggests doing this by category, so gather like items together and then review all the items in your kitchen to remove any excess items. Especially keep an eye on broken items or any that you consistently push to the side.
Lost Items
The pros say constantly losing kitchen essentials is another obvious sign there’s way too much stuff in your kitchen.
“Chances are if you haven’t decluttered lately, then you don’t have a home for everything in your kitchen, and items get moved around frequently,” Saltman points out.
Decluttering drawers and cabinets and neatly organizing what you have will prevent losing and searching for items you regularly need.
