5 No-Fail Tips for Uncluttered Counters All Year Long

Countertop space is precious, and clutter stands in the way of glorious, wide-open spaces that help you function in the kitchen. When stuff is everywhere, you have to move it every time you wipe the counters. You sacrifice precious prep space. And that same stuff subtly clouds your thinking and saps attention from the task at hand. When you banish clutter from the kitchen, you’re more likely to use the room as intended, make dinner, and eat at home.

1. Clear as You Cook: Instead of waiting until the end of meal prep to put away ingredients and supplies, do it as you go and finish what you start. There more likelihood you’ll have the energy and drive to tidy then vs. after you’ve sat down with your family to eat, helped with homework, or paid that mound of bills piling up on your desk.
2. Look at Your Landing Strip: If your counter is constantly covered with mail, keys and bags — or similar non-cooking related repeat offenders — it’s probably because you don’t have a proper space for them when you walk through the door. Establish a proper landing strip or entryway organizer, instead of relying on kitchen space to accommodate overflow or take up the slack.
3. Choose Space-Saving Features: You might not be in the position to renovate right now, but when you are, consider kitchen fixtures that keep things off your counters. Wall-mounted faucets, under-mounted microwaves, and built-in appliances all free up space. Until them, try more temporary solutions, like sponge holders that suction to your sink, or wall organizers that take the pressure off your horizontal spaces.
4. Do a Nightly Clutter Blitz: Clutter breeds more clutter. So, much like you might reset your living room each night before you go to bed, do the same thing for your counter space. We’ve suggested these five things to do ten minutes before bed, but consider adding your a quick counter sweep to this list.
5. Store Unused Things Out of Sight: Not every home comes with a handy-dandy appliance garage. But you can still try to find a spot for your coffee maker, food blender, or toaster, and get bulky appliances off the kitchen counter and out of your hair until you need them. Yes, you probably use your coffee maker every day. But that blender that you use to make frozen drinks once a year can get stashed elsewhere. And that “As Seen on TV” pancake flipper thing that you never used can go even further — in the donation bin.

• In case you consider your pets clutter, here are our Tips for Keeping Cats Off Kitchen Counters
• And to freshen up on your anti-clutter mindset, read The 10 Commandments of a Clutter-Free Life; and lastly:
• And if you want to eke out more counter space try these Space Savers: 6 DIYs to Make the Most of Cramped Kitchen Counters

Re-edited from a post originally published on 1.25.15-NT