Open any kitchen cabinet in America and you will probably find at least one thing that has not been touched in years. A chipped plate, a lidless container, a jar of paprika from another decade.
Professional organizers see this every day, and they have strong opinions about what should go. A feature on AOL.com collected advice from several of them, and a piece on Apartment Therapy added more.
Here are 9 things those organizers recommend clearing out, with the person who said it and a plain-language reason for each. Do this first, and you may find you do not need another storage container at all.
Takeout Containers, Plastic Cutlery And Condiment Packets Are Crowding Your Drawers
Ashley La Fond, founder of the home organization company Of Space + Mind, points to these freebies as drawer cloggers in the AOL feature. They pile up quickly and take space from the things you actually use.
Her suggestion is to put them to work in packed lunches or to stop requesting them in the first place.
If you have a junk drawer full of those little packets, this one is a quick win. Gather them in one pile and decide in a single sitting what you will really use.
Extra Appliances Are Hogging Prime Real Estate
Laura Price, founder of The Home Organisation, says to keep the appliance that does the most jobs. She also suggests dropping unused attachments.
If you own three gadgets that all chop, blend or toast, that advice can free up a whole shelf.
It also means fewer cords, fewer parts and fewer lids to lose track of, which makes the cabinet easier to keep tidy week after week.
Containers Without A Matching Lid Are Not Doing Anything For You
La Fond says containers without a matching lid are not useful. Anyone who has dug through a cabinet avalanche of plastic knows exactly what she means.
Leslie Kilgour of Get It Straight, a Long Island, New York organizer quoted by Apartment Therapy, adds that mismatched or warped containers add clutter. Shantae Duckworth of Shantaeize Your Space recommends a streamlined set of glass or silicone containers.
Bulk Buys Can Swallow A Small Kitchen
Price says surplus stock can make a small kitchen unmanageable. Her advice is to store only what fits.
She also says to donate in-date surplus food to food banks rather than letting it sit.
That turns a cramped cabinet problem into a chance to help someone else, which feels a lot better than tossing it.
A Mountain Of Reusable Bags Is Still A Mountain
La Fond recommends keeping a few reusable bags, then recycling or donating the rest. She says to store the ones you keep where you will remember them.
The idea is that bags you never grab are only taking up room.
Try keeping a small handful by the door or in the car, and let the rest go to someone who will use them.
Chipped Dinnerware Is More Than An Eyesore
Michelle Urban, a professional home organizer and owner of The Organized House, flags chipped dinnerware because chips have sharp edges and cracks can harbor bacteria.
That makes it one of the easiest cabinet clean-outs to justify.
If a favorite plate has a chip along the rim, it may be time to say thank you and let it go.
Expired Spices Have Lost Their Flavor
Urban says spices lose flavor and potency over time. It is a common cabinet resident that many cooks forget to check.
She suggests keeping a list of the spices you discard so you can restock the ones you use.
Pull every jar down at once, check each one, and you will quickly see how many you have been holding onto out of habit.
Owner’s Manuals Can Often Be Replaced By A Quick Search
Most product information is available online, according to Urban, so manuals for small or simple devices can go.
That clears a whole drawer in many kitchens, and you can always look the manual up later if you need it.
A single folder for the few manuals that truly matter can replace the whole stack.
Too Many Mugs Take Over The Cabinet
Duckworth, quoted by Apartment Therapy, says many mugs go unused for years yet take up valuable cabinet space.
Keep the favorites you actually reach for, and give the rest a chance to be used by someone else. A cabinet with breathing room is easier to keep tidy.
A smaller collection also makes it easier to see what you already own, so you stop buying duplicates.
A simple test to carry through the kitchen is to ask whether you have used each item lately. Go one shelf at a time, with a donation box and a trash bag nearby, and take a quick before and after photo so you can enjoy the progress you made. Seeing the empty space is its own reward.
None of this requires a big budget or a weekend. Pick one cabinet, take everything out, and put back only what earns its spot. Many of the organizers quoted above frame decluttering as a first step before buying anything new.
More Stories You May Like
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- Impulse Buy Kitchen Gadgets Sit Unused In Your Drawers, So Try The One Year Rule And Sell Or Donate Anything You Have Not Touched Since Last Year
