Dispose of Unused Kitchenware Using the Box Method
Some kitchen tools are irreplaceable , but others just fly around the kitchen and will never be used again. However, all it takes to clean up your kitchen clutter is one simple process.
In a 2015 post, Kitchn asked his readers for the best tips for reducing the size of cookware, cookware, and other kitchen-related clutter. The cook_at_home commenter suggested a box method that is as simple as it is effective:
Take everything and put it in the box. Only take out something when you need it.
Before taking anything out, consider if there is another way to accomplish the task with what you have.
After a month, move the box to the basement (or other “distant” storage). Present the box after 6 months.
The box method works so well because it makes you feel realistic about your cooking habits. This makes it easy to separate the true needs from the clutter heap. It’s also important to set strict timelines: if you haven’t used something in six months, do you really need to keep it to yourself?
Feel free to modify this process to suit your needs. For example, if putting everything in a box sounds too chaotic, try categorizing your kitchen utensils. Start with bulky appliances, oversized crockery, and anything else that takes up a lot of space. Narrowing down a larger question first can free up so much space that you don’t have to be so ruthless with small tools. You can also increase or decrease the waiting period, depending on how much “remote storage” you have in your home.
We all have kitchen utensils that we bought to do one thing that we once did and never did again, even though we swore we would. Consider this a friendly reminder to take them away from time to time. All of these unused tools just take up space that you could use to store other things, preferably the ones you actually use.
This article was originally published in March 2015 and has been updated on June 14, 2021 with new information and in line with the Lifehacker style guidelines.