Please Do Not Store These Items on the Kitchen Table.
Are you a super-organized minimalist whose kitchen looks like the love child of Marie Kondo and Pinterest? We applaud you. If your kitchen is more like a hassle-free staging area for stuffed toys, mail, hairbrush, stickers and disembodied Lego, we … have a friend whose kitchen is exactly the same. While we don’t personally know what it looks like, we hear it’s kind of a nightmare.
Regardless of your organizational skills (or lack thereof), there are certain household items that simply shouldn’t be kept on kitchen counters. Aside from the obvious anxiety that clutter can cause, there are other good reasons to keep the following items away.
Rarely used kitchen appliances
In a recent study by MasterBrand , 60 percent of respondents said countertop clutter was the main source of stress for home storage, with home appliances the top perpetrator.
Our own research has shown that every kitchen expert on the Internet agrees that appliances that you don’t use on a daily basis should be put away, even if they are difficult to store, and even if pulled out when you need them. Things like blenders, blenders, juicers, bread makers, electric can openers, and even toasters should be put away if you don’t use them every morning. Perhaps a little pantry space could be allocated for these items, if possible.
Knives
Knife blocks not only take up valuable space on your counter and breed bacteria, but repeated blade scratches against wood can become dull over time after being removed. An alternative is wall – mounted magnetic tapes for knives or a special knife box with slots . If you need to keep your knives out of the reach of small children, consider installing a magnetic rack inside a locked cabinet, storing them in a washable knife holder on the top shelf, or in a drawer with a magnetic lock .
Whatever you do, don’t just throw them in a drawer with other kitchen gadgets. In addition to the inherent danger of cutting yourself, the impact of the blade on other metal objects dulls the knife and leaves scratches.
Piles of paper
You washed the dishes, sprayed the counter, swept the floor, and finally you can relax for the night. But wait . Here’s that damn uncontrollable pile of papers full of junk mail, newspapers, coupons, and children’s drawings that need to be thrown away, but you feel guilty. Not only will it steal your sense of peace if it gets wet, it also has a fun paper-cleaning project to spend your “free time” on. If you simply cannot organize them on a daily basis, create a special shelf or drawer in which you will drop them until you can sort them correctly.
Olive oil
Storing olive oil in direct sunlight and away from heat will reduce its quality; and keeping it close to the stove, while comfortable, can cause it to turn rancid more quickly. If your bottles have a large side and can’t be stored anywhere other than a pantry (thanks, Costco), place a smaller amount in a shelf-sized container to store in a closet within arm’s reach (but not next to) your stove.
Spices
You mean those super-cute magnetic spice jars on the side of my fridge aren’t optimal? Unfortunately no. Like olive oil, heat, moisture and sunlight weaken the effectiveness of the spice by breaking down the chemical compounds that give it its special taste and smell. Store them in airtight containers in cabinets away from the stove to prevent them from becoming moldy.
Pantry staples
To somebody hurt if you keep on the table beautiful canisters sugar, flour and pasta? No (except that you may feel deprived of oatmeal). But it’s not for nothing that they are called the pantry . In addition, according to The Spruce Eats , “rancid odor occurs when the fats in whole grain flours are oxidized by exposure to air and moisture.” So proper storage of the flour is essential for freshness and the desired baking results.
Dishes and mugs
Serving plates, trays and even utensils have no room on the countertop. They are not only more susceptible to breakage, but they are also covered with a thick layer of dust and grease that must be washed off when the time comes to use them. It’s the same with mugs and collectible figurines.
Cutting boards
If you want to leave your favorite, commonly used cutting board on the counter, we won’t blame you. (For your sanity, at least push it against the wall, preferably something else that can hold it.) But if you don’t want to rinse and dry the dust every time (and worry that they might still contain some germs that can contaminate your countertop ) are best kept out of sight.
Cookbooks
You can use them often and they can give the aesthetic feeling that you are trying to create. But over time, they’ll be covered in messy kitchen grime, the covers can be tarnished by the sun’s rays, and my pages will stick together. The barefoot countess deserves more.
Take an inventory of your closets. Are there any birthday candles, pot holders, straws, and old restaurant napkins that you can rearrange to make space next to your stove? Remove as much as possible to avoid cluttering your vision, clouding your mind, and forcing yourself to work harder. Because who needs it.