Clean up Kitchen Clutter With the One Shelf Method
Whether it’s too many items of sentimental value, or you just don’t throw things away for a while, decluttering can be difficult. However, when the kitchen is cluttered, it can be even worse than an overflowing closet or garage because it starts to affect the functionality of the space you use multiple times a day.
We all have this litter box full of sauces packages and menus, but our kitchens may come a little closer to being an elaborate space that makes our daily life a little easier. The One Shelf Method is one way to clean up clutter in your kitchen and optimize your cooking space.
How to Clean Up Kitchen Clutter with the One Shelf Method
Open cabinets or open storage concepts are a way to provide easy access to glass and ceramic ware, and open shelving also means your dishes will be on display. However, if you have too many cups, your shelves will look disorganized and rather cluttered. Lifestyle creator Shifra Combits with Apartment Therapy uses the “One Shelf Method” to organize her kitchen. This method combines the Mari Kondo method with some of the ideals of minimalism.
You start by taking whatever you have in abundance, be it plates, glassware or, in the case of Combiths, mugs, and only keep what you can store on one shelf. She suggests starting with what means the most to you. Then, when the shelf is full, you will stop.
The hardest part is to keep yourself from folding objects to just hold on to them, but try to keep only what you use or absolutely love. If you have champagne flutes from your cousin’s wedding that you never use, chances are they’re just taking up space.
How to sort out excess in the kitchen
Sentimental value is a big part of how a kitchen gets cluttered, but it’s not the only part as it is easy to pile up kitchen utensils that we think will be useful but will end up in the trash bin later. The Clean & Scentsible website offers four good questions to ask yourself when decluttering a space:
- Am I using this?
- Is this item optional?
- Would I buy it today?
- Does this help make my life easier?
Project Neat adds the question, “Have I used this more than once this month?” Basically, if you find excuses to leave something behind, it’s probably a sign that you can get rid of it.
How to prevent future kitchen clutter
After selecting everything you don’t need, clear the space and rearrange the shelves and drawers. Project Neat has a handy checklist to guide you through the cleanup process:
- Collect cleaning supplies.
- Clean one area at a time: Remove everything and wipe from the inside.
- Arrange all items on piles: save. Garbage. Donate. Recycle.
- Make sure you have at least one work item for each kitchen.
- Organize cabinets, drawers, and counters.
- Return items to new organized areas.
When reorganizing, buy clean drawers and baskets to store items so they can be seen and use drawer organizers for easy access. This will help prevent future clutter and make the next kitchen cleaning easier.