Counter clutter never seems to be a part of the picture-perfect home, does it? Well, I can tell you that my counters aren’t ever going to be quite that bare because it just isn’t completely realistic! If you’re here to find ideas for better countertop organization, this post will help with some realistic ways to counteract counter clutter. Your counters may not be clear & pristine, but we can all certainly do better than this!
Counteracting counter clutter begins with some very easy tips. If you live by these simple rules, counter clutter will be so much easier to manage and stay on top of. And once you do that, life just feels a little better–at least it does for me. So here are the things you need to do:
- Don’t store appliances on the counter! Counter clutter happens in large part when we store small appliances on the counter. Are you guilty of this? I know sometimes space is an issue–and if you find this is true for you, I recommend taking a good look at the appliances you’re storing, both on the counter and inside cabinets. Do you actually use all of them? Chances are there might be a few that you aren’t using. Seriously consider getting rid of the ones you don’t use often enough to justify lending them storage space!
- Counter space is for necessities only. Of course, that means it’s up to you to decide what’s an absolute necessity in your household. In general, anything you use multiple times a day could be considered a necessity unless there is drawer or cabinet space for it that’s convenient. Some examples include the coffee maker, knife block, tool caddy or soap and paper towel dispenser.
- Decorations are not necessities. Of course, one or two cute items that you love are okay. I like to keep a bouquet of flowers somewhere on my peninsula counter because fresh flowers make me feel happy every time I look at them. What decorations are important to you?
- Make a new spot for the mail! How many times do you get the mail and then set it on the counter and forget about it? Designate a new spot so this doesn’t happen. A wall mail organizer is one way to accomplish this. Amazon has some inexpensive decorative options.
- All items you use daily need a permanent space to live. Do you have a favorite cookbook or a daily planner that is constantly laying on the counter? Is your phone always charging on the counter? Come up with a permanent space for these items so they aren’t always on the counter. You might consider clearing out the junk drawer to provide a spot for your phone to charge, or for a few favorite cookbooks to live.
- Don’t let dirty dishes pile up! This is a big one. If you make a habit of cleaning up promptly after meals and snacks {and teach the members of the family to do the same} you’ll be surprised at how much it helps to resolve a lot of counter clutter. At least get everyone to rinse their dishes off and put them in the sink out of sight. If they get high enough to be visible–it’s time to do the dishes.
Put these tips into action and you’ll automatically counteract counter clutter in your kitchen. Good luck!
