Happy new year! I am excited to be back on the blog for 2021. This month, I am doing a month-long collaboration with The Minimal Mom and several other amazing YouTubers to encourage you to de-clutter this January. Today, we are focusing on Kitchen organization and decluttering.
Have a look at some of the other amazing channels participating in this collaboration. They will be posting their videos all week long. You can see the playlist here. I'm in good company!
In my first book, Lessons from Madame Chic, I wrote a chapter called, Clutter is So Not Chic. This concept was based on Madame Chic's immaculate apartment, which had... no clutter. None.
In this episode, we are focusing on a clutter-free kitchen. Kitchen organization is key to successful cooking. When your countertops are clutter-free, the nightly kitchen clean is also less daunting. If your countertops are filled with things that don't belong in the kitchen, it's very hard to clean. How can you differentiate between what needs to be cleaned up at the end of the night and what needs to leave the room altogether?
⚜️ Featured in the video
E-cloth microfiber cloths Jennifer15 for 15% off
Grove Collaborative natural cleaning
Kitchen Essentials on Amazon (food storage, cutting boards, etc.)
Cleaning Essentials on Amazon (long gloves, etc.)
Wall Organizer and Command Center from 1Thrive
Riverbend Home a great resource for kitchen linens
Necklace by Rachelyn Jewelry code JENNIFERSCOTT gives 10% off
Apron from Inspired by Nikki
Pearl Hair Bow by SKYE Jennifer20 for 20% off
Paper Clutter
We are going to discuss paper clutter in a few weeks, so I won't go into too much detail about it here. But it's important to remove all paper clutter from the kitchen, if possible. If it is not possible, and you must store bills and other important documents in the kitchen, place a basket on the counter that can hold your papers neatly, so they are not scattered across the counter.
Dealing with Appliances
Only keep the appliances that you use on a regular basis on the countertops. The only three appliances we have on our countertops are: the coffee maker, the toaster oven, the electric kettle, and the Kitchen Aid mixer. I use the Kitchen Aid on a weekly, not daily, basis, but I leave it on the counter because it is so heavy and not convenient to move on a regular basis. All of our other small appliances are kept in our pantry: slow cookers, instant pot, rice cooker, juicer, blender, etc.
High-priority Items
When thinking about the functionality of your kitchen, write a list of the items you use the most on a daily basis. For us, it's our pots and pans, measuring spoons, cooking utensils, cutting boards, heat pads, and storage aids (like Saran Wrap and aluminum foil). I have organized these to be next to the spot I use them in. Sometimes in the chaos of cooking or putting things away, the drawers will get a little messy, but I easily am able to put them back in order on a regular basis.
Troubleshoot
Troubleshoot problem areas and be brutally honest. We had these two drawers under our stove that are catch-alls. They did not have any particular purpose. We put everything from coffee tumblers, to Tupperware lids, to little dipping bowls in there. The disorganization of these drawers really bothered me. If you have a spot in your kitchen that nags at you like that, take some time to evaluate it and find out how you can fix the problem. I put all of these little random items in baskets under the counter and was able to clear up that space for casserole dishes and food storage items.
Kitchen Linens
Let's talk about kitchen linens. I have three categories of linens I keep in the kitchen: nice dish towels (to wipe our hands on and be on display), cleaning cloths (like my e-cloths and other cleaning rags), and table napkins and linens (tablecloths, placemats, and cloth napkins). These are situated strategically around my kitchen. The nice kitchen cloths are left of the sink and can easily be accessed if a new one is needed. The cleaning rags are under that drawer in the cabinet down below. The kids know if they need to wipe up spilled chocolate milk, for example, to not take one of the nice dishcloths that could stain, but to get one of the cleaning cloths from down below to clean the mess. The table linens and napkins are on the other side of the kitchen near the kitchen table. Make sure you are subscribed to my channel because I will be doing a video sharing my entire tablecloth routine from start to finish. Everyday we go through a lot of kitchen cloths, linens, and rags, so I keep a rolling bin to collect them all under the counter. At the end of the day, I always wash the rags so they do not collect mold or start to smell. Damp cloths are always kept outside until they are ready to be taken to the laundry room. I try to avoid letting damp cloths sit.
Decorative Clutter
As far as decorative clutter goes, try to look at your kitchen with new eyes. Walk into it as if you are walking into a home you're considering buying. Look around with a fresh perspective. What do you think of your kitchen decorations? Are they adding to the clutter? We might find something we think looks good from a shop and place it in the kitchen as a decor item (think: signs, florals, plants, ceramics, etc.). Do these items really add nicely to the space? Or do they take up valuable counter space and add to the clutter? I had a bowl of pomegranates on my counter from early fall and just left them there as a "decoration", but around Christmas time, even though they had dried up and weren't "bad" necessarily, I realized they looked a bit funky. I had my blinders on because I was used to seeing them everyday, but a large bowl of inedible fruit isn't actually that appealing. The decoration had to go.
Final Thoughts
A well-ordered and highly functioning kitchen is a beautiful sight to behold. You do not need to be intimidated by Pinterest-perfect kitchens you might see online. Just make your kitchen make sense functionally, take full advantage of your storage spaces, prioritize space for the items you use everyday, and keep on top of your cleaning routine.
Take comfort in knowing that Madame Chic's kitchen in Paris was very small and dated by modern standards. Yet it produced some of the most delicious meals I've ever had! You don't need the newest and best to have a great kitchen. You can work with what you have now.
I hope you enjoyed this kitchen decluttering motivation. Let us know what you struggle with the most with your kitchen organization. Or, if you have tips, please share them with us here. Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur.
I hope you enjoy today's video.
News
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Comment of the Week
Garden Girl writes, "The pessimist complains about the wind....the GENIUS BUILDS windmills! You may quote me :)"
Dear Garden Girl, I am going to quote you. Comment of the week! I loved it and shared your quote with Ben. Let's build windmills this year! :)
Happy new year, everyone! I am looking forward to an excellent year of content here on The Daily Connoisseur. I have much to share with you. I hope you enjoyed today's video. Let us know how you organize your kitchen. What are your tips and tricks? Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week. Thanks and see you on Thursday for a new dinners of the week.
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Happy New Year! I was so looking forward to what you would be sharing this week! I look forward to putting some of those valuable tips to good use!
ReplyDeleteScratch my last comment/question, please! I found the link!
ReplyDeleteHappy new year, ladies! Thank you for watching!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Jennifer