Keeping your kitchen countertops clear of clutter not only keeps them looking good, but it also prevents accidents from coming about. Wondering how to keep kitchen counters clear? Here are tips on how to do it:
Have as little as possible on your countertops
This is the foundation of everything. Instead of having plenty of things on your surfaces, store them in organized cabinets and drawers. Save your countertop space only for the absolutely necessary essentials.
Many homeowners treat their countertops as drop-offs for keys, magazines, dirty dishes, and other items. Don’t do this.
When it comes to appliances, only have the absolutely essential ones. These are the ones that you use every day, such as coffee makers, cookers, toaster, oven, and others. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t used it for a week, you don’t need it on your counters. Lock it up.
Don’t use the fridge as an art gallery.
Visit many homes, and you will find all things on the refrigerators: photos, notes, lists, magnets, and plenty of other things. You might have the impression that this makes you look cool, but it’s not the case. It actually makes the kitchen look dirty and disorganized.
For a cleaner kitchen, keep it simple. If you have no emotional connection to a photo, don’t need that note or magnet, get rid of it.
Have a catch-all bowl
It’s normal to have papers, knickknacks, and other small items here and there. Since you can’t always put these in storage all the time, you should have a junk bowl on your countertops to catch the items.
At the end of every week, sort through the collection and put the different items in the right place.
If you must have things on your counters, don’t leave them haphazardly there. Place them on trays or stands to avoid the messy hodge-podge look.
Stick the microwave in your kitchen island
The microwave is large and can take up a huge chunk of the precious counter space. Unfortunately, you can’t put it in the cupboard and be pulling it in and out every time you want to use it.
What is the solution to this? Stick it on the kitchen island.
Make your sink multifunctional.
When buying a new sink, go for one that performs more than one function. For example, you can go for one with mini ledges inside the sink that make it easy to easily pop in the drying rack, cutting board, wash pan and at the same time have space to stack and wash the dirty dishes.
While such a sink will be a little expensive, it will be worth it as it will save you a lot of space.
Add pretty but functional items.
You should note that having clutter-free counters doesn’t mean you can’t have anything on them. You can have your desired items, but they should be attractive and add some functionality to your counters.
For example, you can have jars on the counters that look pretty and carry grains and other materials.
Have decluttering rules
If you have many people living in the same house, have rules that will keep the counters clear. Some of the rules you can have include:
- Dirty dishes should always go directly in the sink or dishwasher but never on the counter.
- After cleaning the dishes, always clean the countertop surfaces.
- Don’t place the paperwork on the kitchen counters.
- Kitchen cabinets and drawers should always stay organized all the time, so every item in the kitchen has a place.
Add storage areas on your counters.
For items such as knife blocks and others that take up a lot of space, add more storage areas. Some of the storage ideas you can use to your advantage include:
- Hook for keys
- Wall hanging fruit basket
- Wall-mounted paper towel holder.
- Shelves for cookbooks
- Wall-mounted racks for commonly used spices.
- Magnetic strips or backsplash for knives and other utensils
You can also have a pocket inside your cabinet door to store your baking sheet and cutting board. Like your granite countertops Durham, keep the storage areas clean and free from unnecessary junk. You don’t want them messy and disorganized.