5 Easy Decluttering Tips for Your Kitchen Counters

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The kitchen is often considered the main hub of the home and that’s why decluttering tips for your kitchen counters can make a big impact. Your kitchen is where you create delicious family meals, entertain guests and make lifelong memories.

It can be a challenge to keep it neat and uncluttered, but that doesn’t have to be true! If your kitchen counters could use some love, you’ll appreciate these practical decluttering tips for your kitchen counters that are simple enough that even your “babies” can participate.

Decluttering Tips for Your Kitchen Counters

Benefits of decluttering kitchen counters:

• More clear space to use in food preparation
• Clear space on your counters makes it easier to keep your kitchen clean
• Clear open space gives you a more peaceful and calm feeling
• Clear and organized counters makes your morning and evenings less stressful
• Clear and organized counters make it easier to find what you need and want

Countertop Appliances

• Purge extraneous countertop appliances – Do you have any small appliances on the countertops – think the toaster, blender, and stand mixer? Editing to identify unnecessary items is always the first step.
• Store appliances correctly –  Keep only appliances on the countertop that you use at least several times a week. Everything else can be stored in a cabinet or pantry or even in the basement, until you need them.  Having the extra space on the extra counter space is invaluable and certainly worth walking a few steps to retrieve an appliance that you rarely use.

Keep Loose Items in a Container or on a Tray on the Counter

• Loose utensils can make the kitchen counters look extremely cluttered and disorganized. If you don’t have room to store them in a drawer, consider using a container on the counter to keep them together.
  • You can use a wide variety of containers, from a large canister to a pitcher or a decorative vase. Keeping utensils near  where they’ll be used ensures they’re easy to grab when you need them most.
• Other small containers, like salt and pepper, sugar or cleaning supplies, can be grouped together on a tray. This contains these smaller items and keeps them from being scattered all over the counter. It’s both a practical limit for the items and reduces the visual clutter by joining them into one contained item rather than multiple scattered items. 

Make Use of a Tickler File

We’ve all come in from a long day and dropped the mail on the counter or kitchen island (at least I hope it’s not just me!). If you’re not careful, it can really start to pile up and clutter up your counter. Create a tickler file where you can store mail and other important papers. It’s all neatly contained in one spot, easy to use and you’ll never find yourself searching for that notice from the DMV at the last minute again!

Give Glasses and Sippy Cups a Home

As a mom of three, I know how those long days with the kids go. Snacks and cups tend to end up everywhere when we aren’t looking. Can you relate? Before you know it, your counter is cluttered with seemingly hundreds of cups.

To prevent the glass clutter, my favorite kitchen counter organization idea works every time. Create coasters for each member of your family and (this is the hardest part!) then make sure the kids (and husbands, ahem) put their glass on their coaster between drinks. Everyone gets one cup or glass per day (I do make exceptions after drinking milk). Sticking to it is important. No more mixed up or unclaimed glasses cluttering the countertop!

Keep Snacks on the Counter in a Bowl or Basket

Rather than letting snacks pile up on the counter, corrall them in a bowl or basket.  Just like the tray tip, keeping snacks in a basket contains all snack items in one spot and reduces the visual clutter. My last tip has extra perks – you get clean countertops and healthier snacks into your kids.

• Fruit bowls are really affordable, and they can really help to keep your fresh fruit tidy and compact. You can either buy one or make your own if you’re feeling creative. I made a crochet version for our home, but there are so many options.
• Stock your basket with healthy fruit, crackers, or granola bars and designate them as the only acceptable snacks between meals!

Bonus Counter Tip: If you have granite counter tops, cleaning them the right way is essential. Now that they are decluttered and organized make sure you deep clean them. They’ll look like new!

If you want to organize and declutter the kitchen counters, these decluttering tips for your kitchen counters are mom-tested and professional organizer approved. Once everything has been purged and given a home you’ll find it’s easier to keep the countertops clean and tidy. Share with me: What’s your best tip for keeping kitchen clutter to a minimum?

Find all my best Kitchen organizing ideas, printables and favorite products in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.