When you think about seasonal cleaning and reorganizing your home, it can sometimes be easy forget about the kitchen and its clutter.
The counters may be wiped down frequently and items stored away, but when is the last time you truly went through and purged your cabinets? Chances are, it’s been a while.
“This makes for a great opportunity to be able to actually see what groceries you have in the house as well as kitchen utensils and appliances,” says Lauren Sadlon, owner of Neat Method Northern Virginia.
“If you don’t know what you have, then you go out and buy more and then before you know it, you have seven slotted spoons when really two would be sufficient,” Sadlon says. “It ends up being both a money and time saver.”
And think about how refreshing it will feel the next time you go to cook in an organized, decluttered space.
Start with the Refrigerator
In your refrigerator, condiments often get overlooked and overpurchased, especially during cookout season.
It is a good practice to sort through these from time to time to make sure they are not old and that you don’t have multiples.
“Look for any sauces that you haven’t used in a while and be sure to check for expiration dates,” says Sadlon. “I find that in the summertime, I tend to be on the go a lot more and maybe not cooking as much so sometimes things sit in the fridge for longer than usual.”
Another big one in the refrigerator is drinks.
“Take a look at any juices, sodas or other drinks that maybe you bought for a party or other people brought and left that your family isn’t necessarily consuming,” says Sadlon.
Check Your Frozen Food
Don’t neglect the freezer section. Just because the food is frozen doesn’t mean it is all still good to eat.
“Going through the freezer is another great opportunity to clear things out and make some room,” Sadlon says.
“Look for any frozen food that you may have stored in Ziploc bags that now has some freezer burn on them,” she says. “Those are not going to taste as fresh.”
Sort Through the Pantry
The pantry tends to turn into an endless pit of half-eaten bags of chips or pretzels, expired baking goods, a random assortment of granola bars, and more.
To avoid this kitchen clutter, Sadlon recommends trying to go through the space at least quarterly to keep up with any food that has gone bad or won’t be eaten.
Look for anything that is past its “sell by” date or has gone stale.
“Ingredients that you may have gotten to bake something is a big one that people tend to forget about until the holidays come back around,” says Sadlon.
For example, you’re probably not going to get around to using that pumpkin again for a couple more months, so taking the time to look at those dates would be helpful.
Venture into the Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are used to house all sorts of things from spices to dishes to small appliances.
“For the spice cabinet, this is another area where you will want to pay attention to any expiration dates,” says Sadlon. “While some dried spices may not necessarily go bad, they will lose their freshness and maximum flavor.”
As for the other cabinets, look for anything that is broken or chipped or that may need to be replaced.
It’s also a good time to take a look at your pots and pans to determine whether they are still in good shape. Is it time to dispose of them or could they be donated?
“And anything that you quite frankly just don’t use, it’s time to let that go as well,” Sadlon says. “This helps make room for new opportunities in the kitchen.”
Tackle that Junk Drawer
Finally, the dreaded junk drawer.
“It’s always a good idea to take some time to clean out your junk zone or junk drawer because stuff can definitely accumulate in there, especially with things you don’t ever use,” says Sadlon.
In fact, it could be useful to sort through all your drawers to ensure there aren’t other things you could be getting rid of to make space.
“You don’t have to take a lot of time,” says Sadlon. “You could just spend five minutes going through a drawer and if you do one a day for a week and by the end of the week, you’ll be done.”
Sorting through your kitchen clutter doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
“If it feels like a daunting task, tackle it in sections,” Sadlon says. “Then, once you’re done, you will be edited and purged and just feeling lighter.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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