My three-year plan to work out of state turned into 13. When my husband and I finally retired and moved back home, we brought with us an apartment full of stuff and added it to our house (that was already full of 14 more years of stuff). Even though we had sold and given away most of the apartment furniture and our clothing, we still found ourselves bogged down in books, mired in minutiae, and choking on kitchenware. We did not know quite where to start! However, since the kitchen is such an prominent part of life and daily necessities, we decided to start there. We came up with a plan to help us survive our kitchen clutter.
We narrowed down the wide plan to four basic steps: purge-organize-reconsider-add storage. Of course, it would have been more fun to just start with new cabinets and countertops, but it would not have addressed the fact that there was just too much stuff!
Saucepans Stainless Steel
Step one: Purge the cookware and dishes. Get rid of old pots and pans that are aluminum, scratched non-stick, or ugly. These are potentially unsafe and unwanted. Also, give away duplicates. Person else could use a starter set. We ended up with a nice set of cast iron skillets, a cast iron Dutch oven, a favorite stainless steel saucepan and enamel coated stock pot. We were more vicious with the bake ware and kept only the most recent Teflon coated or glass pieces.
Step two: develop pots and pans. When you are down to just your favorite pieces, it does not make any sense to stack them inside each other in a cupboard. Not only will they get scratched, but you do not want to hunt for a skillet in the back of a dark cabinet. A good solution, purchase a pot rack. Depending on your kitchen size and layout, you can pick a ceiling or a wall mounted style. For example, a pot rack could hold eight favorite skillets and have a rack for cookbooks. Duplicate duty! But wait a minuscule before you put it up.
Step three: Clear and consider the walls. Depending on a person's decorating style, many things may end up on walls. Knick knacks, photographs, children's art work, a rack for shot glasses, and pot holders are just a few of the items that may be adding clutter to the walls. Reflect upon your kitchen's style, what things undoubtedly belong on the walls? Be brave and take all down. Clean the walls thoroughly. pick thought about what you put back and pack the rest of it away. You might even find something from an additional one room that will be more appropriate and absorbing in the kitchen. Also, remember the pot rack from step two? Now would be a good time to install it in the excellent place.
Step four: Add storage. After eliminating the clutter and changing what is on the walls, you may feel differently about buying new cabinets and countertops. You should have a good idea of how much space you need and how many things you need a place for. You may have even changed your mind about color and style. This should save you time and money in choosing what other storehouse you may need.
You do not need to let kitchen clutter get the best of you. develop the uncluttering task into four steps. Purge first. Get rid of cookware and other items that you do not like or that are not in good condition. That is the most prominent step. Then cleanup and reorganize your kitchen so that it works good for you. Add a pot rack for skillets and put up more shelves. You may want to change your cabinets. Or, you may determine they are just fine now that you have completed steps one-three!
How to Survive Kitchen Clutter