Looking for the top tips on how to keep your kitchen countertops clutter-free? You’ve come to the right place.
If you’re like most moms who like to have everything at arm’s reach, there’s a good chance your kitchen counters are a little overcrowded. No judgment here — I know first-hand how easy it is for countertops to become a hotspot for clutter.
We all love the convenience of reaching for things with ease, and kitchen countertops often seem like the perfect ”catch-all.”
How To Keep Your Kitchen Countertops Clutter Free
Here are 11 tips for keeping your kitchen countertops clutter-free:
- Tip #1 Clear Off the Counters
- Tip #2 Try Some Trays
- Tip #4 Minimize What’s On the Countertops
- Tip #5 Try A Roll Up Dish Rack
- Tip #6 Try A Lazy Susan
- Tip #7 Get Rid of Small Knick Knacks
- Tip #8 Don’t Over-Decorate Your Countertop
- Tip #9 Use Layers
- Tip #10 Mount Things on the Wall
- Tip #11 Invest In Baskets
Besides that, the kitchen is a high-traffic room in our homes, which makes counters the easiest target of clutter courtesy of our family members.
When you declutter your kitchen counters, you’ll enhance your kitchen’s overall look, do meal prep with ease, and have an easier time cleaning and tidying up your kitchen.
Read on as I cover everything you need to know about how to keep kitchen counters clutter-free.
*This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure here.
General Rules of Keeping Your Kitchen Counters Clutter-Free
Life would be much easier if we could simply wave a magic wand over our kitchen countertops and make all those dirty dishes and paper clutter disappear instantly without breaking a sweat.
And even though this can never happen, having a clutter-free kitchen isn’t impossible.
There are easy steps that you can follow to avoid a clutter build-up situation on your kitchen counters.
Step #1 Design a Decluttering Plan
The best way to ensure your kitchen counters aren’t overpowered with clutter is to create a decluttering plan (that fits your schedule).
A decluttering plan will help you stay on track as far as consistently keeping your kitchen counters organized is concerned.
Creating a realistic decluttering plan to conquer your counter clutter isn’t hard. All you need to do is simply note down the kitchen decluttering tasks you can manage to comfortably do each day and how much time you can set aside to complete the tasks.
With such a plan, keeping your counters clutter-free will become a part of your daily routine.
Always remember, 5 minutes is better than no time at all. So, if you only have 5 minutes, use those minutes to work on getting your kitchen counters clutter free.
Step #2 Use “One In, One Out” Rule
The “one in, one out” decluttering rule is a simple yet life-changing concept for anyone aiming for a clutter-free kitchen.
It’s as straightforward as it sounds — Each time you place a new item on your counter, another item must leave. Depending on what the old item is, you can either donate, sell, throw away, or store it in one of your kitchen drawers or cabinets, the choice is yours.
Adopting this rule will help you control the flow of extra clutter on your kitchen counters and achieve your goal of an organized kitchen.
Step #3 Practice Putting Things Away
Instead of letting clean dishes, dirty ones, and other things sit on your kitchen counters for days, make it a habit of putting away items in their designated spot after use. Use those cabinets to clear items off the countertops.
It will take just a few minutes to do this.
When you deal with the clutter immediately, you save yourself the trouble of tackling a bigger cluttered mess later. I know this is a hard one when you have kids, just quietly remind them to put things away after each use. Teach the kids to put their dishes in the dishwasher, and remember, it doesn’t need to be in the perfect spot.
Step #4 Organize Mail and Paperwork
If your kitchen counters have become a landing strip for mail and paper clutter, take advantage of your vertical space by fixing a wall-mounted file hanger somewhere out of the way. I have one upstairs in a closet, no-one can see it but me, I keep to go menus that we like, and important school information, or a family command center works well too..
It’s better to keep the mail and paperwork neatly in one central place rather than letting them pile up on your countertop. Also, always remember to get rid of the old junk mail and unneeded paper clutter.
Get everything you can moved into digital, all our bank statements are online, we don’t receive any statements by mail. Decide as soon as the mail comes in the door, if it is something you have to keep, or if you can toss it.
Step #5 Make a Daily Chore Chart
Keeping your counters consistently clutter-free will be easier if you involve your family members in your decluttering efforts.
Create a daily chore chart that lists the daily decluttering responsibilities you’d want your kids and partner to take part in.
When your household gets actively involved in sorting out the everyday mess on your kitchen counters, walking into a clutter-free kitchen every day will become a reality.
Step #6 Display Very Little
When it comes to your kitchen counters, keep things at a minimum so that your countertop space doesn’t look too crowded.
Aim to only have frequently used appliances on your countertops and hide those you hardly use in your cabinets. The only appliance I keep on my countertop is my air fryer, and my coffee machine. I use them too much to store thenm anywhere else!
For instance, if coffee is one of your daily drinks, it makes sense to always have your coffee pot on the counter, but if you only bake once per week, or use your panini maker at the weekend, then store those other appliances off the counters.
Step #7 Clean A Little Every Time You Go to the Kitchen
Another key secret to an orderly, clutter-free countertop is to clear dirty dishes on it and tidy it up every time you’re in the kitchen.
You’ll be surprised at how huge of an impact these quick decluttering episodes will have on your counters’ overall neatness. Find ways to store things and clear up the clutter. If you have drawers in your kitchen island, what can you store in there and remove from your countertops.
Step #8 Use Hooks
There’s no need to let alot of kitchenware crowd your countertop space when you have the option of installing S hooks on your kitchen wall for extra storage.
With hooks, you can hang knives, mugs, wine glasses, spatulas, and other kitchenware that you often dump on your counters for “easy access.” My sister in law got a gift of one of these and I thought it was brilliant for getting these off your countertops, if, you have an extra drawer you can use.
Step #9 Match Your Finish
Another smart way to make your countertops look neat and appealing is to avoid junking up your countertops with things that don’t blend with your kitchen’s finish. If you’re kitchen is mainly white, you don’t want to have a giant red mixer sitting on your white countertops, it will look off, but a stainless steel one will fit right in.
Step #10 Use Magnets
If you’re yet to use magnets to keep your counters organized, you’re missing out.
Magnetic strips are a game changer if you want to free up space on your kitchen counters.
You can get magnetic strips for hanging house keys and metallic cooking utensils that tend to crowd up counters.
11 Best Countertop Management and Organizing Ideas
If your counters are often overloaded with stuff such that you never have enough space to do meal prep comfortably, these decluttering tips will help you create a clutter-free kitchen you’ll absolutely love:
Tip #1 Clear Off the Counters
Sure, your knife block, stand mixer, and cake stands feel right at home when on the kitchen counter. But must they really be there?
To keep clutter contained, carefully consider every item on your kitchen counter and whether it deserves to take up precious counter space.
If there are things on your countertops you go for weeks or months without using, store them away in your kitchen cupboards or drawers. Yes, you may need to get a step stool to bring them down, but so what.
The only thing I keep on my kitchen counters these are days are my air fryer, my coffee machine, knives (If I had an extra drawer, they would be in there), and my soap dish.
Tip #2 Try Some Trays
Instead of letting related items scatter on your counter, get a few eye-catchy trays to hold these items together (especially if they are things you use frequently)—for instance, cooking oils. I purchased this oil dispenser and mister to get oil off my countertop and into a cupboard – works great.
Grouping some items in a tray will not only make your kitchen countertop look orderly but also make cleaning easier as you’ll lift everything at a go when wiping your counters.
Tip #4 Minimize What’s On the Countertops
Rather than showcasing all your small appliances and cooking tools on the counters, store away those you barely use and leave the frequently-used ones, like your cutting board, on display. I like to store my cutting boards in a thin cupboard I have, they fit perfectly in there. Anything that you use on a daily basis and cannot be put away, should be left out, like a coffee machine. If you can, purchase a coffee maker that goes with your kitchen decor. We have a stainless steel one, because it goes with our design.
Tip #5 Try A Roll Up Dish Rack
Having a bulky dish rack on your countertop can be quite an inconvenience if you’re dealing with limited kitchen counter space.
Fortunately, there’s a space-save dish rack that can sort your clutter and little counter space woes — a roll-up dish rack.
The best thing about this rack is you can lay it across the top of your sink, that means there’ll be no sight of a dish rack on your countertop. And when it’s not in use, you simply roll it up and store it away from your sink. We had one in the RV and it worked perfectly, and kept things neat and tidy.
Tip #6 Try A Lazy Susan
If there’s a clutter buster loved by many on Amazon, it’s the lazy susan organizer.
This rotating storage unit is the perfect kitchen accessory for households with too many countertop items. It offers extra storage space for things that would have otherwise cramped up your counters. I don’t have one in my current home, but I had one previously and used it for storing tupperware and appliances.
Tip #7 Get Rid of Small Knick Knacks
Knickknacks add flair to any room, but they are notorious for making countertops look like clutter zones.
Instead of displaying all the small knickknacks, remove them from the kitchen and find a better place for them to be seen. If you don’t have anywhwere to show them off, maybe it’s time for them to move on!
Tip #8 Don’t Over-Decorate Your Countertop
Decorating kitchen counters is often a great way to inject some personality and vibrancy into your kitchen. But to keep your counters looking organized, avoid displaying too many décor pieces.
Your countertop can still stand out with something as simple as a beautiful fruit bowl or a vase with fresh flowers, maybe you could look at sopme art decor for the walls, or on top of your cupboards, as opposed to on them.
Tip #9 Use Layers
Rather than crowding your kitchen counters with a million things, make use of layers for the much-needed extra storage.
Tip #10 Mount Things on the Wall
If you’re dealing with limited counter space, invest in a wall-mounted storage unit to avoid congesting your counters.
A good example is a kitchen pegboard. You can mount it on your wall and add hooks on it to hang wooden spoons and various cookware.
Tip #11 Invest In Baskets
Baskets offer the perfect opportunity to neatly group items in a central place, which is way better than leaving them spread out on different kitchen surfaces. I bought these baskets to store snacks in my pantry…..on the door. I didn’t have enough room in the pantry with everything else I need to store, so I bought 4 and screwed them onto the door, and they work great! I absolutely love them, they are great for storing, and they look super cute too.
3 Genius Cabinet Organization Ideas (to Achieve Clutter-Free Counters)
Tip #1 Put Shelves on Cabinet Ends
Consider maximizing the vertical space on your kitchen cabinet ends by installing open shelves.
By setting up open shelving, you’ll have extra space to store cooking utensils, cookbooks, large cookware, and other things that shouldn’t be on your counters. Doing this will leave your counters clutter free.
Tip #2 Invest In Cabinet Add-Ons
There’s a lot of unused cabinet space in your kitchen you probably aren’t aware of. You can add extra storage in different areas of your cabinets.
For example, fixing wooden knife racks on the inside of your cabinet doors and adding extra shelves inside your cabinets, to name a few
Tip #3 Efficient Use of Cabinetry
To avoid cramping up your kitchen counter space, use your cabinets efficiently.
For example, you can install drawer dividers inside your cabinet drawers to create more space to place items that don’t deserve a prime spot on your counters.
Drawer Organization Ideas (to Achieve Clutter-Free Countertops)
Tip #1 Use One Junk Drawer Only
Being the hub of your home, your kitchen is bound to be littered with the most random items ever. Make sure you store all the junk items in your kitchen in one drawer, or better yet, don’t have a junk drawer at all.
Containing all these unnecessary things in a single drawer will ensure they don’t end up on your counters.
Tip #2 Hide Knives and Paper Towels
If the presence of paper towels and knife blocks on your kitchen counter makes the room look too busy, install a pullout knife organizer and paper towel rack inside one of your cabinets.
It will be easier to hide these items from your counters. You can also put up a paper towel caddy under your sink.
Easy Tips to Declutter Kitchen Appliances
Tip #1 Clear Off the Fridge
Too much visual clutter on your fridge can give your overall kitchen a cluttered vibe.
Avoid having excess artwork, magnetic stickers, pictures, sticky notes, and other decorative items on your fridge.
Tip #2 Try A Magnetic White Board for Notes
Instead of leaving notes on your fridge every other day, how about investing in a magnetic whiteboard that you can hang on your kitchen wall or on your family command center?
It’s a great kitchen accessory as it allows you to jot down everything in a central place rather than scatter sticky notes all over your fridge.
Tip #3 Look for Stylish Kitchen Tools That Save Space
There are so many space-friendly yet aesthetically pleasing storage units on the market today that you can use to store stuff and free up valuable counter space.
Think of tiered organizers, collapsible food storage containers, and foldable cutting boards, to name a few. I used to have spices sitting on my kitchen countertops, until I bought these and cleared up valuable counter space by storing them in my cupboard.
Tip #4 Keep Appliances Behind Closed Doors
Storing the small and larger appliances (that you don’t use frequently) behind closed doors instead of leaving them out in the open will give your kitchen an organized look.
Consider adding a custom cabinet that will act as your appliance garage.
Kitchen Countertops Clutter Free: Conclusion
Keeping your kitchen counters clutter-free will make a huge difference in your life. When you finally get a clutter free kitchen, you will want to keep it that way!
There’s nothing as frustrating as having to dig through overstuffed countertops to find what you need or having to clear everything from your counter every evening just to create enough workspace for food prep.
Having an organized countertop is a life-changer. By implementing these decluttering ideas, chaotic kitchen countertops will be a thing of the past in your home.
What are your go-to tricks and habits to keep your kitchen countertops clutter-free? Please share with us in the comments below!
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