How to Keep Your Kitchen Neat

This week Kathryn Porter, de-cluttering expert and author of Too Much Stuff: De-cluttering Your Heart And Home, is answering questions from my blog’s readers.

Courtney asks:

How do you keep your kitchen neat and tidy when all the things you have in there you use everyday?

Kathryn Porter: Great question! First, I want to tell you that its okay if your kitchen does not look like a model showcase everyday. After all, you live there. The goal is to keep it functional and attractive. Eliminate the clutter and you will find it much easier to maintain a clean kitchen. Here are some recommendations that work well in my home:

1. Keep the kitchen table clear of clutter. A kitchen table with a clear surface is inviting. A clear table makes the kitchen look less cluttered, especially if you store a lot of everyday items on countertop. If you use a table cloth, select a solid color over a print. Table cloths with prints and designs all over them give the table a cluttered feel.
2. Keep countertops clear of clutter. Too much stuff on the countertops gives your kitchen a messy appearance. What items do you place on your countertops? If they are not related to cooking, perhaps they need to find a new home. Watch out for things like mail, kids' crafts, and coupons. It's fine to place appliances you use often on the countertop, but find other real estate for the ones that are used occasionally. If you make coffee only once a month, perhaps there's a better place to store your coffee maker. Remember, every item on the counter needs to be moved to clean underneath it. The less stuff you have to pick up to clean the countertops, the easier they are to clean.
3. Stay on top of the dishes. One dirty dish in the sink invites more.
4. Eliminate or minimize magnets and other vertical clutter on the fridge. A cluttered fridge makes even the cleanest kitchen look cluttered. Plus, it's easier to clean without having to remove a layer of magnets and papers. People often use the fridge to hold appointment memos, phone numbers, invitations, and kids' schoolwork. Consider limiting the number of reminders you post on the fridge. Find a day planner or other calendar system to track appointments. Transfer phone numbers into a rolodex or address book. Instead of hanging children's homework on the fridge, consider creating a "wall of fame" using a large corkboard and hang it in a special area.
5. Clear the tops of appliances and upper cabinet tops. The tops of appliances tend to be clutter catchers, especially the fridge and microwave. The space between the ceiling and upper cabinets are often used for storage in some households, but try to avoid doing that. It makes a small kitchen look smaller and clean kitchen look cluttered.
6. Keep the floor clear of clutter. It's easy to use the floor as a convenient holding spot for groceries. Some people also use the floor for storage of soda purchased in bulk or large containers of juice. Let your kitchen breathe by creating free space on the floor.

When following these guidelines, do the best you can with what you have. Sometimes its not practical to follow each of these to the letter. For instance, my husband loves to make beef jerkey. He bought a heavy, commercial sized meat slicer and a very large dehydrator. These do not fit in the cupboards so the slicer sits on a countertop and the dehyrdrator is stored on top of the kitchen cabinets. Until we remodel or move into a house with a larger kitchen, this is the best arrangement. Do what works for you.

For more about Kathryn, visit www.clutterwise.com/

You can purchase Kathryn's book from my Exploring Adoption bookstore. For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com.