Decluttering your home can be overwhelming if you look at the BIG picture. So don’t. Instead take on a sliver of the big picture; a kitchen cabinet. Cabinet by cabinet, drawer by drawer, you can declutter your whole home.
1. Target a cabinet
Pick a cabinet any cabinet. This kitchen cabinet suffers from randomness and too much stuff.
2. Take everything out
3. Clean the cabinet
This is a very rewarding step. Dust and dirt that you didn’t see before suddenly leap out at you. Wipe it away and start fresh.
4. Purge
- Remove things that should be elsewhere
- Make a pile of useful things you don’t use: the giveaway pile
My giveaway pile includes a few one-off glasses, a duplicate steamer, and a plastic measuring thing that I’ve never used. Be honest. Get rid of things you don’t use regardless of how you acquired it or how much you paid for it.
5. Group alike items
Next organize things into groups. Once grouped you can see what you have and purge a bit more. Do you really need two sets of measuring cups? Or maybe you have five mixing bowls, but you really only use three.
6. Put things in the cabinet
What do you need in your cabinet? Before you put things back, think about how often you use things. Put the things you use most on the lowest shelf, and the things you use less often on the highest shelf.
My shelf breakout
- Mixing and serving bowls
- Pyrex food storage containers and colander
- Wine glasses and a large serving plate
Ah, peace and order now reign where there was previously chaos. The whole process took maybe 15 minutes (plus the blogging time). Do one 15 minute project a day and your home will be decluttered in no time.
“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris
Nice job! The one-at-a-time, 15 minute rule works great for me.
The wine glasses would be on the closest shelf in our house!
Thanks for re-inspiring me to go through my house. I started with my dresser top and it’s amazingly clean now. I think I’ll have to work my way up to the kitchen.
Well done! this looks great. I love it when things are de-cluttered!
Got a good chuckle out of your comment about my fine fashion sense. The 1986 version of hunting gear was really fashionable — matchy matchy indeed!
~smile~