Decluttering the Kitchen: Tips for a Tidy and Functional Space

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Your kitchen has become a dumping ground for takeaway menus, expired spices from 2018, and plastic containers without matching lids.

The drawer that should hold cutlery is now home to rubber bands, batteries, and three broken corkscrews. Your worktop has approximately six centimetres of usable space.

But here's the relief: you don't need to be a minimalist Instagram influencer to sort this out.

With a proper approach, you can transform your cooking space from chaos into somewhere you'd genuinely enjoy making a cup of tea. So, let’s get started.

Start by Emptying Everything Out

The biggest mistake people make is trying to declutter while everything is still crammed into cupboards.

Pick one area—maybe the cupboard under the sink or your utensil drawer—and completely empty it onto your counter.

Things will look worse before it gets better, and that's normal and actually essential.

Once everything is visible, you'll see exactly what you're working with. All four of those potato peelers you didn’t even know you owned are now exposed. This method works brilliantly in compact kitchens, where space is limited, and organisation is essential.

Sort Items Into Clear Categories

Now that everything is out, create four distinct piles: keep, donate, bin, and relocate.

The 'keep' pile is for items you actually use, not things you might use someday. Anything in good condition that no longer serves you goes in the 'donate' pile, and charity shops are always grateful for these contributions.

The 'bin' pile is for anything broken or unhygienic. Items like cracked chopping boards or Tupperware with lingering odours should go straight here. Next, the 'relocate' pile is for items that belong in another part of the house.

Check Expiry Dates on Everything

Tidy kitchens shouldn’t hold on to food from the previous decade. So, start by going through your cupboards, fridge, and freezer systematically, checking every single date without exception.

That tin from 2016 should go in the bin, and the spice blend you bought for one specific recipe can be discarded. Condiments are particularly tricky—they often sit at the back of the fridge for years, but you’re unlikely to ever use that obscure chutney.

Be just as strict with frozen items. For example, if you can’t identify what’s in that frost-covered bag, it’s not worth defrosting. Clearing out expired items will free up a surprising amount of space and make your kitchen far more functional.

Assess Your Kitchen Equipment Honestly

Here's an uncomfortable truth: you don't need seventeen wooden spoons, five whisks, or three sets of measuring cups.

Pull out all your cooking utensils, pots, pans, and gadgets, then ask yourself honestly when you last used each item.

If you haven't touched something in the past six months, you probably won't miss it. The exception is seasonal items like cake tins for Christmas baking, which get a pass.

Duplicate items rarely serve a purpose unless you're regularly cooking for large groups. One good chef's knife beats five mediocre ones taking up valuable drawer space.

Kitchen gadgets are the worst offenders. That spiraliser gathering dust and the egg separator you’ve used only twice are cluttering your kitchen while adding no value to your cooking.

If your kitchen feels cramped, this is your chance to reclaim proper working space by keeping only what you genuinely use.

Tackle the Dreaded Tupperware Drawer

Every kitchen has one: the chaotic drawer or cupboard where plastic containers breed, and lids mysteriously vanish into another dimension.

Empty the entire thing out and match every container with its proper lid.

If a container doesn’t have a lid, simply bin it. Lids without containers should also be discarded. It’s best not to hold onto pieces hoping the missing part will turn up later.

Keep only what you actually need. For most households, that's about six to eight containers in various sizes.

Make sure to stack containers with their lids on to see exactly what you have at a glance. Better yet, nest them inside each other with lids stored separately in a small basket or box.

The difference this makes to your daily life is genuinely remarkable. No more avalanches when you open the cupboard or search for ten minutes to find a matching lid.

Deal With Worktop Clutter

Your worktop is meant for cooking, not collecting things, so it needs to be mostly clear. Look at everything currently living on your counter.

The toaster belongs on the counter if you use it daily, and the bread bin is practical to keep nearby. The decorative bowl filled with random bits, however, adds clutter rather than function.

Small appliances you rarely use—the sandwich press, the slow cooker, the juicer from your health kick phase—should be stored in cupboards or relocated entirely.

Aim to keep your worktop clear except for daily essentials. This might mean finding cupboard space or accepting you don't need that fourth small appliance.

For those with particularly stubborn clutter or overwhelming kitchens, apartment cleaning services in the UK can provide a proper deep clean and organisation session that creates a fresh starting point.

Maximise Vertical Space and Hidden Storage

Tidy kitchens make use of every available centimetre, including the vertical space most people ignore.

Install hooks on empty wall space or the inside of cupboard doors for mugs, utensils, or tea towels. This frees up valuable shelf and drawer space instantly.

Stack shelving inside cupboards creates double the storage from the same footprint. This is perfect for plates, bowls, or tinned goods.

Additionally, magnetic knife strips mounted on walls keep knives accessible while clearing drawer space for other items. They're also safer than rummaging through drawers full of sharp objects.

Use the space on top of your wall cupboards for items you rarely need, like serving platters or seasonal equipment. Just keep it tidy rather than turning it into a dumping ground.

In UK kitchens where space is often at a premium, thinking vertically transforms your storage capacity without requiring actual building work.

Conclusion

And with that said, you can now turn your kitchen chaos to functional cooking space that doesn't require superhuman organisational skills.

You've stuck with this guide all the way through, which means you're serious about sorting your kitchen, and that's already half the battle won.

Now comes the satisfying bit—actually doing it. Pick a weekend, put on something decent to listen to, and reclaim your kitchen from the chaos. Your future self, making breakfast in a tidy space with actual worktop room, will absolutely be thankful that you did.