How to Declutter Your Kitchen: 3 Hidden Sources of Kitchen Chaos

In this post: Overwhelmed by a messy kitchen? Learn three sneaky sources of clutter in your kitchen and what to do about them.

White kitchen filled with clutter on the countertops.

Picture this: You walk into the kitchen and realize it’s a disaster zone. The cabinets are stuffed full of who knows what, the counters are cluttered and you spend several minutes every day trying to find something.

Let me guess, you have approximately 37 water bottles, enough plastic containers to start a small restaurant, and so many unused gadgets that your drawers have become some sort of kitchen odds-and-ends cemetery. And somehow, despite all this stuff, you still can’t find what you need when you need it. Sound familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone!

The good news is your chaotic kitchen isn’t happening because you’re a bad cook or an unorganized person. It’s happening because kitchens are clutter magnets, and nobody warned us about these sneaky clutter traps that are making our kitchen feel impossible to manage.

We’re going to look at some of the clutter that sneaks into the kitchen and what to do about it.

You might also be interested in: 10 Quick Things to Declutter in the Kitchen

Common Kitchen Clutter

1) The Guilt Gadgets

The Guilt Gadgets are those kitchen appliances that you bought with good intentions but have rarely, if ever, used.

That bread maker you got for your wedding (and used exactly once), the air fryer that was supposed to revolutionize your cooking, and the smoothie maker from your “I’m going to be healthy” phase are all examples of Guilt Gadgets.

Keeping these items in your kitchen isn’t motivating you to cook more because they’re just taking up space and making your kitchen feel cluttered.

Can you imagine how much extra space you would have on your counters if you didn’t have extra appliances sitting on them? It’s time to let go of these guilt-inducing gadgets and make room for the kitchen tools you actually use and love.

2) The “Just In Case” Collection

Another type of sneaky kitchen clutter is your “just in case” items. These are things that you have in case you need them someday.

Often, these items sit buried in drawers or cabinets making it harder to find the things you actually need and use. This could be the four sets of measuring cups in your drawer or enough food storage containers to meal prep for an army

You are well-prepared for the one-off chance you need these extra items, but it makes it harder to be prepared for your daily cooking tasks. When you’re digging through seven spatulas to find your favorite one, you’re losing precious time and creating unnecessary frustration.

As you go through your kitchen tools, really think about if it is an item you need.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you declutter your kitchen:

Have I used this in the past 6-12 months?
If I needed this in the future, could another tool do the same job?
Does having multiple of these items truly make my life easier?

For example, if you have a watermelon cutter, but you always buy pre-cut watermelon, it is probably safe to get rid of. And if you end up buying a whole watermelon next summer, a knife will work just as well!

Pink canister containing kitchen spoons and spatulas.

3) The Hidden Space Stealers

There are hidden space stealers inside your cabinets and pantry. We’re talking about those old spice jars from 2016 that have lost their punch, and the graveyard of half-empty boxes of specialty ingredients from that one recipe you tried last year.

But possibly the biggest chaos creators are the multiple opened bags of the same ingredient scattered throughout your pantry – three half-used boxes of brown rice, anyone? Not only do these duplicates take up precious shelf space, but they can make meal prep more frustrating.

When your pasta noodles are divided between four different boxes and two different shelves, you either buy more unnecessarily or forget what you have entirely. The result? You end up staring at your fully stocked but chaotic pantry, feeling like there’s nothing to cook.

These hidden space stealers don’t just clutter your shelves, they make every meal feel more complicated than it needs to be.

Cluttered kitchen with dishes and kitchen tools all over the countertops. There is an arrow pointing to a circle that says,"Learn 3 Hidden Sources of Kitchen Clutter!"

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How to overcome these space stealers

First, go through your pantry and cabinets and toss any expired items, and the one-off specialty ingredients you aren’t going to use again. If you have snacks/food no one in your family likes, toss those as well. (If they are unopened, you might be able to donate them or give them away in a local Buy Nothing group).

Next, look for your duplicates that are open. There are a couple of options for these items. You can try to combine them into one of the open boxes if there is room. The other option is to decant them into storage containers.

I’ll admit, there was a point in my life when I thought coming home from the grocery store and emptying my new food items into plastic containers wasn’t necessary, but I have definitely changed my opinion on that. Having clear (glass or plastic) containers of your ingredients and snacks makes it easier to see how much you have left. It also eliminates the mess of half-open boxes in the pantry.

I even decant my spices into clear spice bottles in a roll-out spice rack. This has helped prevent me from buying duplicate spices. No more accidentally buying my third jar of cumin because I couldn’t find the first two!

This simple change has not only saved me money but also made cooking more enjoyable; everything is visible, accessible, and ready to use.

So if you struggle with an avalanche of open boxes in your pantry, give decanting groceries a try! Trust me, those few extra minutes spent transferring groceries will save you hours of frustration and unnecessary duplicate purchases in the long run.

White uncluttered kitchen with mostly clear countertops. White cabinets, white counters, and white kitchen stools. Gold and black hardware.

Less Stuff Equals More Enjoyable Cooking

When your counters are piled with clutter and your cabinets are stuffed with extra items you don’t need, it makes it hard to want to cook and makes everything you cook harder than it needs to be.

As you go through and remove the extra clutter from your kitchen, remember your goal isn’t to strip your kitchen bare, it’s to create a space where you can easily access and enjoy using the tools that make your everyday cooking a pleasure rather than a scavenger hunt.

Start with just one drawer or cabinet today, and watch how quickly a decluttered kitchen becomes your new favorite room in the house.

Ready to start decluttering? Begin with the category that resonates most with you:

Clear out those guilt gadgets taking up valuable counter space
Pare down your “just in case” collection to what you actually use
Tackle those hidden space stealers in your pantry

How to Declutter Your Kitchen: 3 Hidden Sources of Kitchen Chaos