Quick Kitchen Decluttering: 10 Tasks to Tackle in Under 10 Minutes
Quick and Easy Kitchen Decluttering Tasks
In this post: Check out 10 quick and easy kitchen decluttering tasks that can be done in 10 minutes or less! Decluttering your kitchen doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Does the clutter in your kitchen leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? Decluttering your kitchen can seem like an intimidating job, but it doesn’t have to be. I’m a big fan of breaking big projects down into smaller tasks. This makes the job less overwhelming. In this post, I am going to give you some ideas for smaller kitchen decluttering tasks you can do in less than 10 minutes.
I am a procrastinator by nature, and often I put things off because I think something will take me too long to do. So the task goes undone. By the time I finally do the project, I realize it didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would take, and I regret waiting so long to do it.
That is why I came up with this list of quick kitchen decluttering tasks that can be done in a spare moment.
By tackling the clutter in your kitchen, I hope you are inspired to cook more and enjoy your time with family and friends. Decluttering the kitchen isn’t just about getting rid of a lot of stuff, it’s about creating a space you want to live in that you love.
Whether you are decluttering your kitchen for spring cleaning or looking for quick kitchen decluttering tasks, keep reading for my favorite kitchen decluttering ideas.
You might also be interested in: Quick Living Room Decluttering Ideas , Quick Bathroom Decluttering Ideas, and Quick Bedroom Decluttering Ideas
Things to Keep in Mind When Decluttering Quickly
If you give yourself 10 minutes a day to focus on these smaller tasks, you will be on your way to a decluttered kitchen. When I created this list, I focused on easy tasks that you can do in a small amount of time and don’t require you to pull everything out of your kitchen at once.
Use this list as a guide, you don’t need to go in the same order listed here. Make it work for you. If you don’t have cookbooks, find a different collection you have in your kitchen to go through.
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Decluttering Supplies
Before we get started with the kitchen decluttering list, here are a few supplies you will want on hand.
- Trash bag
- Box or bin for donations
- Another box/bin for items that might need to go somewhere else in the house
If you run across something that you want to keep, but doesn’t belong in the kitchen, put it in this bin for now. When you get a chance, put it where it belongs. I don’t want you to lose focus on the 10-minute task by running around the house dealing with other things.
- Towel for wiping down surfaces
Even though we aren’t focusing on cleaning during these tasks, it’s often a great time to wipe down a drawer or shelf. I love microfiber towels that just need water.
10 Things to Declutter in the Kitchen in Less Than 10 Minutes
1. Expired Food in the Refrigerator and Pantry
Check the dates of everything in your fridge and pantry. If anything is expired or questionable, toss it. Any food that you know no one is going to eat, throw that away too. If the item isn’t opened or expired, you can also donate it to a local food pantry.
2. Tupperware/Plastic Food Storage Containers
Go through all of your plastic containers and make sure every piece has a lid. If you have orphaned lids or containers, go ahead and discard them. If you find any cracked or broken pieces, throw them away. These can take up a lot of space, so make sure you need everything that you choose to keep. Donate any items that you don’t need or use.
3. Utensils
Go through all of your cooking/baking utensils and donate anything that you never use or any that are duplicates.
There isn’t a magic number of what to keep, but be realistic about how you use your kitchen tools. If you never use fresh garlic, do you need the garlic press in your drawer?
4. Old Kitchen Towels
Inspect your kitchen towels, dishcloths, and potholders. Remove any that are stained or frayed. It’s okay to keep a couple of old towels around for messy tasks, so you don’t get your nice towels dirty. I like to have a dark towel on hand for those messes or for wiping out my cast iron pans that sometimes leave a black residue. But you probably don’t need a whole stack of stained towels.
5. Small Appliances
Check the small kitchen appliances you have in your kitchen. Donate or sell any that you no longer use (or have never used!).
I know this can be a tricky one if you had good intentions to use that Instant Pot and spent good money on it, but if it is not serving you, you don’t need to store it. Read this post if you struggle with decluttering guilt.
6. Cookbooks
Review your cookbooks and get rid of any you no longer use. If there are just a few recipes you use from a cookbook, consider typing them up and saving them to your phone or using a digital recipe organizer such as Plan to Eat.
7. Chipped or Unused Dishes and Glasses
Examine your cupboards for any dishes, mugs, or glasses that are cracked or chipped, or that you no longer use. Donate or recycle them.
8. Old or Unused Spices
Go through your spices and remove any that are old or that you never use. Here is a list to reference how long spices are good for. If your spice rack or spice drawer is overflowing, don’t let spices you never use take up valuable real estate.
9. Refrigerator Magnets
You don’t have to have a magnet-free refrigerator, but evaluate the magnets that you have. Remove any that don’t stay up well or that you don’t love or need. Fewer magnets can help your kitchen feel less cluttered.
10. Junk Drawer
Quickly go through your junk drawer and remove anything that is no longer useful or is broken. Check pens to make sure they work. Recycle papers you no longer need. Remove items that don’t need to be kept in the kitchen.
I realize that this one might need a little longer than 10 minutes, depending on your drawer or if you have more than one junk drawer. Don’t be intimidated though, you might be surprised by how quickly it goes. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and if you don’t finish, you can come back to it the next day. It’s about progress, not perfection!
10-Minute Kitchen Decluttering
Decluttering your kitchen doesn’t have to be a scary process that requires you to pull everything out in a weekend. By taking 10 minutes a day to declutter and working on targeted spaces, you can create a more organized and efficient kitchen space. And who knows…when your kitchen is clutter-free, it might inspire you to declutter other areas of your home!
Related Decluttering Topics
- How to Organize a Cluttered Kitchen
- How to Let Go of Clutter and Anxiety
- Easiest Decluttering Method
- Quick and Easy Bedroom Decluttering Tasks
- 10 Minute Bathroom Decluttering Tasks
