If your kitchen is full of clutter from other rooms, contains plenty of gadgets you rarely use and has an disorganised messy drawer, then it needs a clear out, according to experts.
Decluttering advisers have revealed to Good Housekeeping the items that ultra-tidy people would never have in their cooking space – and their list features things that most people are guilty of having in their kitchen.
From duplicates of the same utensils to bulky appliances that stay in their boxes and never get used, these are the items you should seriously think about donating to a charity shop or throwing out if you want a clutter-free kitchen.
1. GIMMICKY GADGETS
Quirky gadgets such as avocado slices have no place in a clutter-free kitchen, according to the experts
Avocado slicers, egg peelers, and herb strippers: there are plenty of gimmicky food gadgets you can buy nowadays.
But Vicky Silverthorn, decluttering expert and author of Start With Your Sock Drawer, told Good Housekeeping that you should avoid buying these if you want a tidy, clutter-free kitchen.
‘In the 50s people got along fine with just a simple knife for cutting, slicing and coring,’ she said.
‘If you are truly looking to lead a less cluttered life, go back to basics and ditch the gadgets. I doubt you’ll miss them – I certainly don’t.’
This also applies to large appliances you never use anymore that stay in their boxes for life after trying them out a couple of times.
If you haven’t used your candyfloss maker or fondue set in more than a year, it’s time to donate it to the charity shop.
2. DUPLICATES
Most households have ended up with two or more of the same utensil but Helen Sanderson, decluttering expert at Ministry of Calm and author of The Home Declutter Kit, says this isn’t necessary in a tidy household.
‘I don’t keep spares as they clutter up – if something breaks I buy a new one,’ she said.
Even if you want to have a back-up for some items, Helen says keep this limited to just your smaller utensils.
3. SCRATCHED PANS
Scratched pans can actually be a hygiene risk as the coating can flake off into your food so throw them out as soon as they start to wear
If you hold onto your scratched pans until the fall apart in your hands as you are cooking, consider throwing them away sooner.
Scratched pans can be unhygienic as parts of the non-stick coating can flake into your food, which can also affect the taste.
Vicky told Good Housekeeping: ‘I’m ruthless when an item gets damaged.
‘If it’s a very sentimental item, then it sometimes becomes an ornament.’
4. FOOD MAGAZINES
Hands up who has a row of dust-covered food magazines in the kitchen containing one or two recipes you’ve been meaning to cook all year?
Helen says throw them away – and if they really do contain a recipe you want to save, cut it out and put it in a recipe folder.
5. MESSY DRAWER
Everyone has a messy drawer but tidy people organise theirs using dividers, it’s said
Almost every household has a ‘messy’ drawer – but the decluttering experts say this doesn’t have to be the case.
While a ‘bits and bobs’ drawer can be handy, Vicky says it’s crucial that you organise it so you find items lurking within. Dividers can do the job for you.
‘There is nothing wrong with having a drawer with many useful bits and bobs in it, but a level of organisation will ensure you can easily see and put your hands on what you need,’ she said.
6. STACKS OF FOOD CONTAINERS
Throw out any plastic containers that don’t have lids or have warped to remove some of the clutter from your kitchen
It’s time to throw away any plastic containers that you’ve lost the lids for or have become warped in the dishwasher as this can lead to a clutter-filled kitchen.
Vicky’s advice is to only buy plastic containers that are stackable and she also throws out any containers that don’t have lids as soon as they are lost.
7. ANYTHING THAT DOESN’T BELONG IN THE KITCHEN
Banish the paperwork, clear up the children’s toys and get rid of anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen if you want it clutter-free.
‘Try to keep the kitchen free for eating and preparing food – don’t let it become a dumping ground for things on their way to be put away,’ said Helen.