How to keep kitchen sides clutter free.
In a recent social post, I asked “What is the biggest frustration in your home” and so many of the answers mentioned trying to keep work surfaces tidy, especially in the kitchen. This is a huge bugbear for me too so I thought I’d give some hints and tips on how to keep those surfaces clutter-free.
Option 1
Don’t have any sides. This may sound a bit extreme but it’s worth thinking about when you next redesign your kitchen or are thinking about buying a sideboard or similar. Is there an area which attracts clutter? Do you actually need that worktop space? Kitchen islands are such a popular choice right now but for kids and clutter bugs (me included) it’s just a wide open, clear space inviting you to put something there. Yes, you may only mean to leave it there whilst you do one other task but before you know it it will have been there for a whole day and three other things will have joined it! Yes, you won’t be able to get away with no work surfaces but any which don’t officially have a purpose (side near oven to chop veg, draining board etc) may be worth getting rid of entirely. Full wall cupboards can look sleek and house loads of storage and stop you from dumping your bag and keys on the first flat surface you come to.
Option 2
If you’re not ready to change your entire kitchen, then change the story - now here’s the psychology. If all the sides already have a job then you’re less likely to leave things there. The hob for instance needs to stay clear to cook. The draining board needs to stay clear for dishes. The dining table needs to stay clear so you can eat from it (apart from the end where no one sits that has a pile of clutter - I see you!).
If your brain values that space for a useful reason then it’s less likely to leave random stuff there.
Do you have a window ledge that everything gets left on? Why not add a plant and a picture frame? That window ledge now has a job and most people won’t want to mess with that set-up.
Does your dining table get messed up at every opportunity so you can’t actually eat there? Set the table. Get some nice placemats, stick a vase of flowers or centrepiece of some sort in the middle and people will think twice about leaving stuff on there.
Have a corner of the island that gets cluttered? Stick your fruit bowl there with lush looking, healthy fruit. Not only will this deter the clutter from creeping in it’ll also make everyone think about reaching for a healthy snack before trying to find the chocolate.
Items that always find their way onto worktops and what to do with them.
Keys
Most people head into the kitchen after coming home, whether because they are ravenous, have just done the shopping or it’s the nearest room to the door. If keys are one thing that gets dumped on the side then make a specific space for them. A nice dish on the side or a hook somewhere on the wall could work.
Paperwork
Again, post and paperwork often heads straight into the kitchen. Whether it be a school letter from the kid's bags or a bill that needs dealing with, paperwork can mount up very quickly. With as much of it as possible, deal with it immediately and then chuck it in the recycling bin straight away. For anything that needs filing, either do it straight away or if that’s not possible keep it in a slim plastic folder and religiously do your filing once a week or once a month so it doesn’t get on top of you. Junk mail can be recycled straight away and catalogues can be quickly flicked through and discarded if nothing takes your fancy. The joy of the internet is you can find this stuff via Google anyway!
Washing up
Even if you have a dishwasher I can guarantee you that one of your family (at least) seems to have no idea it is there and just leaves dirty items on the side. This is a really difficult one to crack but model good behaviour by putting your items in the dishwasher straight away and washing up any non-dishwashable items so it’s very obvious that it’s their cereal bowl left on the side. If anyone has any good way to solve this problem then do let me know!
Beauty items
My daughter always brings her hairbrush downstairs. Every. Goshdarn. Morning. And after she has left for school it is still there just sitting on the side. I do however, also often do my makeup in the kitchen as it has the best light so rather than get fed up with my make up and her hairbrush hanging around I made a home for it in the kitchen. We now have a small tub which houses vital items like spare hairbands, a hairbrush, makeup and lip balm.
Sometimes making a real home for items that are consistently left on the side can be a better option than fighting with it every day but always make sure it really is something that needs a home in that area.
Ask yourself who leaves it there?
Then ask them why does it end up there?
Then work out together how you can prevent it from getting there in the first place or does it need a home here?
What else clutters your sides or do you manage to keep your worktops clear of clutter? If so let us know how!
