Sometimes when people see a minimalist online they assume they’ve spent hours and hours each weekend decluttering until their house is perfect. In reality, it is a few minutes here and there that can make the biggest difference. Here are four kitchen and items to declutter this weekend.
Kitchen Rags/Towels
If we are truly honest with ourselves, we really only need a couple kitchen towels. I have three towels to dry hands and dishes, plus three rags for wiping counters and table. I keep up with laundry enough that any more than that is just clutter.
Cookbooks
My strategy for this was to only keep the ones I had tabs in. I bookmark recipes I like with sticky notes and any cookbook without tabs went into the donate pile. Now, if you never use cookbooks and find all your recipes online, its time to donate your cookbooks. Keep in mind that just because someone gifted them to you, doesn’t mean you need to hold onto that physical and mental clutter.
You could also ask yourself “Can I find these recipes online?” For example, I had a cookbook of air fryer recipes. I decided to donate that one because I am more likely to search Pinterest for an air fryer recipe than pull out my cookbook.
Utensils & Spatulas
Here’s the harsh reality, we need about five. Gah! I know that sounds wrong but its true. We need one or two spatulas, a spoon without holes, and a spoon with holes to let things drain. We need a can open, maybe a turkey baster, and a flat spatula for flipping pancakes.
Now, if you are a chef you may keep more because that’s your skill, your passion and you actually utilize other utensils. Me, I cook and bake, but nothing overly complex. My needs are basic so I chose to keep the basics.
Coffee Mugs
I must admit, this one is difficult for me. My husband and I brought home a bunch of mugs from our honeymoon. We went to Germany and Switzerland during December when all the Christmas markets were happening. The mulled cider was served in beautiful mugs that we kept. I decided to keep one of each style, and donate the rest. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing but you have to create a limit. Keeping all of them wasn’t an option. I have two ceramic coffee mugs and one travel mug. That’s it. I rinse them out daily and put them back in the cupboard.
To help decide what to keep and what to throw, here are my five quick questions to ask when de-cluttering.
- Has it served its purpose? Meaning, is it worn and ready to be thrown?
- Can I use something else instead? Can you find recipes online? Can you reuse the same mug every day and just rinse it out?
- How many similar items do I have? If you have multiple of the same, its time to eliminate the excess.
- Does it fit my personal style? This goes for clothes, mugs, cookbooks, towels, everything. Creating a home that you love includes keeping the things that fit your personal style and eliminating the things that don’t.
- Does it fit my current season of life? As a busy mom my life needs to be simple. I’ve recently donated lots of extra towels, utensils, cutting boards, etc. because it keeps my toddler from pulling everything out pf the cupboards and making a mess. I live by this philosophy that a boring home is best for toddlers and mothers because it stops him from wanting to get into everything, if everything is boring. Haha!