The Specific Area Of Your Kitchen You Need To Declutter Before Any Other

No one likes a cluttered kitchen. Counters full of spice bottles and stray spatulas are endlessly frustrating, especially when we're trying to prepare dinner on a busy night. So, when our kitchens get too cluttered, it's time to get cleaning. Before you go shopping at Dollar Tree for finds to declutter your kitchen (though we do recommend that, too), there's one cleaning tip you need attend to first to keep your kitchen functional.

There are three areas in your kitchen that need to stay clean and clear of clutter above all else: the sink, the oven, and the fridge. Moreover, the countertops around these appliances need to stay free of clutter because they're "landing zones" that you need when cooking. The sink needs free counter space to keep dishes while you're waiting to wash them, the oven needs it for pots and pans to cool down, and you need space by your fridge to put grocery bags while you're unloading them.

Think of the work triangle concept for kitchens. It's the space between the sink, oven, and fridge, where obstacles and foot traffic ought to be kept to an absolute minimum in order to make the kitchen effective. Your counters should be the same way. Designate a certain space on your counters near each "point" of the work triangle and clear away any clutter as soon as it forms. With that taken care of, you can move on to organizing the rest of the kitchen.

There's plenty you can do in each of your kitchen's landing zones to keep them free of clutter. To keep your sink's counter space clean, consider using a dish rack that fits in the sink, keeping drying dishes off of the counter. Use a caddy to store soap, sponges, brushes, and other cleaning implements to keep them all in one space and prevent them from contributing to clutter.

As for the oven, consider utensil hooks to keep all those spatulas and other utensils you use on a daily basis off surfaces. They can attach to the undersides of your cabinets near the oven and you'll still have them in reach while keeping your counter space clear. Another good affordable way to declutter kitchen counters is a magnetic spice rack that gets your seasonings out of the way.

For your fridge and pantry, prioritize ingredients you use daily and keep only them out on the counters (assuming they don't need to be refrigerated, of course). Free up space in your pantry to keep more in there and less on your counters. While you're at it, take a page out of the book from celebrity chef Bobby Flay and organize your kitchen pantry by cuisine, keeping pasta ingredients together and so forth.