Do you have too many dishes?

When it comes to decluttering your kitchen, it is easy to focus on cleaning and stacking things neatly.  But before you start stacking and scrubbing, first make sure you need all that stuff.  Organized does not equal decluttered.

Instead of using a box, I used 2 large containers for my utensil project

How Much is Enough?

Do you really need 24 plastic drinking cups (especially the super-size kind)?  When you have so many of one item it makes it easy to let the dishwasher stay full while you continue to use all the excess items.  Over time, there is a stack of dirty cups next to the sink and a full dishwasher that has yet to be run or unloaded.

By counting on so much excess, you actually make a bigger mess.  And you take up valuable storage space.

Here are some items that are often overstocked in a kitchen:

• Plastic cups
• Butter tubs and lids
• Cooking utensils

This is all plastic to be recycled that used to take up space in my cabinets

The decluttering goal today is to take a quick count of your items.  Once you find an excess, start trimming.

Two people in your house and 16 dinner plates?  Can you even fit 16 people in your home for dinner?  If so, store at least half the plates in a china cabinet.  If not, get rid of half.

Five spatulas that look exactly the same – really?  If you run your dishwasher regularly, you shouldn’t need more than 2.

Dozens of plastic grocery sacks under your sink?  Recycle them at your local grocery store and leave only what you will really use (cat litter, doggie bags, etc.).  A canvas bag works better for transporting items and will save you space.

“But I might need it later…”

One trick to deciding what to keep and what to throw away is the box test.  Put all your excess items in a box (or 2 or 10) and store them.  Use only what you have left in your kitchen and see how well it works for you.  You can always add the items back if you really need them, and if 30 days goes by and you don’t, then you can donate/sell.

The second tip works the opposite way and is great for decluttering your cooking utensils.  Put them all in a big box and take them out as you need them.  At the end of a month, what is left in the box is what you donate/sell.  This method requires that you have space in your kitchen to keep the box within easy reach.

Today I am recycling several plastic bowls and lids that I do not use as well as all the plastic bags under my kitchen sink.  I’m also keeping a box of cooking utensils for a month to see what I’m actually using and what can be eliminated.  This process took 25 minutes to complete.

What can you do today to declutter your dishes and utensils?

For a list of all the decluttering articles, click here.