20 Things You Thought You Needed in Your Kitchen, But Don’t!

Now I know there is still snow on the ground in a lot of places, but we really are 1/2 way to spring ya’ll! Before we know it we will see blue skies again and watch the grass come back to life. Spring time is one of my favorite times of the year. It gets warmer outside, outdoor events start popping up again, and flowers start to bloom. It’s almost like the world wakes up again after a long winter time nap. Spring is also the perfect time for decluttering and organization! (That must be why the call it spring cleaning huh? ha!). I go all out when it comes to spring cleaning. You see…I really like shopping, and I really like decorating. Sometimes, I go a little overboard so I have to real myself  back in and clear out some room.

As I was cooking dinner last night, surrounded by SO MUCH stuff I knew the perfect place to start this year….the kitchen. I love to cook, I love cooking gadgets. My kitchen however, is small. So I have stuffed it full of stuff. I know I can’t be alone in this, so I thought I would make a list of things we think we need in our kitchen, but we really, really don’t. I hope this helps the other kitchen stuffers out there like me! Let’s check out…..

20 things you think you need in your kitchen…but don’t! How to declutter your kitchen!

1. Food you know you aren’t going to eat. You know that can of artichoke hearts you swore you were going to try one day but just end up having to move out of the way while looking for other veggies? Yeah…toss it! Purge your cabinets of food items that you bought with the best intentions but aren’t going to eat. Donate what is still good, and throw away the rest! 

2. Old pots and pans. You know the ones I mean…I mean that cookie sheet you can’t ever quite get clean, the frying pan whose handle is hanging on by one screw. They are just taking up space, you don’t even use them! 

3. Anything you haven’t used in the last 90 days, and won’t use in the next 90 days. One of my favorite minimalist hacks in the 90/90 rule. Anything you haven’t used, and you won’t use, throw it out! 

4. Things that don’t belong in the kitchen. I know I’m not the only one that is guilty of having things in the kitchen that simply just don’t belong there. Right now we have an entire shelf of power tools…in my kitchen. We need to move them into the shed, but haven’t. Move out the stuff that belongs other places, it will open up space for the things that actually should be there! 

5. The art gallery on your fridge. Yes, all of our children’s art and drawings that they bring home from school is special. But If your kiddo is almost 13 and you have a drawing from kindergarten still on the fridge (totally calling myself out here haha) it’s time to put that in a memory box. 

6. Old Spices. This is one that I am awful at. I will keep spices FOREVER if you let me. I promise ya’ll…spices DO have an expiration date. If they are expired, or so old you can’t even find that date anymore, toss it! 

7. Old Food storage. If you can’t find the lid, or the plastic is warped and the lid never does fit quite right you already know what to do, toss it!! 

8. Multiple bags of the same thing. I am super guilty of this one. When it comes to sugar, salt, flour, etc. I always think we might be out of it, so I buy another bag only to come home and find out I have 2 1/2 used bags of an item. Do yourself a favor and grab an airtight container and pour your bags into it. You can hold more of it and it takes up less space! 

9. Excess cups. Another thing I am super guilty of is having way too many cups. Cups that I have brought home from family vacations, cups that I got for free with a fast food meal, cups I got for holidays. And you know what? I don’t use ANY of them. You know who always needs cups? Goodwill. Give them away! 

10. Old kitchen utensils. I have a spatula that I burned on the eye of the stove a few…years ago. I only use it if all of the other one’s are dirty. And it’s awful. So I finally threw it away. Now I don’t have an excuse not do do the dishes! 

11. The Post Office. I know I can’t be the only one that has a pile of opened mail just chilling on my counter. Most of it is trash, some of it is bills I have already paid, and all of it needs to GO!

12. A pile of dirty dishes. Trust me, everyone hates doing the dishes. It’s not fun. But you don’t need to leave those dirty dishes in the sink for days on end. You will think about it every time you go into the kitchen, plus the longer you leave them in there, the harder they will be to clean. 

13. Hand me down small kitchen appliances. Now I don’t mean grandma’s crock pot that you actually use. I mean the immersion blender that you don’t ever use, for anything. You are just holding onto it because you borrowed it from a friend who decided they didn’t need it back. Donate it to someone that will use it! 

14. Old, disgusting sponges. Surprisingly, this is one thing I am good about throwing away, but my husband is not. Sponges are cheap ya’ll. When they are ripped, stink, and barely have any texture left to them…it’s time to put them out to pasture. 

15. Takeout condiments. You know when you get extra ketchup, or other sauces that you think you might use later? If you can’t remember the last time you even ate at the restaurant they come from, toss em’! 

16. Extra measuring cups. My family knows I love to cook and bake, so you bet at least once a year I’m going to be gifted a set of measuring cups. I have 4 sets. by the end of my spring cleaning I’m getting that down to 2. You don’t need 4! 

17. Things in your junk drawer that actually are junk! Now everyone has a junk drawer, and this isn’t a bad thing, but when it becomes a drawer with actual junk you know you will never need, that’s when it becomes an issue. A few times a year go through your junk drawer and throw away the actual junk.

18. Take out menus. You either know your favorite restaurants menu by heart by now, or they are available online. 

19. Dull Knives. We all know how useless dull knives are. And frusterating! Safe yourself the trouble (and the space in the drawer!) and just toss em! 

20. Old cook books. Unless they of course are of sentimental value. But that diet cook book from 2002? Yea…you know you don’t need that anymore. 

 

What other kitchen items would you get rid of?

CHECK OUT MY OTHER ORGANIZING ARTICLES!

Organize and clean your kitchen

14 tips to organize your kitchen

10 tips to organize your bedroom and make it a paradise

How to add appeal to your garage

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