The kitchen is one part of the house that's especially prone to disarray. There's the daily clutter like dirty dishes, mail, and groceries that haven't been put away. But there's also the stuff that accumulates over time, which we often forget about and don't use. We're talking expired canned goods, mismatching plastic containers, and niche appliances. "The kitchen tends to be he biggest source of clutter in most homes," says professional organizer Maura Fitzgerald, owner of Fitz Just Right.
But getting the kitchen clean and organized can be a difficult task to start. "Decluttering starts in your mind before anything else," says Shaniece Jones, professional organizer and founder of Closet Therapy. "Begin with a vision, not the chaos, which is the reason for the overwhelm." She recommends blocking off time, setting a playlist, and starting small to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
And to help along the way, here are 15 common items experts say might need to go. Tossing them (or in some cases, donating them) will leave you feeling lighter, less stressed, and more inspired to cook.
1. Unused Small Kitchen Appliances
"No one remembers the one-hit wonders, so I say to start there and let those go: the sushi kit you swore you’d use weekly, the ice cream maker, the broken air fryer you’ve been meaning to replace or fix," Jones says. She recommends donating older appliances, especially if it's been more than six months.
“In my experience, juicers are the most underutilized appliance of all,” says professional organizer Nikki Boyd, founder of At Home with Nikki and author of Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home. “Fueled by New Year’s resolutions and the desire for healthier habits, people eagerly invest in a juicer in the beginning of the year. But the enthusiasm fades as soon as they realize how much work it is to maintain and clean the juicer after each use!”
For Avi Szapiro, executive chef and co-founder of Gioia in New Haven, CT, bread makers are another kitchen offender. “If you became interested in bread making and the fever only lasted a few months, that bread-making machine is now just taking up a lot of space.”
2. Take-Out Condiments & Plastic Cutlery
We all have that drawer—the one stuffed with leftover ketchup packets from McDonald’s, plastic pouches of soy sauce from Chinese take-out, little tubs of Chick-fil-A sauce, and unopened packets of plastic cutlery. “It’s okay to keep a very small stash of these things in case you want to throw a packet of ketchup in a kid’s lunchbox at some point, but they shouldn’t be front and center in the kitchen,” says professional organizer Bridget Urgo, co-owner of The Settler. Urgo recommends throwing out 90% of these packets and putting the rest in an “on the go” basket in the pantry along with disposable coffee cups and other paper goods.
3. Expired Food
"Toss expired foods, ingredients, and foods that no longer align with your health goals," Jones says. Most people are diligent about tossing out moldy blueberries and past-their-sell-by-date lunch meat, but they will let a can of mustard linger in their refrigerator for a decade. “Your refrigerator doors are a good place to start when decluttering a kitchen, as dressings, sauces, and condiments tend to live in there longer than they should,” Fitzgerald says. And while you’re at it, check the expiration dates on the oils (canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and so on) stored in your pantry.
4. Past-Their-Prime Spices
Spice racks tend to be seasoning graveyards. “I will be organizing a kitchen in Connecticut and see spices from New York City grocery stores—and the client hasn’t lived in New York City for 15 years!” Urgo says. (When I went to organize my own spice drawer while researching this story, I was ashamed to find a jar of bay leaves older than my youngest child—he’s nine.) While eating expired spices won’t make you sick, they will be less potent and flavorful. “Some spices can last a year past the sell-by-date, but if you come across anything older than that, throw it away,” Urgo says.
5. Old Plastic & Wooden Kitchen Tools
We all have our favorite kitchen tools that get plenty of use: the perfectly-sized cutting board you've had for years or the beautiful wooden spoons you were gifted. But bacteria can easily hide in scratched plastic or porous wood. We recommend replacing wooden spoons every five years (or when you see visible wear).
And recent research has also found some black plastic kitchenware to have high levels of toxic flame retardants. The chemicals make their way into home products through the recycling of electronic waste.
6. Mismatched Tupperware
Tupperware was invented to improve kitchen organization, but it often has the opposite effect. “People are nuts about Tupperware—they keep tons of it, even if the pieces are missing tops,” Urgo says. Throw out any mismatched containers, and aim to keep just three round containers and three rectangular containers. To prevent containers from losing their tops, “store them with their tops on,” Fitzgerald advises.
7. Old Cookware & Baking Sheets
Pots, pans, and cookie sheets are designed to last for years, but not forever. “It’s important to throw away any pans or baking sheets with scratched nonstick coatings; these can pose real health risks,” Fitzgerald says. You only need one size of each thing (for example, one 8-, one 10-, and one 12-inch frying pan). Holding onto any additional sizes will simply hog cabinet space.
8. Bulky Entertaining Items
Do you entertain a lot? If you do, it may be worth hanging onto extra wine glasses, flatware, and tablecloths—plus oversized serving platters. But if you don’t, it’s best to donate these things and just rent party supplies if you decide to have a bash one day. “When you’re renting tables and chairs, it’s easy to just rent items like wine glasses and linens at the same time, and then you don’t have to deal with cleaning all of that stuff when the party is over,” Urgo says. When I recently went through my table linens (again, inspired by writing this story), I discovered I had tablecloths that were sized to go with tables that I no longer even own, so I gave them to friends who could use them.
9. Inherited China
If you love your grandmother’s China or your mother’s silver tea service, and it has sentimental value, it can stay. “But if you’re never going to use it and you’re only holding onto it out of guilt, give yourself permission to let it go,” Urgo says. She adds that her clients tend to look to her for the gentle encouragement they need to part with these items. You can either sell or donate your heirlooms, depending on the value of the items.
10. Water Bottles
Every organizer has their own pet peeve, and for Fitzgerald, it’s water bottles. “Why is this such a problem for people?!” Fitzgerald says, with a laugh. “Keep one water bottle for each family member, plus no more than two extras. Having any more than that is a huge waste of space.”
11. Mugs
People tend to hoard mugs, which is unnecessary since most of us have a favorite mug that we use daily. “It’s nice to have a matching set of eight mugs in case guests come over and you want to serve coffee,” Urgo says. “But that being said, you should stock your kitchen for the space you have and the size of your family.” In other words, if you don’t have much storage space, aim for six mugs instead of eight. Tea cups are another culprit. I have two sets of tea cups with saucers—one for every day and one for formal entertaining—and I have never used a single one of them in the 13 years I have lived in my house. I plan to pack them up and donate them, and if I ever want a cup of tea, I’ll use one of my mugs.
12. Duplicate Items
Kitchens are often filled with so much stuff that it’s hard to find a can opener when you’re in the mood for soup or a pizza cutter when you want to slice up a pie. So what do you do? Go out and buy a new one, of course! “When my clients can’t find what they need, they often buy a replacement, which can lead to an accumulation of duplicates,” Boyd says. By keeping everything in its proper place, organized by type and readily accessible, you can streamline your kitchen and reduce clutter.
13. Cracked Or Chipped Dishes
This sounds obvious, but experts say you’d be shocked at the number of chipped dishes people have sitting in their cabinets. In addition to being an eyesore, broken dishes can pose a real safety hazard. "They actually harbor bacteria,” Fitzgerald says. Every few months, go through your dishes and check for dings and cracks—and throw out anything that is damaged.
14. Frozen Foods With Freezer Burn
Freezers buy you extra time, but eventually even frozen foods go bad. “I often find many expired items in my clients’ freezers, which they have forgotten are in there,” says Boyd. Each food has a specific freezer life, but as a guideline, chicken pieces can last for nine months, shrimp can stay in the freezer for six to 18 months, and vegetable soup is good for two to three months, according to Foodsafety.gov. But a good rule of thumb is that if you notice something is coated in freezer burn, it’s likely degraded to the point that the taste and texture will be compromised.
15. Empty Jars
Szapiro says he often sees empty glass jars (from things like jam, marmalade, and yogurt) stored in people’s kitchens. These jars seem too substantial to throw away, so people hold onto to them in case they can find use for them—but they rarely do. Unless you have a firm plan for these jars, don’t feel bad about placing them in the recycling bin. Recycled glass can be used to make new glass bottles and jars as well as construction materials like tiles and countertops, and this recycling process reduces carbon emissions and trash in landfills.
16. Anything You Haven’t Used In Three Years
When decluttering a kitchen, it’s important to take into account your lifestyle and cooking habits. If you’re a vegetarian, you probably no longer need that large turkey roasting pan. If you don’t bake, there’s no need to hang onto muffin tins and cake pans. “You want a useful kitchen that has the room for things that you use often,” says Szapiro. “If you haven’t used something in three years, it’s time to give it away.”
Items To Keep Your Kitchen Organized
Vtopmart Airtight Food Storage Containers with Lids
Kitstorack Under Sink Organizer
VASAGLE Pantry Cabinet
DR CATCH Paper Towel Holder
