Decluttering Challenge Day #3 - Kitchen

Hump Day!! Welcome to Day #3 of the Decluttering Challenge. I hope that the past two days have helped you clear out some stuff and you are starting to feel a bit more organized. Remember, take this at your own pace and don't get stressed out if you have too much stuff and are unable to clear it all out in one day. Just do what you can and keep going the next day.

Day # 3: Kitchen

Let's tackle the heartbeat of your home. Today is going to be a big day because we are going to combine the cabinets, pantry and fridge into one. If this task feels overwhelming, do one portion at a time.
I personally love to have clean counter tops with only a few items out all the time; everything else has its place neatly tucked away inside a cabinet, drawer or the pantry. Unless you are feeling really adventurous, I don't think you need to take everything out of every single cabinet. But you do need to go through all of the cabinets to get rid of some junk.

1.) Go through each cabinet one by one.
Start with your top cabinets and scrutinize every item stored in them. Do you use it regularly? Does it work properly? Is it in good condition? Ask yourself those three questions and if you can answer yes to them all then that item gets to stay. Get rid of any item that you don't use or like or anything that gets in your way. Household items are the perfect items to donate to a thrift store.

Look at your glassware and dishes and really think about practicality. If you have more than one set of dishes, but regularly only use one set then get rid of the other. Do you know anyone who might be starting college soon? I am sure they would gladly take your second set of dishes off you hands. When I was in college I got a lot of kitchen items that my mom and aunt no longer needed.

There are some specialty items that you don't use every day but you might need them if you like to host a lot. Really think about each item and the likelihood that you will use it in the future. Almost six years ago, I bought something that will hull strawberries. I thought I would use it to make cute cream cheese filled strawberries for parties. It sat in my cabinet for years, but I always kept it thinking I just might decide to make those strawberry treats one day. When we moved into our new house, I finally got rid of it because it has never been used since I bought it.

As you go through your cabinets and get rid of items, rearrange what is left so that it is neat and tidy. Once you finish the top cabinets, work your way through the bottom cabinets.

2.) Throw away old spices.
When you get to your spice cabinet, keep only the items that you use regularly. Throw away anything that is old, not fresh or anything you don't like/use.

3.) Repeat step one with your drawers.
Go through all of your drawers and ask yourself the same questions: Do you use it regularly? Does it work properly? Is it in good condition?
Also, when you get to your pot holders and dish towels, take stock of how many you have. Is your drawer too full to close properly? Then it is time to only keep a few of each. The rest can be donated.
Refold all of your dish towels neatly so they can easily fit into the drawer.

4.) Remove unwanted items from your counter tops.
If anything is laying on your counter that has an actual home in a cabinet, drawer or pantry then put it away.
Oftentimes, my kitchen becomes the keeper of any items that need to be returned to a store. I try to locate the receipt, keep it with the item and put it in my car so that when I am out, I can hopefully remember to return it.
For small appliances, I will keep them on my counter if I use them at least three times a week. Some people store their Kitchen Aid mixer, but I actually keep mine on my counter. I use my mixer more to shred chicken than to bake, but it gets used A LOT. The items I keep on my counter tops are: toaster oven, utensil container, knife block, Kitchen Aid mixer and coffee maker.
If you have a big enough pantry, store your canisters (for flour, sugar, etc) there.

5.) Do a quick sweep of your pantry.
Pantry clean out could really have an entire day devoted to itself. For the purpose of this five day challenge, I just want you to focus on clearing out the items you don't need. You can always come back to your pantry after the challenge and use the same tips that I gave you to clean our your linen closet for the pantry.
When looking through your pantry, first throw out anything that is expired or that your family does not eat. If you have anything that is unopened, but that your family won't use consider donating it to a local food bank.
Pair like items together (pastas, canned goods, cereals, beverages, baking supplies, etc) and arrange them back in your pantry. I personally like to have all labels facing forward so I can clearly see everything when I open my pantry door. I also like to store the snack items on a lower shelf so my five year old daughter can easily reach them herself.
(Again, the pantry could easily have its own day for organization...maybe later this year I will go in depth with how I organize my pantry)

6.) Check your fridge and freezer
Just like with the pantry, you need to go through your fridge/freezer and clear out food items that are expired or that your family won't eat. If you have leftovers that are older than four days, they need to go! Check your produce, meats and cheeses to make sure that everything is still fresh - if not, it gets thrown in the trash.
Try to group like items together so it is easy to find them when you open the fridge. If you have time, wipe down the shelves in your fridge before putting items back.

Today was a lot, but it is important that you have your kitchen organized and efficient as most people spend a lot of time there. If you have questions about anything, please let me know by commenting or sending me a message on instagram (@lindsaytolar). As always, interact with me so I can encourage you and see your progress. Be sure to use the hashtag #PursuitOfPinkPURGE.

Catch up on the challenge:

Day #1 Closets and Dresser Drawers
Day #2 Linen Closets and Bathroom Cabinets