Organize Unclutter 2008: February - Week 3

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February’s goal is an organized and uncluttered kitchen. Read the original post here >

Wow! 2 more weeks in February and we will be done with the kitchen! Last week was the hardest week. So it should be easier from here on out (for this month at least ).

This week we will clear our counter tops (including the top of the cabinets if you have space up there), take a look at our cookbooks, and organize/purge our appliances.

We’ll have 4 tasks to accomplish this week. Ready? Great! Let’s start!

Note: If you didn’t get a chance to start or finish previous weeks’ tasks, this and next week will allow time for catching up!

Tools you will need:

• Paper and a pencil
• 4 empty boxes or heavy-duty trash bags

Label them “Keep”, “Donate”, “Trash” and “Recycle”. If you plan to hold a yard sale or sell online, include a “For Sale” box. Get boxes from your supermarket or local liquor store.

1. Appliances and gadgets

If you love to cook, you probably have all sorts of cooking gadgets. But what do you really use? And how often?

Take a look at what small appliances/gadgets that you have. Make an honest assessment: do you really use these items? Do you have a bread maker that you’ve always intended to make bread with but just never seem to have the time to actually do? It should go then! Be brutal. Simplifying is about getting rid of things you do not use (not wish you were using or you are “one day” going to use).

Purge what you have not used in over a year. Broken, rusted? Gone! Don’t hang on to it.

Store any appliances or gadgets that you only use a few times a year. Tuck them into that high cabinet over the fridge, in the hall closet, garage, or basement. This might include seasonal items like the turkey roasting pan.

If you use an appliance/gadget only once a month, find a space in a kitchen cabinet for these. Accessible but out of the way.

Appliances/gadgets you use weekly, we’ll put on our counters. We’ll talk more about this in the next task.

Be sure to give your appliances/gadgets a good cleaning. Empty the bread crumb tray in the toaster, take the microwave turntable out and put it in the dishwasher. Spray down the outside of your small appliances as well.

Good job! Now let’s tackle the flat surface of our counters. :)

2. Clean Counter Tops

Move everything off the counter tops to start fresh.

Clean your counter tops really good with a disinfecting spray. Get those corners and ledges well.

First, put your appliances that you use on a daily or weekly basis on your counter. Group appliances for convenience. For example, put the toaster and coffee pot together. Don’t forget to put coffee accessories such as filters, a small container of sugar and creamer, and cups nearby. Preferably these should go in a cabinet right above the coffee maker. Personally, I have a lazy susan I use to keep these items as well as daily vitamin supplements near the coffee pot. I have lots of counter space, so this works well for me.

Be sure to put your appliances in the appropriate zones as well. Cooking gadgets should go in the cooking zone, preparation small appliances (i.e. mixer, cutting board) should go in the food preparation zone, etc.

Rotate items on a seasonal basis. Example: During the winter, you may not use your blender as much. Store it away. You can bring it back out to sit on the counter during the summer.

Don’t forget to clear off the top of the microwave as well. In my home, this is a popular dumping ground.

Next, RESIST the temptation to add anything else to the counter tops. Period. It is so tempting to add decorations and more but we are simplifying: keeping those counter tops clear of clutter.

Put everything else away. Hairbows, keys, mail, tools, etc. should all be put away at this time. Don’t wait. Take care of these items today. (We’ll talk about setting up a mail/communication center next week.)

Stop dumping items on your counters:

When you come home from grocery shopping, take care of the items right away. Do not let them sit on the counter tops.

Open mail immediately. Throw away envelopes, unnecessary papers, and junk mail. Put bills and correspondences on your desk or in your mail center. Take your catalogs and put them in your living room.

Train your family to put things away instead of dumping things on the counters and leaving them there. Work on establishing this habit. Remember, it takes 6 to 8 weeks to establish a habit. (Interesting side note: I read an article that stated it takes up to 6 months for those with ADHD.)

3. Cabinet Tops

If you have cabinets with flat, open storage space in top, use the steps in Task #2 to guide you in clearing the items off the surfaces.

Clean the cabinet tops really good. These are often neglected surfaces because of their height.

Think twice about what you put up there. You want an uncluttered look, so don’t put items up there just for the sake of having something up there.

If you are using the area to store items, put them up there in a neat, organized fashion.

If you don’t *have* to put anything up there, don’t. There will be less to dust in the long run.

4. Cookbooks

Some of us have a ton of cookbooks, while others may have none. For those of us with many, read on.

Look at your cookbooks. How many do you really use? Think about if you really need as many as you have. Consider purging at least 1/2 of your cookbooks. Remember, you can find most every recipe online.

Seasonal cookbooks should be stored with your holiday decorations.

Put the rest in your kitchen food preparation zone.

This week was easy, wasn’t it?

Next week, we’ll be tying up loose ends and leaving February with a sparkling clean kitchen!

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Organize Unclutter 2008 Participants

1. Sue 2. Steph

3. Weslee 4. Jaime

5. Andrea 6. Kristi

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