Less is More in the Kitchen

This week we are continuing our Less is More Challenge and moving into the Kitchen, last week you should have done the Master Bedroom, but don’t worry you can jump in anywhere or anytime. The idea is to free ourselves from having more belongings than we need or can use. How does it happen that we end up with too much? Sometimes we inherit things, sometimes it is a good deal, a bargain we find it at thrift store or yard sale. Sometimes we are gifted the item. Perhaps the vase was given to you by a friend, or a wedding gift or it belonged to your grandmother The reasons we hold on to things are many too.
This challenge is not for the faint of heart. It is for those ready to take decluttering to the next step. How can we do this in the Kitchen?
Lets start with the cupboards.

• Coffee Cups and Mugs – how many do you have? How many do you really use? Now is a good time to get rid of those souvenir cups, or those promotional cups you get from work. Really if you are like most people you have one or two favorite mugs for at home and a favorite travel mug or two. Perhaps you leave a mug at work. Two mugs per person would be enough (one can be in the wash and one being used). Count your mugs and say good bye to 20%.
• Glasses – do you have mismatched glasses? Are you using them all? Are you still using “gasp:” plastic cups? Did you know that the plastic gets scratched over time and will leach out BPA? If you are getting rid of plastic, check to see if they are recyclable.
• Plates – do you have more everyday plates than you can use? Do you feel like you are always doing dishes? Perhaps it is time to cull your plates. Are some of them left over from college? Are they cracked or chipped. It is okay to let go of them.
• Silverware – (usually I am missing things here, like all of my spoons- I will find them next year in the garden)
• Bowls – get rid of chipped and cracked ones
• Pots and Pans – Go through those cupboards and pull them all out. Do you have extra lids that don’t match any pots/pans? Say good bye. Do you have Teflon or non stick pans that are scratched? If so it is time to get rid of them.
• Kitchen Gadgets – do you need them all? Are you using them all?
• Kitchen Towels – Are some of your towels beyond beyond? It might be time to let them go
• Tupperware – get rid of the ones with unmatched lids/bottoms
• Pantry – It is time to go through the cupboards of food or your pantry if you have one. Check for expired food, rotate the food stock. Go through the food and see if there is anything you bought that seemed like a good idea at the time or that you had a coupon for at the time. Sometimes we buy food that we never end up using, perhaps your dietary needs have changed. Now is the time to cook it up or donate.
• Under the Sink – Clean out that area, get rid of cleaners that you no longer use. Better yet get rid of most of them and replace them with some homemade cleaners.
• Refrigerator – clean it out, completely just take one shelf at a time, do you have food in there you have never finished using? How about anything that got lost, or looks like a science experiment gone bad? Look at the condiments, how many mustards do you have?
• Junk Drawer(s) - Yes, apparently some people out there have more than one junk drawer, empty it out and take a look at what is there. Do you have things from ten years ago? Batteries that may or not work? Receipts that should have been used when filing taxes 2 years ago. Perhaps it is time to get rid of the junk drawer all together.