Eliminate Countertop Clutter

How to eliminate countertop clutter in less than 10 minutes! Organize your kitchen countertop with these simple tips to gain working space!

The easiest way to eliminate countertop clutter is to organize inside your cabinets. I’ll be sharing so much more about this soon! If you’re feeling overwhelmed by “stuff”, the first thing to do is to clear your countertop. It’s a quick and easy place to start. In fact, you can do it in 10 minutes or less!

For me, clearing the countertop immediately clears / cleans the kitchen. For a moment everything feels at peace. From there, you can not only clean your countertops, but assess what really belongs there.

A few well-selected things can add a lot of function to your kitchen without cluttering your countertop, easily integrating into your overall design. If you want my favorite kitchen picks you can visit my shop and Amazon store.

What to Keep on Your Countertop

My basic rule of thumb for this is to leave anything that is used daily and for larger items, 3-5+ times a week. In our kitchen, larger items include the coffee maker and KitchenAid mixer. I know many people have mixed feelings on a mixer being on the countertop. Ask yourself, how often do you use it? Does it offer a convenience to be on your counter or is it utilizing much needed space?

Rule of thumb: anything used daily can stay on the counter or heavy and often

Our working countertop space is limited, but our mixer is used 3+ times a week whether it’s to make pasta, juice or baked goods.

Click here to join me in getting organized, one space at a time with achievable ideas, printables and more!

A knife block is convenient to keep on the counter. It not only keeps them all together safely, but makes them accessible. A magnetic knife stripe also works well and doesn’t consume counter space.

This one may surprise you, but if you use paper towels frequently, there’s no shame in keeping them on the kitchen counter. We had looked into having one installed below our kitchen cabinets but it would have consumed valuable interior space and made them less accessible. You can also keep them just below the sink, but they’re not quite as handy there for frequent use, so I say it’s okay to have a visible paper towel holder! Design your kitchen to function for you.

If it works for you, do it!

Keep your most commonly used cooking utensils in a crock by your range for easy access. Store any excess in a nearby drawer for convenience.

Sink essentials should of course remain, including dish soap, scrubber and cleaning spray. I used to hide these under the sink, but I found it’s just not that practical. A pretty tray is easy to clean and keeps them tidy, but convenient. I refilled a pretty hand soap container with dish soap and use it for both. Seek items that multi-task when possible.

Other Things to Consider for your Countertop

Do you use flours and sugars often enough to occupy the space? I go back and forth on this one. We have limited counter space and sometimes during baking season they come out, but they are often stowed away in summer.

Redefine Problem Areas

Last year, our bar was being consumed by papers. It quickly became a catch all to mail and school papers with no end in site. First, we had to change our habits. When bringing the mail in, we immediately stopped by the recycling bin to discard junk mail and envelopes. Anything that needed additional attention goes to a foot bath so it’s neatly compiled (and disguised). We go through it once a week to ensure things are being filtered where they belong and tended to.

Keep the Island Free of Clutter

Consider how you use the island and adjust accordingly. For most, the island should be almost completely free of clutter to make it fully functional – especially if it’s your primary workspace or seating area.

If it is your primary work space, what do you need to make it function for you? For me it’s a butcher’s block cutting board that is immediately on top of our trash cans so that excess can be discarded easily. With the block always on the island, I am more likely to whip up dinner without a lot of effort.

What do you keep on your countertop?