Day 4 - How to Organise your Utensils For Good Challenge

Hello again, fancy seeing you here.

Day 4 of The 30 Days to an Organised Kitchen

How did you get on with yesterday's challenge of Organising Your Under-sink Cupboard? I know it will definitely make a difference when it comes to using your cleaning products.

 Today’s Task is to Declutter and Organise your Utensils and Knives

 

I bet, that you have more cooking utensils than you could ever possibly need. If you enjoy cooking, or even if you don’t it's inevitable that we have more than we need. Not only do you buy things for yourself, but I’m betting that you have probably been given a fair amount via gifts from well-meaning family and friends.   My personal utensil collection is dispersed over a drawer, magnetic wall hangers a metal bar with S Hooks and a countertop utensil holder… so trust me when I say, this challenge is well overdue in my home.

If you've been taking part in our challenges this week, you've probably noticed that there's a common thread running through nearly every solution for our problematic areas of the kitchen: decluttering the excess... It is all too easy to acquire tools, Tupperware, cookware, and just random stuff that we don't really use or we don't actually need in our kitchens. However, it is remarkably difficult to recognise and discard unnecessary items.

It's important to remember, just because you don't have the kitchen cabinets of your dreams (or for me, it is definitely the kitchen space) doesn't mean you can't have a kitchen that “sparks joy” and makes you feel proud every time you step into it.

 Enough of me blabbering on, let's tackle the utensils, shall we?

 

Empty, Assess and Declutter

The first thing we need to do is to empty your utensil drawer(s) and lay all of the contents out.  This way you can assess what items you need regularly and set those aside, so for me, that is my spatulas, pizza cutters, knives etc.

Next, do you have any duplicates? I found 7 wooden spoons in my collection.  I know I like baking but that is a bit over the top – even if I were to bake with the children, and the husband and invite some neighbours in (not that I have the room for all those in my kitchen) that is excessive. So, I discarded 3 and kept 4.

 

Are any of the utensils burnt, melted, splintered, or have seen better days? If so, now is the best time to discard them whilst you have your mojo.

 

Organise the Space

Once you have decided which ones are the keepers, it's time to put them away. Do you have any drawer dividers?  Having an organised drawer allows immediate visibility and access to whichever tool you need.  If you want to purchase some new dividers - make sure you measure your drawer's height - as they come in different sizes.

 

For the larger items I used a utensil countertop holder which is next to the cooker – for easy access, plus I have a metal rail over the top of the cooker which hangs the everyday utensils on with s hooks, and the smaller utensils are stored in my cutlery drawer.  You will see how I store them when we tackle the cutlery drawer.

Whilst there is not a HUGE amount of difference, I did discard 3 wooden spoons (i will miss them dearly).  I did wash down all the racks and hangers whilst I had everything off the wall, so I am pleased about that.

I just wanted to show you that there doesn't always have to be a massive decluttering process.  It's about making your life more organised and functional than getting rid of a load of stuff.  Stuff will keep coming back if you don't learn the process of intentional purchasing.

Maintain with Mindful Purchases

The key to maintaining an organised utensil drawer (or any space for that matter) long term, is to keep anti-clutter principles in mind when it comes to bringing in new items.

 

Before buying that new sparkly utensil, consider if anything in your current utensil collection can do the job of the new utensil, you're looking to buy... if not, and it's something you really need, find the best version and add it to your collection, if you have something similar, but don't like the functionality of the current one, get rid of that one before buying the new one.

The more you practice this way of thinking, the easier it will become.  Before you know it, you will be shopping intentionally.  Not only will this save you from cluttering up your lovely decluttered space, but it will save you money.

I think what we are learning about kitchen organising is less is most definitely more. A more organised, and useful utensil storage comes down to focusing on the essential items and purposely discarding the rest.  I know, it is not always easy to let go of items especially if you have been keeping them “Just in case” (I mean, what if I actually need that fifth wooden spoon someday?), it just takes a little bit of mindful fortification. But you can do it; at this point in the challenge, you're practically a professional 😊

 

Leave me a comment down below and let me know how you found organising your utensils?  Did you find that you had duplicates? Don't forget to tag me in #GoDeclutter30DaysChallenge

I hope you will join me again tomorrow when we tackle the Tea Towels, dusters and scrubbies. 

I really appreciate you stopping by, and want to say thank you - because without you I wouldn't be here. Believe in Yourself, You got this, NOW Go Declutter!