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Your kitchen is about to work overtime for the next few weeks. Holiday baking. Family dinners. Hosting guests. All the cooking.
But before you dive into all that, let’s talk about the things taking up space in your kitchen that you don’t actually need.
I’m not talking about a full kitchen overhaul. I’m talking about seven things that are probably in your kitchen right now that you can get rid of today. Things that are just creating clutter and making it harder to find what you actually use.
So let’s get into it.
1. Expired Spices
Open your spice cabinet right now. I’m willing to bet there’s a jar of oregano from 2019 in there. Maybe some garlic powder that’s basically cement at this point.
Here’s the thing about spices: they don’t last forever. Most ground spices lose their flavor after about a year. Whole spices last a bit longer, but not much.
If you can’t remember when you bought it, or if it doesn’t smell like anything anymore, it’s time to let it go.
You’re not using it. It’s just taking up space where your actually-fresh spices could live.
2. Duplicate Kitchen Utensils
How many spatulas do you own? How many wooden spoons? How many whisks?
Now ask yourself: how many do you actually use?
Most of us have a favorite spatula, a favorite spoon, a favorite whisk. The rest just sit in the drawer, taking up space and making it harder to find the ones we actually want.
Go through your utensil drawer. Pull out the ones you reach for every single time. The rest? Donate them.
Someone else will use them. You won’t miss them.
3. Broken or Missing-Lid Tupperware
We all have that cabinet. The one where you open it and seventeen containers fall out, and not one of them has a matching lid.
Or the lid is cracked. Or the container is stained beyond recognition.
Here’s your permission: let them go.
You don’t need 47 containers. You need about six good ones in the sizes you actually use for leftovers.
Get rid of the broken ones, the ones without lids, the ones you never reach for. Keep the ones that actually work.
Your cabinet will close properly again. It’s going to feel amazing.
4. Kitchen Appliances You Never Use
Your mother’s old mixer. The bread maker you used once. The juicer that’s too complicated to clean. The panini press that sounded like a great idea, but you’ve made exactly two paninis in three years.
These appliances are taking up valuable counter or cabinet space. And every time you see them, there’s this little guilt pang of “I should use that.”
But you’re not going to. And that’s okay.
If you haven’t used it in the last year, it’s time to let it go. Someone who will actually use it can find it at the thrift store.
5. Mystery Leftovers
Look, we’ve all got that container in the back of the fridge. The one we’re avoiding. The one we’re not entirely sure what’s in it anymore or when it got there.
Today’s the day. Toss it. Toss all of them.
Go through your fridge and get rid of anything that’s expired, anything you know you’re not going to eat, anything that’s been in there so long you’ve forgotten about it.
A clean fridge makes meal planning easier. It makes cooking easier. It makes life easier.
6. Promotional Magnets and Clutter on Your Fridge
Your fridge door is not a filing cabinet.
Those takeout menus from restaurants you never order from. Business card magnets from services you don’t use. Expired coupons. Kids’ artwork from 2022.
I’m not saying your fridge door has to be completely bare. But it shouldn’t be so covered that you can’t actually see the fridge anymore.
Keep what’s current and meaningful. Let the rest go.
7. The Junk Drawer Chaos
Okay, I know. Everyone has a junk drawer. And that’s fine.
But when you open it and can’t actually find anything because it’s so full of random stuff that you don’t even know what’s in there anymore? That’s when it’s a problem.
Take ten minutes. Pull everything out. Toss the dried-up pens, the expired coupons, the random screws you don’t know what they’re for, the instruction manuals for appliances you don’t own anymore.
Keep what’s actually useful and actually belongs in your kitchen. Everything else needs a new home—or to go in the trash.
Start With One
You don’t have to tackle all seven of these today. That’s not the point.
Pick one. Just one thing from this list. And spend 15 minutes on it.
Clear out the expired spices. Sort through the Tupperware. Deal with the mystery leftovers.
One small action that makes your kitchen a little bit more functional before the holiday chaos hits.
Because here’s the truth: a cluttered kitchen makes everything harder. Cooking is harder. Cleaning up is harder. Finding what you need is harder.
And with everything you’ve got coming up in the next few weeks, you need your kitchen to work for you, not against you.
So pick one thing. Do it today. And give yourself credit for making your space just a little bit better.
Need help with more than just clearing a few things out of your kitchen? If your whole home is feeling overwhelming, and you’re ready for support, that’s exactly what I do. I help create organized, functional spaces that work for your real life. Call 832-271-7608 or contact me here to book a consultation.
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
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