It may seem impossible, but keeping your kitchen clean most of the time really can be simple. Let me show you how the KonMari Method changed my kitchen mess forever!
[disclosure]
The first time I went through my kitchen to pare it down, it didn’t seem too difficult. Being a food blogger, I had accumulated a few too many random plates and props that were lurking in the corners of my cupboards, but I didn’t think my kitchen was too bad.
Until I realized how many boxes I was donating! Things being pulled from the depths of my cupboards really blew me away. Everything from random attachments I never use for my blender, to extra cutting boards and knives that were dull 5 years ago. I thought last year that I got rid of a lot, but have whittled it down even more with this last move and I finally feel finished with my kitchen!
When we moved last month, I didn’t have any dishes (I sold our previous set at our massive garage sale last year because I didn’t love them). I went to IKEA and got some of their new plates and bowls that are made strikingly similar to a popular brand out there that is shatter-resistant and lightweight . . . that your mom probably had in her kitchen! The only difference is that those at IKEA were 98 cents a piece!
I got 8 of each: large plate, bowl, small plate. For flatware: 4 butter knives, 8 forks, 8 spoons. That was it. No more colorful (yes, IKEA) plastic plates and bowls everywhere. I kept the colorful cups for my kids, and my husband and I use mason jars or our water bottles for drinking. My babies each have one sippy cup.
It may seem strange, but it’s been GLORIOUS. Here is why.
Every time we eat, I wash the dishes immediately after. 6 bowls, 6 spoons, a pot, a pan, etc. There aren’t many, and it takes me about 10 minutes or less to have everything washed, dried, and put away.
No longer are dishes lingering in the sink because there are more in the cupboard to use. This way, I have to wash them or we can’t eat off of them the next meal. It’s that simple.
This method of quickly doing dishes after every meal and putting them away has been amazing. When my husband first proposed the “8 of each” rule, I admit the thought crossed my mind, “But what about when we have people over? We only have 8 forks!” His response? (After gently reminding me that we rarely have people over) “We use paper.”
That simple. Now instead of keeping all of those extra plates taking up space in my cupboard for “What if,” I will buy what we need and throw them away afterward.
Some call that waste, I call it happiness.
I cook 3 meals a day, most days. Not to mention the baking that goes on around here. That adds up to lots of dishes, but using what I need and then washing it all right when we have finished eating has saved me a lot of time and stress. I never see dirty dishes in the sink. I didn’t realize what an impact that would have on my day.
I altered most of the KonMari ideas to fit my own home and family. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up doesn’t go into any detail about how to tackle a kitchen. And for someone like me, that was a major hole that needed to be filled!
I have finally come to a place where I feel I have just what I need in my kitchen. No extra gadgets I don’t use, no drawers full of spatulas when I rarely ever use more than one at a time and can easily wash it if need be. For some, what I have kept might still seem like a lot, but for me it suits what I use on a consistent basis.
I was going to list everything I have in my kitchen (let me know if that is something you would be interested in), but you get a good idea from the pictures. My baking/spices/oil cupboard has the most in it. But it still isn’t as crowded as it once was!
What do you have lurking in your cupboards that hasn’t seen the light of day for a year or more? I encourage you to take that step and GET RID OF IT. A deviled egg tray you never use? A cake stand with a layer of dust that will NEVER see a cake atop it? Three sets of measuring cups when you only really need one?
Get a box, label it DONATE, and add in 10 items that you never use from your kitchen. Then actually donate it. Let me know in the comments if you follow through, what you got rid of, and how it feels! Then keep going!
Read more about how we used the KonMari method in our home:
I’m sitting here reading your post with dirty dishes in my sink and it stresses me out having a messy kitchen. I have many excuses of course…baby, we cook almost every meal (like you) and at night I just want to relax. I love that you mentioned how big of an impact a clean kitchen has made, because when my kitchen is clean I feel like such a weight is lifted and I have all this time to do things I love instead of dreading to clean a mountain of dishes.
My hubby and I have talked about only having so many dishes so maybe we will revisit that conversation soon! Thanks for the encouragement!!!
Not having as many dishes helped me so much. Along with just committing to washing them every meal. It doesn’t take long at all when I do that. And I do a quick sweep before bed for clutter, then it’s done! There is a time and a season though. I wasn’t always this way!
Such a good solution for those few/multiple times a year for company plus easier cleanup. I liked this post and the great ideas and pictures and inspiration to get rid of things don’t need. I just love your posts!
I love your comments! Thanks for taking the time to leave them, it really brightens my day! It’s always nice to hear feedback.