12+ Simple Ways to Clear & Organize Your Kitchen Counter Today

I don’t know about your house, but ours could definitely use more counter space. We have a large island, but we TRY (emphasis on TRY) to keep it clear to be used as a prep area, serving area and work space. I must admit we do not always succeed, but we try.

When I took a poll recently the top three items people felt were cluttering their kitchen counters were

#1- Papers. Yep, papers. While papers aren’t really a “kitchen item” they do often end up on the kitchen counter. THIS POST shares some very quick, simple ideas to stop those paper piles in their tracks and how to keep them from returning. Who couldn’t benefit from that?

#2- Appliances.

#3- Utensils. Which we will address in just a few days.

I realize that the perfect answer to organizing your kitchen counter would be to find a “hidden” home for it all, but in many homes that is simply not doable due to limited space, physical limitations and outside sources, ahem…kids. So we chose to offer ideas to help corral the loose items, relocate them from the kitchen counter tops and make your kitchen the happy, restful place it should be.

12+ Simple Ways to Clear & Organize Your Kitchen Counters

1.) Find alternative homes for your seldom used appliances :

If your home is anything like mine, cabinet space is hard to come by, almost as hard to come by as counter space, so ~~harboring~~ storing appliances is a bit of a challenge. Some of the methods we use include:

Top of a closet/pantry We only use our bread maker, ice cream maker and dehydrator a few times a year, therefore I keep them on the top shelf of other rooms. My house may be small on kitchen, but my house is big on storage closets.
Back of a corner cabinet This creates the bonus of being unable to lose smaller items in the space.
Add a rolling cart to with ONLY appliances and large kitchen gadgets
The wasted space ABOVE the fridge and stove It tends to be the perfect height and depth for large, bulky appliances.

2.) Add a shelf to elevate your microwave or radio/charging station.

3.) Trade your counter top paper towel holder for an under the counter or wall mounted version.

paper-towel-holder-clearing-the-kitchen-counter

under-cabinet-paper-towel-holder-clearing-the-kitchen-counter

4.) Add a corner shelf, narrow shelf or box on it’s side to give yourself extra space for books, chargers, seasonings, etc…

5. ) Use a basket or tiered rack to hold fruit, daily snacks and other small items that MUST be on the counter.
We use the scrolled version from Clever Container and I love it! You can see how we use ours in Day 3 of the 30 Day Organizing Challenge.

countrtop-2-tier-1-clearing-the-kitchen-counter

6.) Transfer dish soap, dishwasher detergent/tabs & hand soap to PRETTY or clear containers To make things pretty, yet practical, for everyday use. Store excess under the kitchen sink.

7.) Command hooks can be mounted to the wall, inside and outside of cabinet doors and sides to hold gloves, measuring cups, mugs, utensils, lift cords off the counter and so much more.

8.) Use velcro to contain and control wayward cords and loose attachments.

9.) Add a narrow shelf, pretty baskets, repurposed box or empty serving tray to organize loose oils & spices OR add a spice rack or broom holder to the inside of a cabinet door and remove them from the counter completely.

I love this DIY Pallet Spice Organizer from Instructables. Or the simplicity of this broom rack organizer.

10.) Transfer oils to pretty bottles and corral in a lined basket, box, serving tray or repurposed kitchen container. DO not store in direct sunlight to help prolong the life ESPECIALLY if the oils have been infused. I love these labels from Lia Griffith.

11.) Add a shelf above your sink to hold sponges, dish soap (in pretty containers), herb gardens and even a pretty flower to gaze on while you do dishes.

12.) Need more outlets but worried about water and aesthetics? Mount a power strip to the underside of your cabinet and corral the cords with command hooks or velcro.

For tips, tricks, ideas and photos be sure to check out our Kitchen Organization and Kitchen Counter Organization Pinterest Boards found here.

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Tags: Clean, Clever Container, cords, Kitchen, kitchen appliances, kitchen counter, oils, organized, Organizing, sink, spices

Organization, Uncategorized | Tina Miller | October 4, 2016 9:52 pm

Treasured Tidbits by Tina