Here are some kitchen counter organization ideas that will help you keep your countertops clutter-free whether you have a large or small kitchen.
Which one of these sounds most like you?
You have a large kitchen with tons of counter space but it’s a magnet for clutter and somehow, you never have enough room to set anything down.
Or, you have a tiny kitchen that barely has enough surface area for you to cook on.
Whatever the situation in your home, having clutter-free countertops in the kitchen is important. You’ll save time because you can easily grab what you need and cook instead of shifting stuff around first. Plus, your kitchen will look bigger and cleaner just by having clear counters.
If you’ve been wondering how do you free up counter space, you won’t want to miss these tips for how to organize the kitchen countertop.
7 Best Kitchen Counter Organization Tips
1. Purge Your Kitchen
One of the reasons that you might have stuff overflowing on to your kitchen countertops is because your cabinets and drawers are full. If you don’t purge your kitchen regularly, it’s very easy to build up a lot of clutter.
I bet you probably have some of the items listed below taking up valuable storage space:
- Expired food
- Ingredients you bought for a recipe and only needed a teaspoon, now you’re stuck with the whole bottle
- Food you bought and didn’t like the taste, but you stuck it back in the cabinet thinking you’ll get to it one day (and never did)
- Gadgets you purchased but don’t need
- Bulky kitchen appliances you rarely use
- Multiple kitchen utensils e.g. several spatulas, wooden spoons etc.
Go through each of your cabinets and drawers and get rid of items that fit the following criteria:
- It’s expired
- You don’t use or like it
- You own something similar
Doing this will free up so much space, you’ll actually have room for some of the stuff that’s littering your counters.
2. Tame Clutter That Shouldn’t Be In Your Kitchen
If your kitchen is the hub of the home, as it is in most houses, people probably drop random stuff there. Mail, toys, electronics and other things are left on your countertops just because everyone’s too lazy to put items back where they belong. (No judgement, I’m guilty of this too.)
A good way to control this clutter hotspot is simply to place a basket in one corner of the kitchen. Just pick a spot that’s convenient for you. Anytime you find an item that doesn’t belong in that room, toss it in the basket. When the basket is full, grab it and put the items where they should be.
3. Don’t Store Small Appliances On Your Counters
The kitchen is full of small appliances — toaster, microwave, coffee maker, blender, etc. These take up quite a bit of room on your counters. Try finding an alternative storage space for them.
Place them in an appliance garage. You can also install a microwave shelf or invest in a microwave drawer.
4. Kitchen Countertop Storage
Think outside the box when you choose to store items on your kitchen counter. Here are some kitchen countertop storage ideas:
- Lean flat items like cutting boards against the wall so they take up less space
- Store items in clear square jars so you can pack them tightly together, if needed. This is a great solution for ingredients like salt and flour. It’s also a space-saving way to store cooking utensils or anything else you reach for frequently.
- Use a kitchen countertop shelf to maximize vertical space. This is an amazing small kitchen organization solution.
5. Know What to Put On Kitchen Counters
Only items that are used regularly should be kept on the kitchen counter. Everything else should be put away in cupboards or drawers close to the area where they’re needed most.
Even frequently used things can be stored within easy reach but not necessarily on the countertops. For example, dish-washing sponges can be placed in a sink caddy. You attach these any number of ways. Some slip over the faucet, others hook over the edge of the sink or have suction cups so they stick to the side.
Instead of placing knives in a block, attach a magnetic knife strip to the wall. Store cleaning supplies (or anything really) in a cabinet door organizer. If you have a large sink or double basin, try using an over-sink drying rack.
Try different storage solutions to free up as much space on your counters as possible.
6. Corral Countertop Clutter
Set items you do want to store on the kitchen counter on a pretty tray. The tray provides boundaries for where you should place things. This is a simple way to corral clutter and prevent it from spreading all over the place.
7. How to Keep Kitchen Counters Clutter-free
Start using a daily kitchen cleaning routine. During this time, you’ll clear any clutter that has built up and keep your kitchen —counters included— clean.
Here’s a fast and easy Daily Kitchen Cleaning Checklist.
Be clever with your organization solutions and you’ll have clutter-free kitchen counters in no time.
Here’s a summary of the tools you can use to organize your kitchen counter space: