by Amberly of Kathi’s Clutter Free Academy Team
If you are wasting “thyme” because your kitchen cabinets are “peppered” with too many spices, it is time to declutter. Spices are expensive, and having too many or not having an organized system can be costly. (I’ve been known to buy a spice twice if I can’t find it!)
Follow these eight simple steps for decluttering your cabinets:
1) Resolve to simplify and succeed.
2) Clean your countertops so that all items can be removed and cleaned.
3) Label three boxes: Put Away (items that will stay in the kitchen), Other Room (items that will go somewhere else in the house including the garage), Give Away (think of newlyweds or community organizations that might be able to benefit from your purge. You’ll also want a trash bag and a recycling bag.
4) Remove all items from cabinets. Sort them into the appropriate boxes and bags (see above). Throw away items in an opaque trash bag to avoid decluttering regrets and dumpster diving in your own garbage!
5) Throw all old spices away. They are no longer valuable and take up unnecessary space. Make a mental note of those you infrequently use so you do not rush out to replace them with something new.
6) Before putting items back into them, clean your cabinets and shelves so that your slate is clean.
7) Organize spices in “families”: those you use all the time, those used for specific purposes, those rarely used, etc. and group them in the cabinet for quick access.
8) Once your cabinets are organized, avoid buying bargain spices and/or warehouse-sized spices. Although it may seem to save a few pennies, it will cost you space and sanity.
Decluttering those cabinets can help alleviate stress and expedite your cooking time which is quite a “sage” decision!
Do you want more Clutter Free? Take the 5 Day Clutter Free Challenge!
Really looking forward to read the book.. As someone in a similar industry, I loved this content. Thank you!
Great post! Love the part about organizing spices in “families”. Unused spices or once-used spices can really add clutter! Looking forward to reading the book!
This one is getting printed and put in my resources book for Spring Cleaning!
Hey Kathi! Great article. Glad I bumped into it. I own a cabinet refacing company, and always here from a lot of my clients after I install their cabinets or resurface them how cluttered they can get. I will print this article, and tell them about your book as well. Thanks!
I am reading your book, The Get Yourself Organized Project, and was advised to look up your website http://www.ProjectsforYourSoul.com to be able to print the Get Yourself Organized cards. I am unable to locate these cards. Please help. Thank you
Teresa, please send an email to my assistant, Sherri, at info @ kathilipp dot com and she’ll get you what you need.
Reading your book, The Get Yourself Organized Project…, and was forwarded to this website when I went to http://www.ProjectsforYourSoul.com website to be able to print the Get Yourself Organized cards.
Please advise on where I find these.
Nancy, my assistant is sending you an email. Thanks!