The kitchen is the heart of the home, but it’s also where clutter can pile up.

Decluttering your kitchen needn’t be intimidating: a few simple steps can make a huge difference in creating a more streamlined space where meal prep becomes easier, finding what you need takes seconds, and everything slots perfectly back into its designated space.

From crowded cabinets to cluttered countertops, click or scroll to sort out your kitchen mess once and for all...

From empty envelopes and school books to the spices you used last night, kitchen countertops always seem to attract clutter.

The first step is to take every single item off your countertop, give it a good clean and only put back what you really need and use every day, such as a kettle and toaster.

Something beautiful, such as a bowl of fruit or a vase of flowers, will add to a sense of calm too. Larger appliances, such as air food processors or stand mixers, don't need to be on display as they aren't used too often.

We all have that one drawer filled with random junk from assorted chargers to utility bills we’ve already paid and old birthday cards. But giving your drawers a really good tidy will free up so much space for everything on the countertops to live in.

Focus on emptying one drawer at a time and give each item a home. Be brutal – if you haven’t used something in a year, consider if you really need it or if it can be thrown away. Some easy targets are mismatched containers and lids, broken items and duplicates.

It might seem counterintuitive to be buying more stuff in an attempt to declutter, but buying drawer organisers can keep things tidy in the long term.

Use organising containers, not just to sort cutlery and utensils, but to stack other essentials such as snacks, water bottles and chopping boards. Group items that naturally go together.

Don’t forget to measure your drawers so you can buy organisers that fit your space perfectly, and stick them down with adhesive dots so they don’t move around. 

When decluttering the kitchen itself, it can be tempting to stuff everything into the pantry to make the kitchen look tidier – but a tidy pantry is just as essential for a seamless cooking experience.

Group items by types, such as fruit and vegetables, non-perishable products and dried food, and give each its own area.

Purchase and label matching clear airtight containers so you can see what you have and don't double buy – being organised can save you money as well as time. 

Decanting is a big decluttering buzzword, and the idea behind it is that you can get rid of unnecessary storage and keep everything from cereal to spices in gorgeous, matching labelled containers which are easy to access.

You can buy pre-labelled spice jars online and save money by buying spices in bulk and decanting them into the smaller jars. Make sure to buy clear containers so you can see how much you have left and to choose a brand that has a variety of sizes so your other containers match.

Styling a fridge (or 'fridgescaping') may not be for you, but keeping the fridge and freezer clutter-free is vital. Organising your fridge and freezer will save you money by avoiding food waste – plus it’s more hygienic.

First, take out everything you have, clean shelves thoroughly, group similar items together, and consider buying labelled stackable containers to separately store fruit, vegetables, condiments and so on. Label freezer bags or food containers with a date so you can keep track. 

Start by checking expiration dates and discarding anything past its prime. Combine duplicate bottles of the same product and decant half-used jars into smaller containers to save space, for example, soy sauce (keeping dark and light separate), vegetable oils or the same types of vinegar.

Store frequently used condiments in an easy-access tray in the fridge or pantry, while less-used items can go in a separate area. Wipe down sticky bottles and organise by type – sauces, oils and vinegars – to keep everything tidy. 

Rather than just throwing cleaning supplies under the sink and hoping for the best, measure your space and invest in pull-out storage drawers as well as baskets or hooks mounted to the inside of the door.

Leave some space for a cleaning caddy with a handle that you can easily remove and put back. To make things look perfectly arranged – and save some money while you’re doing it — buy cleaning products in bulk, then transfer them into clear, matching and labelled bottles and boxes.  

Clear your cupboards and drawers and line everything up. Do you really need three whisks, four pizza cutters or the old wooden spoons you’ve had for what seems like decades? Resolve to only keep what you need.

Throw away anything broken or rusty, and give away what you no longer need on community forums or social media marketplaces. Then, meticulously plan the layout of your cutlery tray and labelled storage to make sure next time you use a tool, it always goes back to the right place. 

Thanks to the genius of products like shelf risers, pull-out racks and vertical storage, you can make the most of your cabinet space, even if it’s limited.

Measure carefully and make the most of risers to store dishes and bowls. Mount hooks or baskets on the inner door of cupboards to store smaller items such as spices. Turntables can help keep access to jars streamlined. You could also hang pots and pans on the wall to free up drawers and cabinets, or stack them on their side in a container.

There’s nothing like a curated display of cookbooks to make a kitchen look chic yet homely. But many of us have far more than we want or need.

Take each one off the shelf and consider which ones you want to keep, either because you use them regularly or because you plan to one day.

Flick through those you’re not sure about keeping, and take photographs of recipes you’d like to keep or try before donating or selling the unwanted books. 

First, take stock of what you have – unnecessary items can be discarded or donated. Baking essentials such as baking soda, flour or sugar can be decanted into labelled storage containers, and don’t forget to note down the expiry date.

Storing baking pans or trays vertically in a pan organiser saves space and helps you see what you have. If you bake regularly, consider a pegboard to hang up measuring cups and spoons, or a labelled storage bin specifically for baking, so that tools are easily reachable. 

From the novelty mug you picked up on your travels to the mismatched glasses you don’t remember buying, drinking vessels can accumulate in a truly baffling way.

While you don’t need to donate everything that doesn’t match, an audit and declutter of your mugs and glassware will reduce overcrowding in cupboards and make everything look tidier. Try to eliminate anything chipped or mismatched, and store sets together to save time at your next dinner party. 

It's probably time to invest in some new containers, buying sets that neatly stack together and swapping plastic for glass. Plastic containers can deteriorate when exposed to heat, which may result in harmful chemicals leaching into the food.

Take everything out of the cupboard and get rid of anything that isn't a complete set, is damaged or very worn. Once reduced to the essentials, arrange from big to small, and group square, rectangular and round containers together.

Once your countertops are clear and your drawers are organised, you’ll want to create a streamlined food prep area.

Designate a part of the kitchen counter where you’ll prepare food, and make sure it’s clear of appliances so you don’t need to move things out of the way when you start chopping.

The less you have to move, the quicker your prep will be. Make sure things you use every day, such as utensils, knives or chopping boards, are all within easy reach. 

Be honest about which appliances you use every day and therefore should display. To make a feature of small appliances, buy them in matching colours for extra style points.

Everything you don’t use daily should be tucked away to avoid visual clutter. Add shelf risers to cabinets to fit more into the space and store items you barely use up high.

Consider where else in your home you can store rarely used items – and if they’re really rarely used, whether you can sell or donate them instead.   

Another kitchen mystery is how quickly paperwork such as bills and shopping lists can pile up. It’s not realistic to resolve to keep paperwork out of the kitchen, so instead, get a desktop organiser.

If you have multiple members of the family, organise paperwork by person, and once those organisers fill up, make a rule that it’s time to take the papers away and organise them elsewhere. Paperwork that’s important to have handy, such as to-do lists, can go on the fridge with an old-fashioned magnet, but put a reminder in to throw these away at the end of every month.

Once you’ve decluttered the pots, pans and utensils you don’t need any more, don’t forget about the wall as an under-appreciated storage space.

Any bare space on a wall can hang everything from pots and pans to utensils or a magnetic knife rack. If you don’t know where to start, a great first foray into wall storage is a pegboard where you can hang anything from chopping boards to oven mitts. 

If you’re a fan of cleaning, decluttering and organising TV shows, you’ll be familiar with the joys of decanting food into labelled jars and containers.

A streamlined series of matching, labelled jars offers a far more aesthetically pleasing kitchen experience than the visual clutter of mismatched and bulky packaging.

Using labelled containers also makes the most of storage space, saves money by avoiding food waste and keeps food fresh thanks to the airtight seals on the containers’ lids. 

According to the UN's 2024 Food Waste Index Report, more than a billion meals are thrown away every day and a fifth of food is wasted. As well as being terrible for the environment, this habit is expensive and unhygienic.

Get into the habit of regularly checking all the food in your fridge, freezer and pantry. Organise it so that you use what’s going to expire first.

Make sure that before food shopping, you write a detailed list of what you need and double-check what’s already in your home to avoid buying twice and overcrowding your kitchen.

Taking a few minutes every day to maintain order will keep the freshly decluttered look consistent. Every day, set a five-minute timer, tidy the countertops, put items back in their allocated places, sort through paperwork and make a plan for food that’s due to expire.

Think twice before buying new items, and don’t set something aside overnight just because you’re unsure what to do with it – delaying decisions leads to clutter building up again.

Loved this? Check out more organising and cleaning hacks to keep your home under control