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Decluttering your kitchen from unhealthy materials

Is the mess a curse of your existence? Piles of paper, piles of toys, shelves overflowing with trinkets, drawers filled to the brim can all contribute to your stress levels and, in turn, encourage a poor diet and weight gain. This is perhaps especially true in your kitchen, where clutter can occupy valuable space. You need a clear, soothing space to prepare healthy meals for yourself and your family. Therefore, JB Movers Los Angeles presents you some tips for decluttering your kitchen from unhealthy materials.

Pile of dirty dishes in kitchen sink
Read on to find out some useful tips on decluttering your kitchen.

10 steps for decluttering your kitchen

1. Define your space

The first step is to imagine the perfect kitchen space and, in particular, what you want from the room. Write down your expectations, such as “pleasant environment for cooking”, “space to entertain guests and share food with my family” or “cozy space to enjoy a morning cup of coffee”.

2. Identify benign and malignant objects

Look at your kitchen and identify items that are more or less neutral. And those that are malignant, that is, they bring you down physically or emotionally. Malignant items can take on various forms, such as dishes from past relationships and fancy gadgets that you don’t use. Other malignant elements include junk food, processed foods, and unhealthy cooking tools, such as deep-fat fryers. Collect all the negative items in your kitchen and donate them or get rid of them.

3. Clean the refrigerator and freezer

Even your refrigerator and freezer have a purpose that is unique to each of us. Your ideal fridge may devote most of its space to fresh vegetables. While someone may have equal space for raw dairy products or meat. Throw away any food that doesn’t fit your vision, then give each shelf and bins a thorough cleaning.

The best time to clean the refrigerator is when it has little food, for example, right before you go to the grocery store. But ideally you should clean and declutter your refrigerator once a week or so. Dispose of food that is spoiled (do not always base the decision on the expiration date). Then, take one shelf or drawer at a time, remove all items, clean the surface with a soft cloth, natural soap and hot water, and then dry thoroughly.

4. Clean your pantry

Like your refrigerator and freezer, decide how you want to dedicate your pantry. For example, you may need a section for teabags, another for spices and a shelf for pet food. Get rid of junk food to leave open space for healthy dry goods and other foods that do not require refrigeration, such as sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic.

5. Clear horizontal surfaces

Decluttering your kitchen cannot be done without cleaning up horizontal surfaces. If your counters are stacked in disarray, your home will be erratic, and you will have no space to use the space as you intended.  In any place, especially in the kitchen, it is important to remember that flat surfaces are not for storage. They are intended for cooking and serving. Everything that comes your way or adds your cleaning time should go. Clean all piles of mail, instructions, work materials, trinkets, collectibles, computers, food wrappers, and any other garbage that doesn’t belong.

Kitchen counter cluttered with dishes.
Make sure you don’t leave dirty dishes on your counter.

If your horizontal kitchen areas look like clean, functional work spaces, your kitchen will look bigger and more attractive. And you will be more likely to cook and less tempted to just load the family into the car and eat elsewhere.

6. Address or create a preparation zone

Your kitchen should have a special area for cooking. Decide where it will be, and keep all the necessary kitchen items nearby. This may include dishes, knives, pots and pans, herbs and spices, and chopping boards. Restrict items to those you use regularly, and remove duplicate or broken items that take up space and add to the clutter.

7. Create a countertop command zone

This is the area where you put the food on the plates before the meal. It should be free from clutter and contain only functional items, such as necessary, regularly used dishes, serving parts and utensils. If you have items on the tabletop that interfere with plating your meals, move them to another place.

8. Clean dishes

Make an inventory of all your glassware and dishes. If you have more than you regularly use, donate an excess. Or move them to storage in special cases when you have large collections. Get rid of any broken dishes and decide whether you want to save partial sets. Assign a place in the kitchen for the remaining dishes and put there only objects that can fit in this space.

9. Organize cleaning products

Many people store cleaning products under the kitchen sink. Clean this area completely and safely discard any toxic cleaning chemicals. Make this spot an area for all natural cleaning products such as baking soda, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to help you quickly and safely clean your kitchen.

10. Finish decluttering your kitchen by getting rid of malignant items

Once you have collected the items that bring your mind mentally and emotionally, it’s time to let them go. You can donate them, sell them, recycle or throw them away. Creating a point for removing such items from your home will free up physical space in your kitchen, making you even more emotionally lighter. Our local movers Los Angeles are always here to help you pack-up and transport everything.

Old pots and pans
You can donate your old pots and pans to charities.

Your malignant disorder may have tormented you for years. But you are getting a new start, and this harmful mess represents an obstacle to your growth and success. It’s time to finish decluttering your kitchen and get rid of your first batch of malignant disorder. If you just want to have a reminder that this material was part of your life, take a picture. Then hide a physical photo on the table or paste a digital version deep into your computer.