I am a strong advocate for having clear counter tops. It does take work… when my family sees a clear space, they are bound and determined to put something there. But when it comes to our kitchen counters, I am quick to have them come back and grab what they set down and put it where it goes.
If my kitchen counters are messy or cluttered, I find it very hard to muster up motivation to make a meal. This is because I know to make the meal, I will first need to clear the counters. And when we are hungry and its dinner time, I very seldom feel like cleaning the whole kitchen first. I want our kitchen to be ready to go at all times! It’s amazing how much more cooking and prepping I do throughout the day with clear counters. It makes it less daunting and provides just the right amount of motivation to not order take out.
What do I mean by clear counter tops? I really think everyone’s threshold is probably different with the specifics. But here is my personal preference and what we try to maintain in our home.
No appliances.
No toaster. No blender. No instapot. These items take up so much valuable space! I would rather store them in the cabinet and pull them out when I use them. EVEN if it’s as often as every day…. I know, I’m a stickler for this one. But one thing to note is that the counter space in our home is already VERY limited. So, like I said everyone will be a little different with this.
No utensils.
I don’t keep a jar with cooking utensils out. I don’t keep a knife block on the counter. All my utensils and knives are kept in a drawer. I find that it is ALMOST as fast keeping them out of sight and grabbing them as needed than it is keeping them out. It might take 2 more seconds. But that doesn’t bother me. The trade off is worth it in my opinion!
No decorations.
I don’t put things on my counters just for looks. Well, I take that back. I have one painting of an apple that my daughter made… and I do have it sitting in the corner. BUT other than that, I don’t have decorations. It is just one more thing to wipe clean when cleaning the kitchen and one more thing that can get in the way. If you need decorations in your kitchen, try using the walls to save space on your counter. Hmm.. now that I’m thinking about it, I might hang my daughter’s picture up on the wall under the cabinets!
What DO I keep on the counter?
Salt & pepper, olive oil, and cooking spray next to the stove. A drying rack (we are in the baby bottle phase), and a water dispenser next to the sink. Finally, the cups everyone is currently drinking out of that day. At the end of the night, those cups go in the dishwasher and the counter is nice and clear, ready for the next day.
I also try to keep the sink empty throughout the day. Dishes that can go in the dishwasher go in immediately when we are finished with them and anything that needs to be handwashed is done throughout the day. Having the counters and sink clear also helps with motivation to do dishes!
Do you keep your counters clear? Or at least try to? It’s not always easy, but if you find yourself lacking motivation when it comes to cooking or doing dishes I would challenge you to simplify, starting with your counters!
