Our kitchens are one of the most important places in our lives. It is where we prepare food and sometimes eat. Our day usually starts in the kitchen, and we spend a lot of time there. But the kitchen can also be a place where a lot of our unhealthy materials reside. Decluttering your kitchen isn’t an easy process. But it’s the one that you should most definitely do from time to time. Best time for getting rid of unused items is during a move. You will be packing everything anyway. So, by throwing away old things you make it easier on yourself by not having to pack them. Old and damaged kitchenware can produce some unhealthy materials that don’t belong in the kitchen. So take this opportunity to get rid of them.

How to start decluttering your kitchen?

The first thing that you need to do when decluttering your kitchen is to take everything out. Empty all the cabinets, drawers and other storage spaces. It’s simply the best and most throw way for you to see what you no longer need. You will be able to clean the kitchen properly as well as get rid of the unwanted items. Take a big garbage bag and start throwing things away.

If you are doing this as a preparation for your relocation, make sure you buy boxes first. You can get moving boxes Sudbury from your moving company. That way you will be able to pack right away everything that is still ok to use.

Throw away spoiled and unused food

Food is usually the thing that is thrown away most often in the kitchen. And that’s where you should start with your decluttering and cleaning. Take all of the items out of the fridge and check for expiration dates. Most people think that expiration dates are just about the food. But containers also have their expiration date. And they can start contaminating not only the food in them but also the rest of the fridge. So, throw away everything that is expired. If you are not sure if something is still good, it’s better to throw it out than risk eating it.

A freezer is a place where you can find food that you intended to save for later, but never did. And if it’s sitting in the freezer for months, you probably will not be using it in the future. So either donate it or throw it out. Cabinets are probably also filled with many items that you have forgotten about over the years. You can donate most of your food that is still good. But do your research first. Many food banks take only specific kinds of food.

Check the items in cabinets

Cabinets are a perfect place to store spaghetti, noodles, cereals, spices and similar items. Make sure you check expiration dates on every package. And if something remained opened for too long, throw it away. Old species that have hardened over time should also be thrown away. Even though they still smell ok and have a long shelf life, they are not always safe to use.   

Paper and plastic containers

Throw away used paper containers. Even if you washed them and they look clean, they are a breathing ground for bacteria. You should also check all of your plastic containers when decluttering your kitchen. If they are scratched they should end up in the garbage bag. Scratched plastic can “leak” chemicals into food. Especially if used in a microwave.

Check your kitchenware

Next thing you should do when decluttering your kitchen is to check the kitchenware. Especially if you have inherited your mothers or even grandmothers kitchenware. Nickel was widely used to make things shine. But it is a very unhealthy material that can cause a lot of problems. Also, make sure that your spoons, forks, and knives aren’t rusted. Given enough time even stainless steel can rust. And you don’t want to be eating with rusted kitchenware.

Throw away unused and damaged kitchen utensils

There are a lot of items in the kitchen that we don’t use very often. They not only take up space but can sometimes even be unhealthy. Nonstick pans that have been scratched should be thrown away. They are essentially covered with a thin layer of plastic. And when it scratches, it doesn’t only make them sticky again. It can produce a wide range of harmful chemicals. Especially when heated. Same goes for scratched plastic spatulas and other items you use for preparing food.

Scratched cutting board is also something you should replace. It doesn’t matter if it’s wooden or plastic. Bacteria can live in the grooves and contaminate food you are preparing on it. So if you’ve been using it for years and it has deep grooves, make sure you throw it away.

Save what you are not using

After you’ve gotten rid of damaged items, get rid of the ones you are not using. We all like to buy kitchenware and not use it. If you don’t want to throw it away, there are moving and storage Ontario companies that offer storage space. So, if you have items that are in good condition you can save them for later use. It will help a lot in decluttering your kitchen and you will have spare kitchen items for later on.

Pack and organize

If you are cleaning out your kitchen because you are moving, pack the rest of the items. In order to keep your new kitchen organized you should label the boxes. Use a label maker or a simple pen to write what’s in which box. It will help you with unpacking. And your movers will know what is fragile and what isn’t. If you are not moving, but just cleaning and decluttering your kitchen, make sure you store and organize everything. This is your chance to finally have a well-organized kitchen. Clean all the cabinets and drawers before putting things back in.