Around this time last year, I completely cleared off my counters. As in, I removed everything from my counters except for soap by the sink and a small aloe plant.
It was AMAZING.
One night when my hubs and I were taking a walk after dinner, I told him that I thought completely clearing off the counters had changed my life. He chuckled and told me I was being a little dramatic.
But I was serious. It really did change a lot of things about my life that were causing me stress and making me feel overwhelmed, and in changing those things, it changed the way I felt about life overall. So having cleared off counters did change my life.
At least for a time.
As usually happens in life (or at least my life anyway), things got busy and my counters unfortunately became cluttered again. And with the clutter the feelings of stress and being overwhelmed have also returned. But life has just seemed too busy to really do anything about it. There were times where I would get my counters cleared off, and then the stuff would creep back onto them again.
So, here I am a year later, with the strong desire to completely clear off my counters again and get back to that place of feeling less stressed and overwhelmed in the kitchen. That place where clean counters really did change my life. So I’m committing this week to completely clear off my counters.
I wanted to write down the ways that clear counters changed my life to help motivate me even more. And if some of you are struggling with feeling stressed and overwhelmed because of messy and cluttered counters, maybe this can help motivate you to clear your counters too!
5 Ways Clearing Off My Kitchen Counters Changed My Life
1. We live in a small house with a small kitchen and not a lot of counter space, so even keeping a few small things on the counters takes away a lot of the useable space. Clear counters mean more space and a kitchen that feels a lot bigger than it really is.
2. It is so much easier to cook from scratch and prepare three meals plus snacks each day for your family when your counters are clear. It creates both the physical and mental space to bake, whip up homemade snacks, and cook nutritious dinners.
3. Because it’s so much easier to cook and prepare meals and snacks, we order less take-out, rely less on convenience and processed foods and snacks, and eat out less often. This is much better for both our wallets and our health!
4. Counter tops that are completely cleared off seem to practically clean themselves. Dirty dishes go into the dishwasher or get washed. Ingredients get put back in cupboards. Clutter gets put back where it belongs. And this all happens easily and right away, because clean counters beget clean counters, while cluttered counters beget even more clutter.
5. A clean kitchen is motivation to keep the rest of the house clean and picked up. Cleaner kitchen = cleaner house = happier mom = happier family = WINNING!
And as a bonus, it just feeeeels so much better to walk into a clean kitchen then into a dirty one. Instead of dreading going into the kitchen knowing the mess waiting for me there, I look forward to walking into the kitchen and being able to actually do what I’m supposed to do in there – make good food for my family. It’s amazing how much more inspiration I have to cook and prepare food at home when my counters are clear!
So I want to challenge myself, and you too, to completely clear off our counters in your kitchen and see what kind of difference it can make in our lives! If you need more practical and how-to steps to clear off your counters, including pictures from my own kitchen and how I store things, check out How To Completely Clear Off Your Kitchen Counters!
Are your counters perpetually messy and cluttered? How do you think it would change your life to clear them off completely?
P.S. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about the blue storage containers under the cabinets. They are for storing produce that doesn’t need to be in the fridge. My husband made them for me, and he put together a DIY Kitchen Storage Box tutorial so that you can make them too! It’s an easy weekend project!
I don’t like clutter at all but I do like to keep things I use every day on my counter, like my toaster oven, cutting board, juicer, knives, paper towels holder, and a holder with spatulas, etc. It would seem to make more work for me to always have to dig for these things when I use them so often.
The thing that changed my mind about keeping those types of items out was thinking about the amount of time I’m not using those items. Let’s say for 8 hours of the day (that leaves 8 for sleeping and 8 for work) you use those items for about 15 minutes, or probably even less, right? So that leaves 7 hours and 45 minutes that they are taking up valuable space on your counter that you could use to do the other things that you do in your kitchen, like cooking, baking, etc. It takes about 5 seconds to take those items out of the cupboard and maybe about 10 seconds to put those items away in the cupboard, if you wipe them off or take them out of the dishwasher first.
So what is more valuable? The 15 seconds that it takes to take those items out and put them back, or the 7 hours and 45+ minutes that your counters are clear and clutter free? Each person has to decide for themselves what’s more important, but when I looked at it in that way, I realized that I would rather have a clear counter for the majority of the day. What I thought was convenience (leaving those items out), really wasn’t so convenient after all because of the amount of time they just sat there cluttering up my counter. Just something to think about… 🙂
I really like this point! I don’t have a lot on my counter but I have been thinking of removing the few things that I do have…my biggest problem is figuring out where to put them. Your post is convincing me to try to find a good solution to that problem. I think the happiness that results will be worth the little bit of effort. 🙂
I made space in my cabinets for the things I usually left out on the counter. It did take a bit of work, but it was totally worth it!
I love a clean counter top! Good job. This makes me want to take my blender off the counter right now!
Getting those small appliances off the counter makes such a difference, doesn’t it?!
Looks great! Wanna come to my house next? (just kidding!)
BTW, what are those blue hinged under-cabinet thingies that you have? They look both pretty and pretty useful!
Thanks Jen! I actually think I’d enjoy helping other people do this too – it’s more fun to clean and organize other people’s houses than it is your own, right?! Ha!
And I just updated the post with info about the storage boxes – my hubs made them for me. 😉
He Jen,
In case you were interested, my husband just posted a DIY tutorial for the storage boxes we have in our kitchen. http://www.liverenewed.com/2015/01/diy-kitchen-storage-boxes.html
Looks Great!! Where did you find those green boxes under the upper cabinets?
Thanks Roxanne! I just updated the post with info about the blue boxed under the cabinets – my hubs made them for me.
Hey Roxanne,
Just wanted to let you know that my husband just posted a DIY tutorial for the storage boxes we have in our kitchen. http://www.liverenewed.com/2015/01/diy-kitchen-storage-boxes.html
I would love to clear off my counters, but I have a tiny kitchen with abt 24 inches of counter space and barely enough cabinet space for my dishes and dry goods, so my counter has my spice rack and dish drainer (no dishwasher). My entire apt is abt 400 sq ft. I have to store my electric skillet, toaster oven, blender, and crock pot on the floor under a table. My kitchen table is also used for storage (which makes me nuts). Unfortunately, clean counters is not a possibility.
This is impressive, Emily! My counters are currently full of junk, so I admit this appeals. But I just don’t know where I’d put my toaster, espresso machine, crock of spoons/spatulas/etc and my fruit!! Please please tell me about those teal things on the wall under your cabinets. Do they hold produce?
Hey Nicole – I know you have a small kitchen too, but I made space for everything in my cabinets – my toaster, coffee maker, crock of utensils, etc. The fruit is still a problem because I have too much produce to fit in those storage boxes! I just updated the post with info about the storage bins under the cabinets, but basically, my hubs made them for me after seeing a picture on Pinterest of something similar. I keep telling him he needs to make a DIY tutorial for the blog so other people can make them too, because I get so many compliments/questions about them!
I totally know how you feel! I was so tired of the clutter on my counters and it made me tired just to come into the kitchen and I have no counter tops to speak of. So I cleaned everything off! I love it! I’m glad I found someone who agrees with me! Maybe it doesn’t work for everyone, don’t know why it wouldn’t, but ok!
For those who are interested, I just updated the post with information about the teal storage bins under my cabinets. Basically, I’m a lucky woman with a husband who is a great carpenter! 😉
Clean counters do make SUCH a difference! We’ve been loving with my in-laws while my husband is in grad school and let’s just say my mother in law doesn’t keep her counters as clean as I would like. Messy courters do create so much stress and it is much harder to get things done. We’re moving out soon so I will just keep EVERYTHING off the counters at our new place!
I love keeping things on my counters, but I think there are some things I don’t love there. Like my waffle maker. Since I don’t have much space in my cupboards (which are really weird and ornery to close properly cause they have to overlap in the right order) for everything, I think a good compromise for me and others with teeny old kitchens is to keep one area of counter clean at least. I’m going to try that – put the waffle maker and kettle away….and I’m so excited to see the extra space! Thanks! 🙂
What about the microwave, it do you not have one?
This is so true. It is the one thing I do that always reduces my stress level, and you are right about being more motivated to cook at home.
Wow! I am so glad I found this today! It was my goal today to clear counters that have become too crowded. (Just emptied one to scrub it, took a break while the dish drainer is soaking now.) I just said to myself this morning that this is why I have not wanted to cook, because it’s been so stressful because it is a mess. Then going out to eat, or not eating well has caused another set of issues, it’s a cycle of chaos! I have thought many times that clearing them completely would be a great idea but feel like that would be more trouble than it is worth. It will take me time to get it done, rearranging cabinets, etc., but I am going for it. Thanks for the motivation!
I cleared everything off my counters about a year ago. I was sick of not having room. In my apartment I only have a 3 foot wide section of counter space anyways. I have a large kitchen though so I have a nice hutch in there no where I store everything. It really does make a huge difference!
Thanks for the tips. I am a serial space filler which drives my other half nuts. After seeing your article today and being sick and tired of a cluttered and messy kitchen I decided to tackle it. There are a few items still out and I am ok with that but I did manage to get rid of a lot of stuff I didn’t need and has made my kitchen seem so much bigger, cleaner and makes me want to keep it that way. It definitely has an impact on then keeping the rest of your house nice and tidy. Thank you for the tips 🙂
Thank you so much for this article! It changed my life and I’ve only had cleared off counters for less than 24 hrs! I’m a mom of 5 young children, so mess and clutter in my kitchen was something that I just accepted. HOWEVER. I am amazed at how finding cabinet space for the things I usually keep on the counter, AND putting away the junk piles that reside on my counters (mail, kids artwork, knick knacks) have made my kitchen look like a haven instead of the dreaded dungeon where I cook and clean most of the day. I can’t thank you enough! 🙂 You’ve helped another mom achieve peace in her kitchen!! 🙂
Hi Aimee!
That’s awesome! Thanks for coming back and sharing your experience! I’m so very glad this post was helpful to you and that you’ve been able to declutter your kitchen and make it haven for yourself and your family! Great job!! 🙂
All the best,
~Emily