Clutter Be Gone
Day 2: Kitchen Pantry
Consolidate all food pantry items. If you have multiple boxes of opened cereal, crackers or cookies, combine into one box or put them a shared canister. Move all food you use regularly to the front of the shelves and all unopened packages or cans to the back.
Day 3: Kitchen Pantry, Part 2
"A good way to declutter the pantry is to organize it by types of food," says Donohue. Group foods by meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and sweets (preferably higher up so they're a little more out of reach). Or, organize by food categories, such as crackers, nuts, dried fruits and baking items. Not only will this system make your pantry look neater, foods will be easier to find, too.
Day 4: Cooking Utensil Drawer
Pull out everything in the cooking utensil drawer and immediately donate items you have two or more of (even if one is plastic and the other is wood, you likely don't need two stirring spoons). Recycle plastic spoons that have melted or are wearing down for health safety.
Day 5: Mismatched Silverware
When two houses merge through marriage or as roommates, so does the silverware. It's time to choose which one you'll keep. Put the other set in the donation box.
Day 6: Mugs
"Too many mugs is the most common 'clutter' I come across," says Donohue. "There's no need to have more than two mugs per person per day." A good rule of thumb is to keep the set of matching mugs that you have and donate the rest.
Day 7: Hard-to-Reach Shelves
After the mugs have been sorted, take a hard look at the drinkware, bowls or plates on the hard-to-reach shelves. Does it hold your finest serving dishes that are reserved for special guests? Do you actually use them for those guests? If the answer is no, take down whatever you're storing and place in the donation box.
