I took a good look at my kitchen countertops and winced. How had they got so crowded? They needed some major kitchen countertop organization. Every square inch was covered with something! Thankfully, we are not living in the stone age and there are many clever kitchen countertop organization ideas and gadgets that make the process simple.
My countertops needed help. Not only did there need to be some major organization, but things needed to get tossed. Gadgets that were broken or not useful needed permission to head into the garbage can and useful items that were stored in my cabinets needed permission to find a new home on my countertops.
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Do you have to overcome your kitchen space or does your kitchen space serve you? A thought-out kitchen countertop organization will make cooking, baking, and enjoying your space more feasible.
Minimum countertop clutter also means fewer things to clean, and a quick and clean swipe will usually get the job done!
How do you Organize and Declutter Kitchen Countertops?
As you start to think through your organization strategy keep these three things in mind
- What do I use the most (keep those things)?
- What things are broken (get rid of those things)?
- What can be put in the cabinets or pantry?
Those three questions are the foundation of starting your kitchen countertop organization.
But I have a tiny kitchen!
Then the word you need to think through is ‘priorities’. We used to live in a small house with what I called a ‘micro’ kitchen. There are certainly smaller kitchens out there, but if you want to see what I was working with, you can check out my DIY post about painting our kitchen cabinets when we lived there.
It was tiny and as I thought through ways to make it organized and a workspace there were things that I got rid of that others thought I was wacky for.
For example, the microwave. I chucked that thing. Now, I’m not saying that is how you create kitchen countertop organization, I’m simply making the point that you have the power to prioritize what is important to you. The microwave took up valuable real estate on my countertop and it was not important to me.
You may think that your microwave is very important, but that’s okay! Think through other appliances and gadgets that are on your countertop, what you truly (I mean truly) use and what can you get rid of for your season of life.
20 Clever Kitchen Countertop Organization Hacks
We are going to be looking at practical ways to organize your kitchen, these are hacks that are easy to implement with as few adjustments to your kitchen as possible. If you are looking for more kitchen organization hacks, I encourage you to head over to Undoubted Grace, she has lovely organization plans for kitchens!
Remove things from the Kitchen Counter Tops
This is your first step to making any of these other ideas work. First, you need to declutter your space. Go back to those first three questions and look at them again. What can you get rid of that is broken, and what can go into different spaces?
Throw Unused Things Away
How do you determine what needs to be thrown away and what can be kept? There are a lot of methods and tricks for helping with this, but my favorite one is the ‘4 boxes method’.
For this, you will take four boxes and label them ‘keep’, ‘throw’, ‘donate’, and ‘relocate’. There need to be at least four things in each box once you get done with them. You’ll be amazed at how much you can relocate and throw using this method!
The first step in your kitchen countertop organization is to not only think through what can be thrown away or donated but actually do it!
Hang Things When You Can
Get hooks to hang utensils on your backsplash or even the side of your cabinets. This is a wonderful way to free up storage space and add some creative style to your kitchen.
Using rods or hooks you can hang
This idea for kitchen countertop organization is so cute when done correctly. Whether you like a more modern or rustic look, you can customize it to fit your style and space!
Use Shelves in your Cabinets
Cabinets are prime real estate! You want to maximize your organization in those areas. There are two simple ways to use shelves in your kitchen cabinets. The first is free-standing shelves. These are nice for cleaning supplies and bottom cabinets. My favorite shelves however are these. They attach to the top of your existing shelves and then allow you to
Hang Shelves for Pantry Items
Do you have an empty wall in your kitchen? Perfect! You’ve just acquired a space for organization! This can also be a cheap remedy that is a big statement piece! There are many ways to customize it to fit your unique style. You can make it more boho, farmhouse, or modern depending on the shelving unit you use.
These industrial pipes are what was used in the picture below.
Use Trays and Stands on the Sides of your Countertop Spaces
The sides of your countertop spaces can be a difficult thing to organize because it is usually cramped! Don’t give up though because that corner space can become the most well-utilized space in your kitchen!
Add wired baskets, trays, or stands to the side to organize those ‘hot spot’ items like coffee and tea needs, baking utensils, or kids’ snacks and treats!
Lazy Susans May Quickly Become your Best Friend
Lazy Susan’s in a small kitchen or larger kitchen can become your best friend! Place them in tight corners with your coffee or tea essentials, utilize them for cups and saucers, add mason jars of kitchen utensils, or use your imagination!
Wire Baskets for Fruit
Some fruits and vegetables need to be stored in the refrigerator, but others can certainly stay out on your countertops. In fact, it’s healthier for some fruits and vegetables to be outside of the fridge!
Adding individual wire racks can break up the monotony of your kitchen decor and add some color to those fruits and vegetables!
Use Corner Shelves in Tight Spaces
Traditional corner shelves on countertops may look a little dated, but there are some really cute ones that will add style and organization to your kitchen countertops.
This one, in particular, is impressive because of the price and that it includes hooks for the side. Imagine all the useful things you could organize onto these!
Use Alternative Spice Organizers
My favorite way to organize spices is to hang them with magnets under a cabinet. No counter space or cabinet space is consumed using this method!
You can either purchase a kit like this one from Amazon. Or you can DIY it yourself and purchase or reuse jars and get strong magnets like these.
Find an Organizer for your Soaps and Cleaners
This one might add more of a ‘cute’ factor than a necessary organization product, but it also can be a marvelous way to get all your cleaning supplies into one area. Find a trey riser for a cute and stylish look.
Utilize Three Tied Shelves
Using any tied shelf or platter can add some style to your decor. Although three-tiered stands are quite popular even a platter can add some style and decor to your kitchen. If you have the space it can be a place for decorations, but it can also be utilized as a place to organize kitchen tools.
Three-tiered trays can get quite spendy, so try a few of these budget-friendly ones.
Hang Rods under your Cabinets
Rods under your cabinets can be an effective way to hold a lot of items for a low amount of hassle and it yields high results. Depending on your space, you can hang pots, pan lids, utensils, cups, and more with these!
Use a Cookbook Holder
This may seem counterintuitive, but adding a cookbook holder can really save space if you utilize your kitchen for cooking and baking on a regular basis!
Add Pretty Hooks to your Backsplash
The keyword here is pretty! I love these more modern adhesive hooks, but these iron ones will certainly hold more weight.
Another pretty genius idea for your kitchen countertop organization is to use this rotating hook!
Hang Tools on the Inside of your Cabinets
This one has been my favorite hack from my kitchen! With just a few hooks, you can absolutely free up space and prevent frustration while looking for items. Is there something in your kitchen that you’re always rummaging through draws to find? Is there a way to hang it? Maybe it’s your teaspoons. I have an office nook in the corner of our kitchen, and I never could find my charging chords! I personally like the hooks that have an adjustable hook.
It can make all the difference in organization and frustration elimination!
Use a Cup Expandable Gadget in your Cup and Mugs Cupboard
This one is pure genius! Whoever made these knew what they were doing. Do you have a lot of mugs like me?! These expandable gadgets are going to reduce the unused air space in your cabinets. Instead of just stacking your mugs in random ways and having them fall out eventually and break, use these!
Storing Stovetop Essentials
No one likes rummaging through cupboards to find the oil, salt, and pepper. So why not keep those handy right on the stovetop? Very rarely do you utilize all the space of a stovetop at once? Use a tall metal basket for storing those things that you use on a regular basis. Or use a handy rack like this that sits right on top of your oven.
Stovetop Covers are a Space Friendly Creator
Kitchen countertop organization is about utilizing the real estate you have available in your kitchen. Your stovetop can be an unused space that with a quick fix can be used more efficiently.
These stovetop covers can add cutting, organization, and workable space to your kitchen. And as a bonus, they look pretty cute!
How to Keep Your Kitchen Countertop Organized
Once you find a system that works for you and your family, it’s essential that you keep those countertops organized. On a regular basis think through your organization’s strategy again.
- What do I use the most (keep those things)?
- What things are broken (get rid of those things)?
- What can be put in the cabinets or pantry?
I would love to see and share your kitchen countertop organization before and afters! Catch me over on Instagram, I would love to hear from you!
