10 Things to Declutter in Your Kitchen to Make It Fall-Ready
Toss or relocate these items to prep the kitchen for its busiest season.
Following the carefree days of summer, the kitchen turns into a workhorse come fall. To get the space ready for pie baking, pumpkin carving, and all the other seasonal festivities, professional organizers recommend decluttering the space thoroughly. “Now is a great time to get your kitchen ready for fall,” says Amy Bergman, the chief organizing officer at Amyzing Spaces. She refers to September as "Preptember,” saying it’s the ideal time to prepare the kitchen for the busy fall season ahead.
During the laid-back summer months, everything from popsicle molds to summer camp flyers seems to accumulate in the kitchen. Tossing or relocating these items provides room for fall essentials like your stand mixer and bakeware. If you’re not sure where to begin, Kimberly Savel-Turek, a professional organizer and the founder of Room to Breathe Professional Organizing, says, “I recommend starting with the easy wins: expired food and spices, chipped or cracked dishes, stained or warped food storage containers, mismatched lids, and gadgets or appliances that rarely get used.” For her, the goal is to create breathing room for the things you’ll actually use during the busy months of autumn.
Here are the 10 things professional organizers say you should declutter in your kitchen to make it fall-ready.
Old Baking Ingredients and Spices
“With fall baking and seasonal holidays just around the corner, I always recommend doing an audit of your baking ingredients and spices,” says Megan Barnhart, a professional organizer and the founder of Barnhart Home. She advises checking expiration dates and giving spices a good smell. “It surprises me how many of us are baking with old or expired spices,” Barnhart says.
Summer-Specific Items
“Summer-specific items like outdoor dinnerware, picnic supplies, seasonal drinkware, and ice pop molds can often be moved to a basement, garage, or a labeled seasonal storage bin,” Savel-Turek says. If you only use something in the summer, the organizer says it doesn’t need to take up prime kitchen real estate year-round.
Seasonal Appliances
“Rotate seasonal appliances and entertaining items based on how they’re actually being used,” Bergman says. To declutter the kitchen, move them to the pantry, garage, or a storage bin.
“Large items like juicers and ice-cream makers take up valuable real estate in the kitchen,” Barnhart says.
Summer Picnic and Paper Goods
“Another good thing to move out of the kitchen would be summer picnic and paper goods, and seasonal tablecloths and linens,” Barnhart says.
She stores the items together in a small labeled bin or basket. “Before you store anything away for the season, be sure all items are clean and all the components are together,” Barnhart adds.
BBQ Tools
As the season for backyard BBQs draws to a close, it’s time to put the tools away. Barnhart’s tip is to store BBQ tools with your grill.
“Get a small weatherproof (meaning it seals completely) plastic bin to keep on the shelf below your grill or invest in a BBQ cover that has an additional zippered pouch attached,” she suggests.
Extra Reusable Water Bottles and Tumblers
Bergman says water bottles, travel mugs, and reusable cups tend to multiply over the summer and take over the kitchen.
“Take a few minutes to let go of anything that’s damaged, missing pieces, or simply never gets used,” Savel-Turek says. “If you always reach for the same two water bottles out of six, that’s a great place to start,” she adds.
Expired Pantry Items
Now is the time for a pantry audit; get rid of expired items and donate staples you stocked up on and never used. You’ll gain space for fall foods and seasonal tools.
“The goal is to make room for the items you’ll actually be using more frequently in the coming months, like your stand mixer, mixing bowls, and bakeware,” Bergman says.
Paper Clutter
Paper clutter tends to accumulate in the kitchen during the summer—and needs to go!
“Old forms and notifications from the last few weeks of school, summer camp flyers, random paper mementos from summer travel... Take a few minutes to sort through that pile of papers that have been gathering on the end of your countertop and regain your space,” Barnhart advises.
Old Food Storage Containers
“Food storage containers are another category worth tackling,” Bergman says.
She recommends matching containers with their lids, getting rid of anything stained, cracked, or warped, and eliminating those lonely containers which no longer have a mate.
Broken and Duplicate Kitchen Tools
If you’ve been avoiding cluttered kitchen drawers, now is the time to tackle them. “Start by getting rid of kitchen tools that are broken, worn out, or unnecessary duplicates that have accumulated over time,” Bergman says. “Do you really need three can openers or four pairs of kitchen scissors?” she says.
RELATED: 20 Things Professional Organizers Say Most Homes Have Too Many of
Maria Sabella is a lifestyle writer with a passion for home and interiors — from paint colors and holiday decor to the latest design trends. Her work has appeared in outlets including Better Homes & Gardens, The Spruce, BuzzFeed and Bustle.
Readers Also Read
“Soft Decluttering” Takes Stress Out of Tidying Up
Overwhelmed by Clutter? Try One of These 7 Methods
The “3 Homes” Organizing Trick Is So Practical
6 Practical Ways to Repurpose Paper Towel Rolls
