Growing up, both my husband and I had cabinets full of plastic cups from the ball-field along with mismatched “souvenir” coffee cups. Our cabinets over-flowed! I personally didn’t help that situation since I gave my mom a charming coffee mug for every celebratory occasion!
Before my husband and I got married, we discussed the style of home we desired to create. We determined it would be ideal to own one set of matching glasses and one set of matching coffee mugs. This was our attempt at a perfectly organized kitchen cabinet.
And it worked! For a few years. But somewhere along the way, things started to change.
Don’t forget this tip! Pin it on Pinterest!
We “needed” BIG plastic cups for guys. Enter matching set of gargantuan plastic cups. Then smaller cups and uncoordinated cups started showing up. Later we received two coffee mugs as a gift. And then another showed up after a trip. Then another…
And THEN WE HAD KIDS!
Bottles, plastic kiddy cups with lids, sippy cups with straws and other kid paraphernalia made their way into that cabinet. Our cup, mug, and glass cabinet hit its breaking point. It became a big ol’ mess!
Can you relate? At least a little bit?
If so, take a few minutes to declutter those cups and plates! Is we don’t do it in the middle of the Deep Clean the Kitchen series, I don’t know when we will!
GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES >>>
Set a Timer >>>
Take 5 minutes… seriously, that’s all it should take… to organize your cup, mug, and glass cabinet.
Ready? Set? GO!
DECLUTTER CUPS AND PLATES CABINET >>>
1. Get it all out.
Remove everything out of your cabinet; even if it’s not a dish or cup. Knick-knacks, vitamins, recipes… you name it. Crazy things end up in the kitchen.
If you find something that doesn’t belong in that cabinet, take it out and AWAY. Make it difficult to return these crazy items to this location!
2. Next, wipe out the cabinet so it looks new again.
A quick wipe down will probably be all it takes.
3. Determine if you have the appropriate amount of dishes.
Evaluate your lifestyle, your level of entertainment/hosting, the number of family members who use your kitchen. If you do not play hostess frequently or have a large family, there’s a strong possibility you may actually have too many cups and/or dishes. These items are hoarding valuable real estate in your kitchen!
It may be tough to pair down initially, but it will be worth it in the end!
4. Replace and organize.
Organize your tableware and place items you actually use back into the cabinet.
Restock according to frequency of use and the needs of your family. Place rarely used items on high shelves and frequently used items on lower shelves so they are easily accessible.
The remaining pieces can go in your decluttering toolkit.
I prefer to categorize glassware by “type.” Same with plates and bowls. By keeping like-items together, it produces a visually, appealing cabinet. Furthermore, it makes it obvious to anyone unloading the dishwasher where each item should go.
This should be a quick task. Don’t over-analyze. Strive to make quick decisions! And since this is an area of the kitchen that’s used often, it will be noticed! Maybe someone will even “thank you” for the job well done!
Your assignment for today:
- Set your timer. Then work to declutter cups and plates; clean out the cabinet, and organize it when you’re done!
- Continue working on the habit of the month.
- Consider customizing your Spring Cleaning 365 experience if you need to start this series from the beginning (or if you’d like to deep clean another room in your home)!
Check in when you’re finished in the Spring Cleaning 365 accountability group, in the comment section here, or on Facebook. I can’t wait to hear from you!
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