6 Steps to Declutter Your Kitchen 

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that my new book, Things That Matter, is finally here. I put my heart into it, and I can’t wait to share it with you. You can pick up a copy at www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676394/things-that-matter-by-joshua-becker/

I,m Taiwanese.Most the word that you used is simple and spoke slowly,so I use your video to practice listening. I also bought your book and let me knew why I start to frugality.

I recently decluttered my kitchen and made enough space in one of the cupboards for my cookbooks and an "appliance garage" for my food processor, hand mixer, slow cooker, and Dutch oven. I rearranged everything so the things I use most often are within easy reach, and this has made it function so much better! My biggest accomplishment was finally emptying the oven so nothing is stored there (this is a first in my family).

During this process, I learned that eliminating the stuff I didn’t need made room for the things I use. This may sound like “of course”, but it was like an epiphany to me.

What drives me nuts is the fancy serving dishes inherited from relatives that we never use cuz if we entertain it’s always informal.

I find all over my home it's so much easier to put things away right away when storage spaces are decluttered. I don't resist putting away because I don't have to fight to get it too fit. I love clean countertops - much easier to keep clean and so pleasant to have completely open space to do meal prep on.

1. Does this belong 2. Remove duplicates 3. Notice physical boundaries 4. Identify homes for what's left 5. Clear Counter tops 6. Go Through Old Food i'm also a minimalist youtuber - thanks for these tips :)

Greetings from Hong Kong, where space is probably one of the most expensive in the world! But consumerism is what people in HOng Kong takes pride with so many years, they justify consumerism with contributions to the glorious economy of Hong Kong for years, so many people here are being very creative to creat storages out of their small apartments for their STUFF! Thanks for all the great videos Joshua! The videos have been my greatest companions and supports when I go through the painful decluttering process every weekend!

My husband is a hoarder. He buys tons of canned goods and they all go expired, but he just leaves them everywhere around the house. I constantly have to pick up after him. The only spaces I don't touch are his clothes closet and garage. His stuffs are piled up to the ceiling. Nobody can access to what is in there or at the back. Few weeks ago, I had a yard sale. I wanted to sell the kid's old bikes but I couldn't pull them out. It's so stressful to live with people like that.

Been doing this all week. So happy! Got rid of those appliances that I bought years ago and used once.

Love it! I’ve had my counters cleared for some time now. The other day I was watering all the house plants in the sink and the counters were full, and I got so overwhelmed. So much better when everything is in its home. My mil thought it looked like we were moving, but I like it!

You changed my life, all my respect and prayers. Cairo, 🇪🇬

I love you Josh!….I’m a fan & I’m already one of your subscribers. I love all your video contents. Watching them over and over again starts to get into my system. We will be moving in to our new place next month & now I’m so much overwhelmed with all the stuffs & trashes I’d collected over the years…OMG!!! It’s so hard to pack things but because you gave me inspiration it’s keeping me motivated and will try to apply your clutter free advise to our new home💕. Tips to people watching Josh videos, if you find he’s talking too slow….it’s simply because he wanted us to understand & internalize fully what he’s saying. If it’s a big deal for you, you may change the speed from normal up to 2x speed. Just like the way I do😆😉😘 Have a wonderful & blessed day everyone & happy decluttering. Wishing you all a great success to our “minimalism journey” 🙏 Lots of love from Japan😘😍🥰💖

I’ve been married 43 years, I’ve been in this home for 24 years. I don’t think I can live long enough to finish decluttering the kitchen. 🤣🤣but I can start.

This is probably the best video I’ve seen on decluttering. Very easy to follow. No unnecessary chitter-chatter.

Totally agree about the duplicates and the clear countertops! I am pretty minimalist, but I love to cook and I don’t have enough room in my apartment-sized kitchen for all of my cooking equipment/tools. I really do use all of it. We had to buy a cabinet to store in the living room to use as the pantry. 🤦‍♀️

I LOVE cleared countertops! I’ll pull my coffee maker out twice a day and put that huge thing back bc 1. I have the space bc I decluttered and 2. bc I don’t want to look at it ALL day just for those two moments I’m using it. 😉

A clear counter is everything. It makes a big difference.

We are a family of ten. I have ten place settings, one set of pans, about eight cooking utensils, and 2 bottles of hand made multipurpose cleaner.

I do love clear counters! Thanks for these ideas. 😁

The kitchen was definitely where I found the most clutter and my God was it a change. However cleaning is now a breeze!

Your clean countertops give me such a good feeling. Thanks for sharing!

there should be #7- clean out the fridge, as it may contain additional bottles, bowls, plates, Tupperware, plastics, expired food

I agree with all of this - except the counters. My espresso machine is too heavy to go sticking in a cupboard, especially when I use it several times a day!

I love having a clean kitchen. usually I cook 2 to 3 meals at the same time or at least do some preparing. so I definitely need space and clean items. really saves a lot of money when it comes to groceries

I love empty counter tops too! Wish my family would work along with me on them. Empty spaces are so calming.

Joshua thank you so much! Finding homes for everything has made such a difference in our kitchen. Now of we get something and can't find a home for it, it tells us to let go of something else or just not to purchase it. It keeps boundries for us. Alana Stanton

A HUGE thank you for a comment you made in a video about how if something takes one or two minutes, to just do it. That has so very helpful! All those little tasks don’t build on top of the clutter. And I feel a sense of accomplishment for completing it. Yay! Ty ty ty

The dishes in cabinet look like what you see in furnished condos. Great visual! Thanks for the tips!

I've been purging each room for the last few weekends & have finally come to the kitchen. It feels very satisfying to organize what is necessary & unnecessary. My home is fairly small with little storage.

It has been a bit of journey to shed belongings I truly thought "I needed"! I watch, pay attention and listen to your advice and it has truly made my life easier and more enjoyable! I haven't accomplished all that's necessary. It is certainly a new life skill! Thank you

You are right on the mark, Mr. Becker. I am much happier with the cleared off countertops! I used to think I would be sad not to see the kitchen aid stand mixer setting out; I love it being tucked away now. We have only my husband's coffee maker & my electric tea kettle setting out. Tossed the toaster yrs ago as we use the oven. It has been yrs since having a dish drainer. Why not just dry right now and get those dishes put straight away? Never cared for a knife block. Clear space is so inviting to me😊

I've been putting off doing this because I know it's going to take me a better part of an entire day. Those clutter-free countertops though... motivation!

I love to have clear countertops and good space inside the cupboards.....it makes me really happy !!!

Nice man! Still recovering from the great day of kitchen declutter. I would add an extra tip for the starting point. Although rather frightening, I took out absolutely everything because it was a way of convincing myself of the ‘ ‘excess ware’ as duplicates were visible immediately: one side was full and the other side empty (corridor kitchen). my main goal was the clutter free counter too .. yes, that holiday home feeling..it makes you feel free to leave..

*OMG, I was in so need of this! Isn’t this something we all already know, yet we need someone to tell us again! LOL! Thanks.

All right....I'll go for it! Love from The Netherlands

To me, it is a time waster on a daily basis to remove canisters from counters and then take them back out every day. I only keep on my counters what I use often.

I decluttered my kitchen over the past couple of weekends and it feels like a whole new space! I have gotten rid of so much stuff - some is going to my daughter who is moving into a flat while she is at University, some I have sold via Facebook, and the rest is going to the thrift store. My counter tops are virtually clear, except for the few items I want left on them.

So clear, so usefull. Thanks Joshua. Greetings. Alejandro from Argentina.

You have changed my life ❤️❤️

Love it! Did all this and am already feeling better about my kitchen.

Of course like many other people, I have the hardest time with the take all items off the counter suggestion. So, the coffee maker, toaster oven, and Kitchenaid will remain on the counter because I use them constantly. Still, As a result of the video, I am thinking about housing my flour, sugar, and other food canisters in a cabinet. It will make the counters look neater and be easier to clean. That’s something I never thought of before. I like thinking outside the box and really looking at how I do things!

I wish I could clear the counter. BUT...I like a little bit of decor. Not alot. But some well chosen pieces. The sterile look just isn't me. Organization on the other hand. Yes please and thank you.

Thank you for the tips. I have incorporated many of your ideas in the last few years of my life.

I think no harm keeping toaster oven & crocks with kitchen utensil on counter top. These items are used daily & would be more trouble to put away every day.

I find I am enjoying this content and this creator.

I have started to clear my countertops and we all love it. I put away my kettle every day since I use it for 1 minute everyday and it works well.

Great practical video. I only store what I use every day on my counter. It works for me plus I need the visual reminder of my blender

I think too many people take these kind of videos as gospel. I think that any well developed adult would have the mental capacity to accept that these are only suggestions and you apply the ones that would work for you.

Thanks, Joshua! Will tackle this tonight!!🤗

thanks for all the tips.. I actually have so many mugs and cups we never use.. but my wife refuses to get rid of them. I even found a box in the garage full of cups and mugs. my wife never goes in the garage so I tossed them all out a few months ago she didnt even notice them missing.lol. I wish she was on the same page as me it would make life so much easier.

I like a house that feels like people live there. I like the convenience of being able to immediately access my toaster, my dish towels, pot holders and other stuff I use frequently. No way am I gonna get everything off the counter tops. (BTW, I don't have much stuff on my counter, maybe some tomatoes and fruit along with the toaster, dish towels and pot holders.) You're right, I'll give you a had time on this one, lol!

Very detailed...will definitley do this soonest! Thank you

For the first time ever, I cleared the kitchen counters only leaving microwave, kettle and coffee pod machine out (just had a bub so need it all out for now lol) it feels amazing!! I'm already thinking of where they can go later in the year.

Love the layout of this clip... Makes so much sense.

I love this in theory, but I’d love to see for example, where do you put your fruit? Some have to stay out to ripen, so you can’t just put it in the fridge. I don’t have a pantry. What type of recipes do you make? I opted for a hand mixer over a stand mixer but that in combination with food processor, blenders etc takes up space. I’d love to see a video on cooking three meals a day like we do and how you put stuff away and take them out each time?

Great video, great advises. Thank you for inspiration and motivation to make the life easier and less stressful...

I recently started cleaning out my kitchen. Only have a small area left to finish. Bulk pickup is next week so it's perfect timing. Already got 3 boxes of stuff out of our cabinets.

Thank you Joshua for keeping me motivated!

Such a timely video! Thank you so much!

We have a small kitchen and #5 counters is tops with me and clear counters makes the kitchen look bigger. It also made us downsize counter top appliances. Gave the Kitchenaid food processor and blender away and kept the Kitchenaid stand mixer and Vitamix which does the same job as 5 other counter top appliance. We also invested in a Breville convection oven that replaced our 2 slice Breville toaster, and our Black and Decker toaster oven. And has saved us money since it can Bake, Roast, Broil items we used to need the full size range for. On a side note I agree with C V Houston and others who mentioned cleaning the inside of the refrigerator out which is akin to cleaning the pantry out.

I do like the ideal of clear counter tops, however, I can't see me putting away the coffee maker and the toaster everyday. Especially the coffee pot, I just like having coffee through out the day.

I personally don't have a spending envelope in my budget for this reason. If I really need something I have to actually budget for it. This way clutter stays outside my house. So wasteful to just buy stuff instead of experiences. Great video 👍

I use a Sharpie to write date purchased and expiration date on all food items & spices. I worked in the restaurant biz for 35+ years, the FIFO method, first in, first out.

I like how you speak! Very slow and understandable, great communication

I don't mind a few basic items on the countertop, in fact I prefer it as I don't like it completely bare. But I emphasise, a few... kettle, toaster, fruit bowl, cooking utensil jar by the stove. That's it. Apart from that, it's clear.

A week, so much to reorganize and decluttering🙈 This is my 2020 beginning project 💐

Great video... great advice!! I'm going for it!

Thank you for explaining - very motivating!!

Gracias por todos los consejos. Me gusta la vibra de sus videos

My notes - I found the biggest difference using 2 and 5 mainly because i was already doing the other steps. By removing duplicates and stuff I no longer used, I had room for the appliances I used to keep on the countertop. 1: Relocate 0:35 anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen 2: Remove 1:23 Duplicates 3: Notice 2:04 the physical boundaries of the space - use those limits to guide what stays. 4: Identify 3:11 homes and zones for what’s left 5: Clear 3:49 the countertops 6: Go 4:49 through old food

That’s a nice big kitchen you have there friend, I wish mine was that big with the counter space!!

Thank U so much for these points. I go to my kitchen NOW to clean all countertops😂💪👍Greetings from Germany (blackforest)🌲🌲

I used to have a giant armada of kitchen utensils. Knives and spatulas and laddles took two drawers by themselves. Bowls and plates and mugs and glasses had outgrown the cabinets. This led to a mess of dirty kitchenware filling the sink and cluttering the countertops. Then, at some point I asked myself "how many duplicates of all these do I REALLY need?" I got rid of ALL kitchenware, except for ONE kitchen Knife, Laddle, Spatula and Tongs. I have one Plate, one Bowl, one Cup, one Glass; one fork, one spoon, one knife. All the gadgets have disapeared from the kitchen since I have mastered the use of my one single kitchen knife. No more mess in the kitchen. It feels good cooking in a clutter-free kitchen.

Wow i love this video thank you so much i just discover your Chanel and i feel the urge to clean and deccluter my house

Thank you for this reminder👍 I just received boxes of kitchen stuff from my mum, as she was cleaning out her garage. I really like the antique china table setting, but I honestly do not know if we will ever use it. We are not fancy people. Maybe holiday? I just do not know... Thank you for sharing✌💛☺

My kitchen is a declutter work in progress. :-) Great video.

Love your simple english. Easy to understand

Great advice, thanks

I am gonna watch this video now and then to motivate me. Thanks

I agree with most of what you're saying. Unfortunately, my kitchen is way too small to have a clear counter. I cook every day. My spice rack has to be on the counter due to only having one drawer which has to be used for cutlery and knives. Also, I use my kettle several times a day, has to stay plugged in. I used to have a large kitchen (sold house in divorce) and I had the majority of our stuff in the cupboards. I miss that feeling of calm it brought me and how easy it was to clean. My small kitchen is spotless but it does cause me anxiety not having enough space. Maybe I should stop cooking and baking...that would free up a lot of cupboard space, HAHA! Hmmm...

Very helpful thank you!

His voice is so calming

I declutter my kitchen today ,😃😃😃thanks for teaching me to unstuffed my life love ❤️

Nice idea except putting toaster ovens into shelves especially if they have even one crumb inside them and bugs are inviting in quiet shelves.

I wish us in England had big kitchens like you do x

Solid advice here! Excellent video.

I somewhat wanted and thought of this lifestyle without even being exposed to minimalist living. kitchens often will be the most messiest places in the house . so this video ahs been real helpful. cheers from melbourne australia

Your so right I have to many cups and glasses I need to do this lol. Xx.

Thank you, Josh. The tips and advice you give are truly great.

Love your videos. Too the point and no fluff. Short and full of what needs to be known. Thank goodness for you 😊

You are superb, amazing tips thanks a lot

Storing the toaster and canisters in the cupboards made a world of difference.

Great video, thanks so much!

I went through the coffee mugs right after this. Got rid of a few mugs I really didn’t like. But there is no way I can get rid of my hubby’s Star Trek or NPR mugs. (He was an NPR Program Director and Radio engineer. ). Was so happy with even a little extra space! I was able to move other things to a more convenient area! I found some things in the junk drawer that woukd be better relocated. I wouldn’t think of looking for a pencil sharpener there. I’m having a really hard time letting goof a big tub of Crisco, for some reason!

I’ve already decluttered but probably need to look at the kitchen again.

I wish you would have done a tour of kitchen since it’s a great showcase for what you were talking about.

Try telling an Irish person to put a kettle n toaster in a press 😂 but a part from that great advice my counter top free apart from fruit bowl, toaster, coffee machine n the much needed kettle 😊. I've alot of counter so my kitchen still feels decluttered and inviting !

Though I do agree, iam one of those organised and clean freak person. Still you can't get rid of just everything from counter tops because people live differently and for us, we cook every single day 7 days three times a day. I have a young child too so though I do agree with everything accept just counter tops but still I just have two boxes in which I have kept every day essential. 😊But yes overall absolutely agree that it saves time energy especially if you have kids,work and daily chores.