Kitchen Tidiness: Counters

Direct things from the counters to the table, not the other way around

Our kitchen counters too often become spaces to put things on when we’re clearing the table to eat. There’s a rush and everything gets piled on the periphery and then… just stays there.

Or if you don’t have a kitchen table, the counters are where you or more likely your little miscreants I mean darlings park things that belong in other rooms.

It doesn’t matter if you want your counters cluttered with things you use in cooking (two utensil crocks, all your ingredients in jars, including fermenting veggies, spices, all out in view) or completely cleared off.

That’s up to you.

What matters is that what is there belongs there and is clean.

So today, pull everything off and put it on the kitchen table. If you don’t have one, figure out where you can temporarily hold all the items. You can also do one counter a day if that’s easier, until you have a grip on what’s going on.

Scrub the counters thoroughly (backsplashes too).

Clean off the objects you’re returning. Return them.

Admire them! (If they are not admirable, figure out how to make them so!)

Find places for everything else and think about how to prevent anyone, including yourself, using those surfaces as landing places for “stuff.”

Only you can solve the problem! I know you can do it! More tomorrow!

A New England Kitchen 100 Years Ago

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