Declutter Kitchen Counters: Simple Systems That Actually Stick
Image source: Shutterstock/ALDECA Studio
Organize Your Kitchen with These
Simple Declutter Tips
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Kitchen counter clutter can quickly make a clean space look not so great, but these organization tips will make it easy to declutter your kitchen and make your counters look fresh, clean, and neat. All it takes is a little bit of planning and a touch of creativity to make any of these kitchen organization ideas work for you.
Why Kitchen Counters Get Cluttered So Fast (Especially in Family Homes)
If your kitchen counters never seem to stay clear, it’s not because you’re messy or because you’re doing something wrong.
In most family homes, kitchen counters become the default landing zone for everything:
School papers and backpacks
Mail and packages that need “just a minute” of attention
Small appliances that are used daily
Items that don’t quite have a permanent home yet
Counters are visible, convenient, and right in the middle of daily life, so clutter tends to pile up there first. And once a few items settle in, it’s easy for more to follow.
The good news? Decluttering kitchen counters doesn’t require a full kitchen makeover or unrealistic “nothing out ever” rules. It’s about creating simple systems that work with how your household actually functions, so your counters stay clearer for longer, even on busy days.
Ditch the Fruit Basket to Free up Space
Fruit baskets are great for keeping produce organized and easily accessible, but they can take up a lot of counter space. This is a particular problem if you have a small kitchen, but there are some creative solutions you can use to declutter while keeping your produce right where you need it for meal prep.
Your refrigerator can do so much more than just keep fresh foods cold. Use the sides of your fridge to store your produce, keeping fruits and vegetables organized and easily accessible for cooking or snacking.
These magnetic fruit baskets feature strong magnets that secure easily to your fridge, and the generously sized baskets offer ample room for everything from apples and oranges to potatoes and onions. The open grid design offers convenient airflow to help prevent spoilage. Look for magnetic baskets with built-in shelves and hooks to keep spices, sauces, and utensils organized and neatly off your counters too!
If you can’t use your fridge for magnetic shelves, consider wall-mounted fruit baskets as an alternative. They can be installed above your countertops (below the cabinets) or on any free wall space in the kitchen. A column of baskets running down the wall can even create a unique look for your space while providing ample storage for produce that doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
Extra shelving on top provides additional space for cooking essentials or even more produce. Some models also have space for labels at the front, making it easy to organize everything when you’re restocking the kitchen after a trip to the grocery store. Don’t limit yourself to using these baskets for just produce; they’re also great for storing bulk items, such as fruit snacks, granola bars, and other snacks for kids.
Tidy Up Space Around the Sink
Dish soap, sponges, scrubbers, and other dishwashing essentials can quickly overtake the counter space next to and behind the sink. While all these items are relatively small on their own, they take up a lot of room when placed next to each other.
Sponge caddies are sometimes helpful options, but you can also find tiered shelving systems that keep everything organized and accessible for when cleaning essentials are needed.
Sink caddies are great for organizing, and they have an added benefit of drainage to prevent moisture accumulation and messes on your counters. Caddies that have different compartments for soaps, sponges, and brushes keep everything neatly organized. They typically have small footprints, sitting behind the faucet for space-saving storage.
Look for sink sponge organized with rubberized feet to prevent scratches on your kitchen counters and those made from durable materials, such as metal, for long-lasting use in your home. You can also put a kitchen sink caddy to work next to the stove for utensils, sauces, and seasonings.
If you need even more storage space, or if you’re looking for an alternative to your traditional dish drying rack, an over-the-sink dish drying system can be a great choice. There are many different designs available, but the best models feature space for cups, plates, dishes, and cutlery, as well as racks for dish soap and sponges. They sit over the sink, so water droplets fall into the sink for mess0free dish drying.
You can also use this type of drying rack to create a cleaning and drying system for baby bottles and other infant feeding items, keeping everything off the counter and ready for use. Choose from a range of looks, including white, black, and chrome, to match your kitchen’s overall aesthetic.
If you’re ready to take this declutter further, our Ultimate Kitchen Spring Cleaning Guide breaks down the entire process into simple, manageable steps.
Declutter Kitchen Counter Space Near Your Coffeemaker
The counter space where your coffeemaker sits can be a source of a lot of clutter, from sugar containers to racks of K-Cup pods, but this problem is easily overcome with a few storage solutions. If you’re serious about your coffee habit, a countertop coffee station organizer with tiered shelves can keep clutter to a minimum. Two separate shelves provide space for canisters or bags of coffee, as well as stirrers, syrups, sugar, and other essentials. You can even place your coffee grinder on either shelf, using the open back as cord management for the plug.
A narrow footprint makes it easy to set up this type of kitchen counter shelves to sit flush against your counter wall or perpendicular to your coffeemaker for flexible setup options.
If you’re a fan of coffee pods and a single-cup coffee brewing system, consider a pod storage drawer instead. These drawers feature multiple compartments to keep different flavors organized, and your coffeemaker sits on top for a space-saving solution. You can also opt for a drawer that’s slightly wider than your coffeemaker, which provides extra space for a sugar jar or flavored syrups.
If you’re short on drawers in your kitchen, you can also put this kitchen storage solution to work as a drawer for forks, spoons, and knives or for smaller kitchen utensils. It also offers great storage for coffee filters, tea bags, and other frequently used items in the kitchen.
Make Use of Awkward Corners in the Kitchen
The corners of kitchen counters can sometimes attract clutter, but you can use simple organizational tools to calm the chaos. Tiered shelving systems made for corners are great for organizing everything from spices and cooking oils to coffee mugs. The top tier can even be used for decorative accents, such as a succulent or candle, to add a cozy look to the kitchen. Some models even have hooks for cooking utensils, making the shelving a great option to place near the stove.
Simple designs make assembly easy, and rubberized feet help keep your counters free from scratches and scuffs. By using vertical space, you can limit how much clutter is on your counter while still keeping cooking essentials close at hand. If you happen to have a pantry in your kitchen, put these shelves to work organizing foods and snacks for easy access.
Corner bread boxes are great for organizing baked goods that can sometimes create clutter, and they also help keep breads and buns fresh. The best corner bread boxes have doors to keep food out of sight and shelves to make organization easy. This corner bread box features glass doors with a ridged design for a clean, contemporary look.
You can store everything from freshly baked muffins to loaves of sourdough neatly inside, and the extra shelving means you can also use it as extra storage for pantry items as needed. Depending on the height of your upper cabinets, the top surface of the breadbox can also be used for additional storage space.
Replace the Kitchen Utensil Crock
As cute as utensil crocks can be, they often become stuffed full of tools you need for cooking, with spatulas and spoons pouring over the sides. Instead of using a crock on the counter, make use of the space underneath your cabinets to store the items you use most often. Rotating utensil hooks like these let you spin until you find the tool you’re looking for, adding a little bit of fun and convenience to your kitchen setup.
For any other kitchen utensils that get used only some of the time, find a home for them in a drawer or cabinet instead. This gives your counter a clean look while still giving you access to the tools you need while cooking. Installation is easy and requires no tools or drilling, providing a great choice for renters. Simply use the adhesive backing to secure the hooks into place under your cabinets.
Add Miscellaneous Storage for Your Kirchen Counter Declutter Project
No matter how well you organize your kitchen, there are bound to be extra items that don’t fit into any of the above categories. Maybe you need extra space for tea towels and potholders, or you simply don’t have anywhere to store your favorite cookbook. Under-cabinet baskets are a perfect solution for containing miscellaneous countertop clutter, and they offer a great option for small kitchens without a lot of cabinet space.
These baskets simply slide onto the bottom shelf of your upper cabinets, leaving plenty of room for cabinet doors to close properly. They also work on open shelves in the kitchen as well. I loved using these in our small apartment that had almost no storage space. We used them to store hamburger and hot dog buns, fruit snacks for the kids, and almost anything else that we couldn’t find a home for in our cabinets!
Kitchen Counter Decluttering Tips
Before you start looking for storage solutions and hardware to declutter your kitchen counters, think about getting rid of items you don’t use. If you have single-use appliances (like a cake pop maker or breakfast sandwich maker) that don’t get used very often, consider whether you actually need them. For items you want to keep, they can go into storage, and others can be donated. The best plan is to get rid of things you no longer need first and then begin organizing the essentials second.
If you’re ready to take on other projects around the house, these related ideas can help you extend that calm, clutter-free feeling into other parts of your home:
Instant Bathroom Upgrades That Make It Feel Like a Spa – Small, low-effort changes that create the same clean, pared-down look you’re aiming for in the kitchen, without committing to a full renovation.
The Cutest Kitchen Gadgets You Never Knew You Needed – Thoughtfully chosen tools that earn their spot on your counters and actually make everyday tasks easier, not messier.
Hot Wheels Storage Ideas that Actually Work– Practical ways to store toy cars so they’re out of the way but still easily accessible for kids at playtime.
