Keep Your Kitchen Decluttered And Organized With The 5/7 Method

A cluttered kitchen is a cluttered mind, and it's safe to say that having a peaceful and organized one is preferable. You already know how easy life can be in your kitchen when you have room for everything and still have plenty of counter space to navigate. This is why there's no shortage of kitchen-decluttering techniques. You may have tried the 12:12:12 method to get your kitchen tidied up much more than before, but in keeping with the numerical theme, it's worth checking out the "5/7" rule as well.

Some other decluttering tips are more focused on what to remove from your kitchen first, but in the 5/7 method, the focus is placed more on keeping only the items you frequently use. The 5/7 rule states that you should keep appliances on your countertop only if you'll use them at least five out of seven days of the week. These oft-used items deserve to be readily accessible, with the idea that you can relegate any other appliances to a kitchen cupboard or other storage area. With this rule in place, you can make sure that you're not struggling to use the things you need the most.

Decluttering hacks, like many tips, are meant to make your life easier. But sometimes, rules are meant to be broken. This is why it's perfectly acceptable to use this 5/7 method –– or any other method, for that matter –– as more of a helpful guideline that can set your organizational adventure off in the right direction. Put another way, your 5/7 rule doesn't have to be a five-out-of-seven score for everything.

Your microwave, coffee pot, and toaster are all pretty safe staples on your counter, even if you don't use them five out of seven days. However, hand mixers and blenders are more compact, occasional appliances for many people, and there's no good reason to have them taking up precious countertop space. But if you're the kind of person who only thinks to make a tasty Sunday morning smoothie when you actually see the blender, then leaving it out can serve its own purpose. This could ring especially true if your storage situation would mean placing it in a hard-to-reach area. In short, use your own discretion when decluttering your kitchen. You can even use the circle rule for decluttering to help you figure out which appliances to keep out and which to store away.