Why You Need To Use The ODT Declutter Method To Get Your Kitchen More Organized

It's easy for the kitchen to become the hub of your home — and for clutter to take over just as quickly. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning out your kitchen, you're not alone. Slowing down a bit and addressing smaller areas of clutter is the way to go, as it can take some of the stress out of a serious cleaning job. The "one decision at a time" method (commonly referred to as ODT) can make it a little bit easier to move through the decluttering process. 

The idea is exactly what it sounds like — decluttering your kitchen one item at a time. This means you don't have to think of cleaning your kitchen as an hours-long project. As you move through the process, there are a few things you can consider when deciding what to remove when decluttering your kitchen. Is it a duplicate? Expired or no longer useful? Has it been used in the past year? If all of these questions start to feel overwhelming, don't worry — you can stop and come back to your project later, or even the next day.

Looking at every single item in your kitchen can feel like a daunting task, but the ODT method makes it easier to manage. You can do it over a couple of days, working your way through a little bit of the room at a time. Start with a single zone, a decluttering habit that makes cooking way easier. Going through the spice cabinet can be particularly satisfying, as you'll see it begin to tidy up quickly as you throw out expired items. You can also try using the circle rule to decide which area to tackle next — simply move from one area to the next in a circular pattern, making it easy to keep track of which areas are finished and which still need to be decluttered.

As you work through your kitchen, you don't necessarily have to throw away everything you've decided not to keep. If something could be useful to someone else, like nonperishable food, kitchen equipment, or paper products, create a donate pile. Anything that's no longer useful, like expired food or random junk-drawer clutter, can go straight in the trash. And finally, don't forget to take time to step back and admire the fruits of your labor — seeing how great a newly clutter-free area looks can give you the motivation you need to tackle other parts of your home.