5 Things You Should Never Keep in Your Kitchen Cabinets, Organizers Say

Oftentimes, the kitchen cabinets become a storage catch-all for all kinds of items, which can easily accumulate clutter over time.

“Keeping the kitchen focused solely on food prep and kitchen-related items creates a space that’s easy to use and clear for everyone in the household,” says Amy Bergman, a professional organizer and founder of Amyzing Spaces. “When the kitchen is streamlined for its real purpose, meals get prepped faster, family members can find what they need without asking, and the whole space feels less chaotic and more inviting.”

We asked a few professional organizers to share which items commonly create unnecessary clutter in the kitchen—and where we should really store them. Some of these offenders might just shock you.

Supplies and Overflow

Perhaps the biggest culprits in kitchen cabinetry are common stock items, such as cleaning supplies and trash bags.

“The kitchen shouldn’t serve as a mini stockroom,” says Bergman.

In particular, she frequently finds clients keeping not one but multiple of every spray and scrub under the kitchen sink. If you’re the type who stocks up on extra cleaning supplies at once, relegate them to an alternate storage area.

This goes for extra paper towel rolls and napkin packs, even though you use them in the kitchen. Overage takes up too much valuable real estate that’s meant for and best suited to daily-use cookware and meal prep, says Jolene Monaco, a certified professional organizer at Habitually Organized.

She recommends storing the surplus in utility closets, laundry rooms, and garage shelving. Find an easy grab-and-go spot in each of those zones so that you can replace the items swiftly once they’re used up—and avoid falling back into the habit of stashing them in the kitchen.

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Water Bottles

Water bottles and tumblers tend to take up valuable cabinet storage space since they’re often given away as a gift from others.

“Too many times, these are not edited down and instead accumulate in a cabinet in the kitchen,” says Barbara Brock, a professional organizer and founder and CEO of Barbara Brock Inc.

She suggests narrowing these down to one or two to store with the drinking glasses or mugs in the kitchen. You don’t necessarily need to throw out or regift the rest. They can be relegated to a utility closet or some such.

Shopping Bags

Depending on where you live, it’s becoming more common to bring your own bags with you when grocery shopping or running errands. So, it’s no surprise that people are holding onto reusable shopping and paper bags as well as tote bags they received as swag or bought themselves to build their personal stock.

Brock points out, however, that some people tend to stash them in a kitchen cabinet. She recommends relocating them on a hook in a closet or storing them in an under-the-sink cabinet.

Utilities

Another common sight in the kitchen is a junk or utility drawer (or two).

“While a screwdriver might earn its spot for quick fixes, the full toolkit doesn’t belong in a drawer next to your salad tongs,” says Bergman.

While she finds it acceptable to have one small drawer with essentials—like scissors, tape, tools, or a few batteries—she warns not to let this category spread into two or three drawers or worse, an entire cabinet.

“It’s a breeding ground for clutter in a place designed for meal prep and cleanliness,” agrees Monaco. She suggests storing items like these in more suitable places, such as mud and utility rooms.

Infrequently Used Appliances

Think specialty items like ice cream makers, bread or pasta machines, and stand mixers, as well as occasional cookware such as extra crock pots, tea service sets, and fondue kits.

These often crowd the precious counter and cabinet space, yet you might use them only a few times a year. Monaco recommends that if you must keep such items in the kitchen, store them on the top, out-of-the-way shelves within the cabinets, pantry, or butler’s pantry. Super heavy items, meanwhile, are best moved to and stored on garage shelving.