We’ve all witnessed it – the disorganised chaos that can erupt in the kitchen, whether that be through meal prep time, unloading your grocery shop to host your upcoming dinner party, cleaning up and putting things away - it can all become overwhelming, especially when there are kids and working parents involved.
To help Australian and New Zealand families, Westinghouse has teamed up with expert declutterer, Amy Revell, one part of the duo behind The Art of Decluttering, who shares six simple steps on how to declutter like a pro. “There’s nothing I love more than transforming a cluttered kitchen with practical systems that make life easier. I also love that Westinghouse works to make every day easy with beautiful practical designs designed with Aussie and Kiwi families in mind,” Amy says. Here, she shares her tips.
Set intentions
Get clear about what works in your kitchen and what are the pain points in need of solutions. Ask yourself questions like “What do you love about your current kitchen setup? Do you have clear storage spaces? What appliances do you need on your bench? as a starting point. You don’t need to overcomplicate it, the simpler the better.
Follow the everyday rule
The rule? Simple - be selective about what appliances get that precious benchtop space – reserving it only for items that get used every day. Otherwise, store them in dedicated appliance cupboards or invest in hybrid appliances. My favourite is the Westinghouse 60cm Pyrolytic Oven with Steam Assist Function, a two-in-one air fryer and oven. Reminder: the kitchen benchtop is designed as a surface to prepare food, not as a purveyor of the blender, toaster, sandwich press, coffee machine, microwave, and so on. The faster you’re able to adapt to this rule, the less overwhelming your benchtop will become.
Create zones
Before your next grocery run, empty your fridge of expired items and organise everything into zones, grouping similar items together. For example, fruits and vegetables can be stored in the crispers, leftovers on the top shelf and dairy products on another shelf. You could also get the kids help create a healthy snack tub, filled with easy access options for when they chorus that they’re hungry. So the whole family can follow, you may also consider labelling your zones or using storage containers and fridge bins, which will save you time and food waste in the long run. Otherwise, the Westinghouse 609L Four Door French Door Fridge offers fully flexible and adjustable shelves to adapt to what your family needs.
Makeover your pantry
We’ve probably all been guilty of overstuffing the pantry, just to create some more space. However, the out of sight, out of mind rule does not apply here. Sooner or later, you’ll have to face the chaos. Thankfully, there’s a fix. Group like with like, use labelled clear storage containers for raw ingredients and open containers for spreads, oils, sauces, and meal bases. Plus, don’t let any space go to waste by storing small items like spices on the back of the door.
Do an audit
Knowing what to keep and what to throw out is as simple as this: if you haven’t used it in 12 months and there are no plans of using it in the next six months, it’s time to go. Declutter double ups as well. For example, you don’t need a water jug if your fridge has an inbuilt water filter like the Westinghouse 609L Four Door French Door Fridge.
Clean on the go
Perhaps one of the most difficult things after decluttering and cleaning is maintaining it. Creating simple habits such as investing in easy-to-clean appliances will allow you to save on the cleaning products you’ll need to store under the kitchen sink and on the time and elbow grease you’ll need to spend. I absolutely adore the self-cleaning PyroClean function that comes with selected Westinghouse Ovens.
