…But Tonight I’m Cleaning Out My Kitchen

When it comes to eating healthily, I need all the help I can get. I just don’t possess that ‘Mmmm, I’m really craving salad for lunch’ gene. Give me a Freddo over some fruit, any day of the week. Because of this I’m always thinking of excuses to reach for foods that perhaps aren’t the most nutritious choices for my body. My latest excuse was that I was struggling to eat well because the contents of my kitchen cupboards where a mess. I mean, it wasn’t a complete excuse because they actually were. Things were out of date, items that should be used daily were buried deep in the back, stock cubes would crop up anywhere and everywhere and I had more almost used tubs of Nutella than you could shake a stick at.

So two weekend’s ago I had the kitchen clear-out to end all kitchen clear-outs. It was epic and when I was finished I felt so bloomin’ good about my cupboards that I thought they deserved a post of their own. With hindsight I’m not sure it’s the case as it hardly makes for the punchiest content you’ve ever seen, but I thought if you’re a classic Virgo like me, this practically porn for you, or if you’re too using it as an excuse to order Domino’s every other night, then this might be of help to you.

In order to really nail a good tidy-out, I reckon you’ve got to set the mood first. You’ve got to have a bit of time on the clock. If you’re in a rush, you’ll never really dedicate the time to it to complete the task to the best of your ability. A free weekend afternoon is what you’re looking for here. Make sure you’re feed and watered and feeling comfy. I also popped on a podcast to help the time while away a little quicker *insert self-promo*. Of course, it would be rude not to recommend Lily and I’s podcast ‘At Home With…‘ here – new episodes every Wednesday! – thank you for all the love and support with it so far. On the actual day though, I listened to The Minimalist’s Podcast and quite honestly, I’m surprised that anything even remains in my kitchen cupboards.

Make sure you have your clear-out kit ready to go to. I like to make sure that my rubbish bin is empty and ready for goods, the same goes for the recycling bin too. Then make sure you have a tote bag ready for items that you wish to give to friends or donate to a food bank. Cleaning supplies are handy too, so you can give your cupboards a good wipe down whilst everything is out. I like having my Label Maker nearby as well. One, because it’s just so fun to use that I use any old excuse to get it out and two, because they actually do make things look more neat and organised.

MY TOP KITCHEN CLEAR-OUT TIPS:

STEP ONE. If it’s out of date then it’s got to go. I’m a firm believer of that fact, whereas Mark is a little more lax, so really it depends where you sit on the ‘ewww it’s out of date – that’s gross‘ spectrum. Exercise your own caution. You’ll be quite amazed how long ago that cornflour you’ve got sitting in your baking cupboard went off.

STEP TWO. If it’s not out of date, but it’s something that’s unopened and unused then pass it on to family and/or friends, or add it to your food bank pile – most supermarkets have a food bank collection point after the checkouts. This way you’re cleaning out your kitchen cupboards and doing your good deed for the day.

STEP THREE. Here is where you want to downsize. If you have three bags of plain flour of the go (don’t ask!), then decant them into one big jar. If you have a load of granola bars dotted around, collate them into one place. Basically take anything that you’ve got multiples of and try and squish them into one jar or container if you can.

STEP FOUR. Organise. To me this is the best bit. Make sure that you have items that you reach for often, easy to grab. Label items if you can. Find helpful ways to store things; like putting all your nuts and seeds wrapped up in a tupperware box or all your stock cubes in a cup to keep them together. Basically just make your life in the kitchen a little bit easier by grouping similar items together and having everything as easy to see in glance as possible.

So there you have it. Virgos are you a bit hot under the collar right now? Itching to get home so you can commence the most epic clear-out your kitchen has ever seen? The rest of you are probably and rightfully so must I add, falling asleep, so don’t worry we’re back to normal programming come Wednesday. But in the meantime, there are no Freddo’s for me and actually, I do fancy some salad for lunch…

Photos by Lauren Shipley

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