I’ve always struggled to keep my kitchen worktops tidy. Even if I’m not in the midst of cooking up a storm, they seem to act as the dumping ground for everything from my kitchen utensils and appliances to unwashed dishes and even junk mail. This then makes my entire kitchen look messy…. all the time.
And while I’ve recently been inspired to make changes to my kitchen based on what people with tidy kitchens always have, the worktops are particularly difficult to organise. Of course, I know that the first step is to declutter my kitchen worktops and get rid of anything that no longer serves me or my cooking space, but I need more to restore order once and for all.
That’s why I asked my tidiest friends, family members and colleagues for their tips on keeping their kitchen worktops tidy - and the tools and products that they use to maximise space while also minimising clutter. This is what they said.
1. Smart storage solutions
The key to organising kitchen worktops is to use smart storage solutions that give everything (or at least most things) a proper home. This will allow you to stop using your kitchen worktops as a ‘landing pad’, as you’ll know exactly where everything should go when you’ve finished using it.
This is a trick that so many people use to make their kitchen worktops work harder, but it’s important to note that the storage you use is typically determined by the space that you have available. For example, people with cluttered galley kitchens like me need to make use of the vertical space - so hanging hooks like this KINGRACK Kitchen Rail (£15.99 at Amazon) can work wonders.
If you have an oddly-shaped kitchen, corner shelves and racks can also help you slot storage into those worktop angles. Of course, you don’t have to get rid of everything on your kitchen worktops, but you do need to integrate some storage to keep your items organised.
This corner unit has oodles of space to keep worktop essentials neat and tidy.
A fruit basket is a great way to keep your kitchen worktops tidy, and this Amazon bestseller even has hooks either side.
If your kitchen worktops are messy because they're just not big enough, adding a slimline trolley can offer extra storage instantly.
2. A clutter bucket (or tray)
Smart kitchen storage is the first step toward tidy, clutter-free kitchen worktops, but it won’t work for everything you dump in the kitchen. After all, most of us also use this area for letters that need to be sorted, keys, and other items that don’t really have a proper home - or they’re just staying in the kitchen temporarily.
In this instance, you could take a leaf out of our Senior Digital Editor, Jenny’s, book and create a family command centre. But if that’s not quite your style, a clutter bucket or tray could also work in your kitchen. This is essentially a designated (but stylish) dumping ground for these items that you know you’ll eventually move elsewhere.
And opting for a clutter bucket with a lid - like the small basket in this Woodluv Set of 3 Seagrass Storage Boxes (£29.99 at Amazon) will also keep this clutter invisible as the days go by. Alternatively, a decorative tray keeps everything together in a neat little corner of the kitchen.
This tray has already sold out so many times, and it's not hard to see why. It'll make a real statement in your kitchen.
With its lid, you can hide the ugly-but-practical things you need to keep on your kitchen worktops.
Made from high-quality acacia wood, this can act as the perfect clutter tray in your kitchen for smaller items.
3. Appliance gliders
The bulkiest things, and ultimately the most clutter-inducing, found on kitchen worktops are generally the appliances - whether you have one of the best coffee machines, air fryers, toasters, or all of them and more. And as they’re used on a daily basis, it may seem like there’s not a lot you can do to tidy them up.
However, our Editor-in-Chief, Heather, swears by using the castor wheel appliance glider hack to tidy up her worktops and keep them clutter-free when she’s not cooking or making her morning coffee. She has used wheels like these 8 Pack Self Adhesive Mini Casters (£5.99 at Amazon) in her kitchen for a few years now.
She loves how they let her push her appliances into discreet corners of her kitchen worktops, then pull them out easily when she needs them, preventing scratches in the process. But you could even go one step further and create your own appliance garage, dedicating a cupboard or pantry to storing all your appliances in one place. This will keep them off your worktops completely.
While it may look like a chopping board, this sits underneath your appliances and allows you to glide them along the worktops with ease.
Coming in two colourways to help you match to your appliances, these wheels are ideal for sliding them out of the way.
If you have the space, adding a freestanding unit like this can double-up as a pantry AND as an appliance garage.
4. A countertop vacuum
Cluttered worktops aren’t only caused by things. They’re also caused by crumbs and other dirt and debris that accumulates over time - especially if you’re not following cleaning experts’ advice to wipe down your worktops every day. But this is where a countertop vacuum can help you out, something I swear by as Ideal Home’s Vacuums Expert.
A countertop vacuum isn’t like the other best vacuum cleaners out there. It’s small, perfectly formed, and designed specifically for countertop cleaning and is compact enough to be stored in a kitchen drawer - or even on top of the coffee machine.
I use the Lakeland Mini Countertop Vacuum (£9.99 at Lakeland) religiously in my kitchen, using it to suck up spills as soon as they happen so they don’t get worse and make the worktops look messy. But there are so many other options out there, too, including mini dustpans and brushes.
While it works in the same way as the Lakeland model, this countertop vacuum comes in three pastel colourways to brighten up your worktops.
If you prefer to stay old-school, this mini set is the perfect tidy worktop companion.
I also have this mini vacuum at home, and can vouch for its effectiveness - especially as it both sucks AND blows.
5. Organised cupboards and drawers
If you want tidy kitchen worktops, you also need to understand what people with tidy kitchen cupboards always have. After all, messy kitchen cupboards can often spill onto the worktops and have a domino effect, making things much worse in the visible areas of your cooking space.
This is especially true if you want to prevent your cooking utensils, pots and pans from cluttering up your kitchen worktops, as the right storage inside your cupboards and drawers should not only free up space for everything to fit - but also keep them organised so they stay tidy as the months go by.
In my opinion, you can’t really have too many storage solutions in these critical kitchen areas, but you need to make sure that you choose the right option for the right items. For example, organise your cooking trays and chopping boards with this Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Baking Tray Rack (£20 at Amazon).
The beauty of these cupboard organisers is that they can be used either inside your cupboards OR on your kitchen worktops.
Pots and pans typically take up a lot of space in your cupboards, but they don't have to with this genius solution.
If you want to avoid visible clutter on your kitchen worktops, utilising the doors of your cupboards is a great way to do so.
Say goodbye to kitchen worktop clutter!
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