De-Clutter Your Kitchen

We watch a lot of those HGTV shows about people either buying or selling houses.  One suggestion they always have for people who are trying to sell their houses is to de-clutter everything.  I'm always wondering what they're supposed to do with all their stuff, and how they're supposed to live in the house in the meantime, but I'm also thinking it would be extremely nice to get rid of some of the clutter around here.  So, when I found an article about de-cluttering the kitchen in the food section of my newspaper, I thought it might be helpful.

Does this sound like your kitchen?

Paperwork, mail and homework assignments litter the counter.  The sink is full of dishes and coated in grime, the stove spotted with stains.  A trip to the pantry is more like an excavation mission, and the spice cabinet is filled with bottles that lurk deep in the recesses of your cabinetry.

Mine isn't that bad, so perhaps I should just feel good about it?  Then again, these tips might be extremely helpful:

1. Start with the counter - the counter is the easiest place to toss mail and everything else that comes into the house because it's often the first area you go to when entering your house.  Clear off the counter and implement measures to prevent future pile-ups, perhaps stacking wire baskets for each family member.
2. Purge - go through cookware and utensils and get rid of what you don't need.  Keep things you use regularly in the kitchen and store items you use infrequently somewhere else, such as the pantry or basement.
3. But think "reuse" - don't just throw things away.  If it's something you won't use again, consider donating to Goodwill or giving it to a friend.
4. Consider your learning style - visual learners know what tool is right for them just by looking at it, while kinesthetic learners don't always know which pot or pan to use until they grab it.  What does this mean?  Visual learners may benefit from over-the-door hooks and hanging pot racks, anything that enhances visibility.  Kinesthetic learners work better having everything within easy reach.  Organize your kitchen according to what works for you, not for someone else or according to someone else's idea of how a kitchen should work.
5. Give new storage systems a try - consider baskets for you spices, organized alphabetically so you can find them easier (I'm considering this one) or installing slide-out shelves to make things more accessible.

and that's just a start.  There are 5 more tips, which I will continue next time.  Right now I'm thinking about going and cleaning off my kitchen counter...