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alexamd_gw

How do you keep your island free from clutter?

alexamd
16 years ago

OK, my kitchen is 85% done, so everything doesn't have a home yet, but my island seems to be a dumping ground for mail and odds and ends. All the pictures you post show nice clutter free kitchens. I thought that my new kitchen would be free from this problem, but it seems that I was wrong. What's your secret? Are you just all neater than I am? Am I destined to have clutter? Everytime I clean it off, the clutter just reappears within minutes!

Comments (42)

  • fnzzy
    16 years ago

    the secret is to clean the clutter off before you take a picture. *wink*

    Ok, realistically, I am a clutter queen. I have to "declutter" my bad spots a few times a day - I know my dining room table is always a dumping ground, well periodically through the day I make a concerted effort to go and clean it off. I'm guessing I will have to do the same with my island too. clutter attracts clutter and when you don't see clutter there, you (and your family( are less likely to clutter it up.

  • november
    16 years ago

    I have to declutter all day long! The island isn't the clutter dropoff spot only because the mudroom desk is... In our old kitchen, we were up to our eyeballs in STUFF!

  • sholt576
    16 years ago

    Clear it off before you got to bed EVERY night. At the same time that you wash the sink and shine up the faucet. It makes mornings so much nicer.

  • sherilynn
    16 years ago

    Don't allow anyone to use the counters as a dumping zone. I do not allow my kiddos to come in and put book bags on the counter or even drop in the bar chairs. Their book bags go in their study or bedrooms. If they need to spread out and do homework in the kitchen, then they use the table.

    When I designed this house, I put a 6' counter as I we walk in the back door. This counter is what I call the 'drop zone'. I sort mail here and then put what mail that needs to be dealt with in the office, all else is in the circular file. I put my older adult kiddo's mail in their 'mail box' under the counter in the drop zone. I have a coat closet and I expect it to be used, not the back of the chair sitting in the drop zone. As my family walks down the hall, my husband passes his office, so I don't have to worry about him coming through the kitchen to drop his briefcase. My kiddos head off to their study just before they get to the kitchen, too. So by the time everyone gets down the hall to the kitchen the only items allowed to be placed on the 8'x4' island briefly are groceries.

    You have to train everyone into having good habits. It's just that simple. Never let up, either. I tell them if it takes 30 seconds or less to do something, then do it. It doesn't take 15 seconds to get to the study or over 30 seconds to get to their bedrooms.

    The only area that might get 'messy' is the drop zone area. This is cleaned off every night when the kitchen is cleaned. I do find a coffee cup there every now and then or magazines that have not been put away. Occasionally, a paper that needs to be signed or some item sits ready to take to school the next day will be on the counter. I don't even let my purse stay in this area. I do have cell phones here, but that's about it.

    Tidiness is about forming good habits. I got the pack-rat gene and have had to work hard to overcome. I am so afraid of clutter because it will sneak up and take over your life. You'll be embarrassed to have people over and it's just awful. I'm not perfect. I do have a box of receipts to sort and file, but at least they are contained. You have to tell your family, "new rules"...no paper left behind will be saved. I'll call you once and if you don't come get, then it goes in the trash compactor and I make sure it gets squashed. Ask my kiddos how many times they've redone homework or something important to them left in the kitchen. ONCE. It's like they each tested me. It's never happened again. There's nothing like a reality lesson.

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • divamum
    16 years ago

    It's quite simple: I am becoming the counter Gestapo. My family think I have gone INSANE, since I am perhaps the world's untidiest human being.

    HOWEVER (and I have long said this, and am thrilled I'm being proved CORRECT!), much of my untidiness has stemmed from NEVER having places for stuff to go. So I tried to create storage space which, while it worked, was often inconvenient, and thus.... stuff. Everywhere.

    That fact that we're all packrats doesn't help, either ;)

    So I am trying to establish NOW that the kitchen counter is a CLEAR AND FREE ZONE, and if it isn't? I nag to pieces. There IS a place for everything to go, so why not just put it there? I'm trying to train everybody to put stuff straight in the dw, I'm unloading the dw every night before bed (we're trying to run it just once a day after dinner) and so far.... we're doing fine. I suspect once the DR table is up I'll have to continue to fight the battle (junk mail anybody?! Ugh), but I'm really gonna try this time. I'm so much happier with CLEAR SPACE. I never realised till now I was a closeted tidy person :)

  • cat_mom
    16 years ago

    ROTF....oh, wait, you're serious! LOL!

    I am still trying, and it's just DH and me here! I do go through and clear out/off much more often than I ever did, but things still tend to pile up during the week. *sigh*

    PS Why do you think I haven't posted my finished kitchen pics yet? I need a day to clear the clutter and "stage"" the room so it'll be ready for picture-taking!

  • sherilynn
    16 years ago

    divamum...I love the 'counter gestapo' comment. My son's girlfriend plopped her bookbag on the counter the other week. We all just stared at her for about two blinking seconds. She said as she pulled her bag off the counter and gave a wide eyed look to my son, "Whatever! I told you that she's just like my mom!"

    We do not stand alone. :)

  • zelmar
    16 years ago

    I'm another one who waits until I declutter before I take pictures. I don't think I've taken any photos of our peninsula since it's been done (2 1/2 years.) I really wish I could install an invisible fence aound our peninsula that powers on for 5 minutes after anyone walks in.

    With the hope of avoiding such a drastic measure, we're in the process of reorganizing our mudroom. I have a bureau that will serve as drop zone, paper sorting area (a box for each person, plus additional boxes as needed), charging area and recycling center. I hope this works.

  • remodelqueen
    16 years ago

    I am so glad I'm not alone. I am working on organizing our entire home before all of the renos are done. I have a fear of throwing things away, and when I do throw something away--- I end up needing it!!!!

    I chose my name because we always seem to be remodeling something. I think the more appropriate name would be clutterqueen....... but, she will be retiring SOON.

    BTW, I can't wait until the day that I don't cringe when the doorbell rings!

  • debo_2006
    16 years ago

    Okay, so I'm called the clutter Nazi. I'm always up our butts to put things where they belong or if my DH dumps his mess there, I tell him I'll take away his island junk drawer. Our agreement was that he could have a drawer all to himself, if he didn't allow crap to accumulate on the counters.

    I also mention to visitors that the hall closet has plenty of room for coats and pocketbooks.

    My kitchen is the focal of the house and one must come through it to get to the family room, therefore, I try to keep it neat.

    I hate clutter.

  • alexamd
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I am so glad that I am not alone. Kristi, I like your idea! Cat Mom, that is why I haven't posted many pictures too!

  • colo_lady
    16 years ago

    Always keep several get well cards on the island....so if unexpected guests arrive, they will think you've been sick and unable to clean...
    ...another housekeeping tip from Maxine

  • fondantfancy
    16 years ago

    I read this thread - and then of course had to go and tidy up my clutter hot spot (one end of the kitchen table) before I could post!!

    I fight a daily battle against clutter (and often lose) but there are two things we have done recently which have made a BIG difference.

    One is to put up pegs in our rear hall way. This is basically our entranceway / mudroom. Everybody comes through here - no-one uses the front door. We have a large cupboard for coats and shoes but this always gets full and people ended up piling coats and bags at the end of the stairs. I didn't really want to put pegs up as I thought it would look untidy, but it looks loads better. I put up about 5 times more pegs than I thought we would need (I think there are 42 pegs in total) which is so great as there is always a peg free. Kids school bags, dog leads everything is now hung up.

    The other is to add a junk drawer in the kitchen. Anything I find on the worktop that shouldn't be there goes in the drawer. It has ended up being a place where things like the hairbrush (which for some reason was always on my kitchen table) and spare batteries live, but it helps to keep clutter at bay. I also have one small area where junk mail and magazines are allowed in a pile. It has a limited height so as soon as the pile is too high I sort it out.

    Having written all this I now need to go back to my new kitchen plan to work out where the junk drawer and pile will go!

  • alexamd
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I better pick up a few Get Well cards with my Valentine cards. It sounds like a good idea to me!

  • plllog
    16 years ago

    I took the island out of the kitchen plan, hence no clutter!!

  • acc0406
    16 years ago

    As time goes on, I become more and more convinced that everything has to have a place. My husband, a "dumper," has a basket that I put his clutter in. When it's full I empty it into a bag and put it in his closet (it bothers when it's in his closet, but not when it's in the kitchen).

    In the day and age of mud rooms, I went with a closet so I didn't have to look at the cluttered coats. I also used pegs at two levels-one for adults and lower one for kids. The pegs are easier than hangers for the kids to use. I also added cabinets with outlets to serve as giant appliance garage for cell phones, the toaster and the coffee maker.

    I deal with the mail away right away everyday. Catalogs straight to the recycling. Junk mail to the trash, and bills to my bag to be dealt with later.

    Now I'm trying to figure out the best place to hide my cutting boards and a good paper towel storage solution. Any suggestions?

  • holligator
    16 years ago

    I'm guessing a leaf blower would help.

  • ajpl
    16 years ago

    debi! We have the same agreement. He could have a whole drawer to himself as long as he stopped putting stuff on top of the fridge! I still have to get after him but I've been known to cram the junk in his drawer or mistakenly place it in the recycling bin ;)

    I'm much more ruthless with my son and as a result he better trained than my DH. LOL

  • malhgold
    16 years ago

    fondantfancy - funny....I have the same hairbrush issue. For some reason, my DD decides the buffet cabinet is the place to put the hairbrush.

    In the buffet cabinet, DH, DD and DS each have a big drawer. I just dump all the stuff they leave in the kitchen in there. Eventually it starts to overflow and then they each clean out their drawers.

    For some reason though, DH always seems to have a pile on the edge of the island. I am trying to find a new space for his pile of #$%^ if I ever get a layout finalized for our new kitchen.

  • raehelen
    16 years ago

    CLUTTER!

    Now, there's a topic that I could go on and on!

    I have been working at this manically for the past four-five years. I flew my sister over and paid her to help me de-clutter for a week (then we went to the Island for a reward holiday for 3 days). We worked like dogs till 10-11 at night. I am embarrassed to say how many trips to Goodwill we made. On garbage day, she headed out to all the neighbours with bags (in her housecoat) to 'share the wealth'

    I coach, and one of the Master's teams I coach is having financial problems so they have begun to 'pay me' in two hours of decluttering/help around the house for every 1 1/2 hours I coach. As the president said 'Suzy said you really need it'. OMG!!! (But she was right!!!)

    I have made headway, but as so many have already said- it IS an ongoing and continuous battle!

    I think you have to be diligent daily. Our kitchen/DR IS close to camera ready at any moment- and just the other day it was starting to look bad, and I thought OH no- is the honeymoon over? So, IMMEDIATELY, it was dealt with. It is just DH and I now, and I KNOW if I get lax, he will jump on board, but so far, by modeling putting everything away, and dealing with mail each night (that helps- and has so many other benefits too- keeping on top of bills, notices, etc.),
    he is actually putting dishes in DW, EMPTYING DW, etc. Which, believe me, is a huge step in the right direction.

    I thought I had decluttered while packing up the kitchen, but I'm even more ruthless now that we're moving back in. I've already filled two boxes for giveaway... If there's space and a place to put stuff it will get put away. I also put substantial hooks on the 'spare' door in front entry- so that the in use coat has a place other than on the back of a chair.

    I've found that the first piece of clutter is a huge clutter magnet So, employ whatever nagging, habits, storage containers will work for you, and jealously guard your island from the very first piece...:>0 It can be done, it's only taken me 5 years (sigh).

  • oldfashionedgirl
    16 years ago

    I am still waiting for the clutter fairy to appear and make the clutter vanish with a wave of her wand....If someone could develop a clutter-resistant material for countertops, granite and soapstone would be a thing of the past, I'm sure. Any inventors out there working on this problem?

  • divamum
    16 years ago

    Honestly, this thread makes me feel SO MUCH BETTER. I spend most of my life living in shame at the piles of CRAP we seem to accumulate, but I see it's universal (although we've always lived in such space-starved environments that perhaps we feel it a little more acutely!)

    Btw, I am also amused and relieved to read about the little girls and their hairbrushes. I can't TELL you the places I've found my dd's brush (few of them being the bathroom, her bedroom or anywhere it might have logically been used!)

    This is so funny, because I am SO incredibly untidy and for years my friends and family have laughed when I grumbled about mess. BUT... it must be said, I hugely prefer an ordered home, I just loathe and detest housework (there's always something more interesting to do. Yanno, like sit online hitting "refresh" to see what new GW posts will appear....). But in the new kitchen - at least for the time being while it's all The New Toy - I will be CLUTTER FREE!

    Now if I could just get this passion to extend to finding all the socks so I could pair them up and getting the mountains of laundry done, we'd be set... ;D

  • vwhippiechick
    16 years ago

    We fight clutter too! Mostly it's paper, I hate paper! It's everywhere and I know as soon as I throw it out I will need it to get that refund to return that item to check the price etc, etc. Sometimes I think it might take over and we will just have to live in the garage or pitch a tent on the lawn.
    Our kitchen is small and we do not have a mud room. So we come in through the kitchen and that's where a lot of stuff gets dropped. Especially mail. It is a daily battle to keep it at bay and still we have little stacks of paper here and there. They multiply when we aren't looking and then we have to overheat the shredder to get rid of it. I still haven't figured out a good method to deal with it. I have committed myself to find a solution so that the new soapstone counters will be ready for stroking at any time.

  • 3katz4me
    16 years ago

    We use the island alot for other things so it just can't be the dumping ground for junk. We've just developed the habit of dumping things somewhere else - and the kitchen was planned with another section of counter to be the the place for it. The island is the natural place it goes but we have pretty much retrained ourselves not to leave stuff there.

  • janwad
    16 years ago

    Hey, don't worry about the paper, vwhippiechick. Computers are going to make paper obsolete. Everything will be online, no problem.

    What a dream that was.

    There are 3 junk drawers in my kitchen - a general one, and one for DH and one for me. Then the overflow goes in the dining room, which I have now curtained off. I hadn't thought of a leaf blower, hmmm.

    Our trash wasn't picked up last week because of the snow. The recycle is building into a fearsome pile.

  • oruboris
    16 years ago

    You know what they say-- clean counters, dirty minds...

    Honestly though, I think clutter has 2 sources. Lack of storage, [which includes storage so inconveniently placed or poorly designed it isn't used]; and procrastination.

    When I redid the kithen in the current house, I enlarged and moved the laundry, and now I never have baskets of stuff in my kitchen waiting to be washed or folded. I added a coat room, and no longer have piles of coats gloves and boots on the kitchen chairs.

    What I didn't add was a mail sorting station, and its a constant battle. This will get addressed in the new house, but I'll still need to work on the procrastination angle. A trash can out in the open, right in the mail area will help, but I'll still need to work on ruthlessly discarding the ads I won't read, catalogs I don't need the minute they arrive.

    I try to be better at the PO, tossing the obvious junk there. I've also canceled the mags I don't have time for, and am in the process of moving all my credit cards to paperless statements.

  • jacobsmishpacha
    16 years ago

    The apartment we are renting during our remodel is an "open" floor plan, which means that my twin 3 year old boys are able to get into nearly everything. They can't yet reach the rear 8 inches of my countertops yet, so EVERYTHING is there! Mail, papers, any battery chargers, my laptop, my older son's DSlite, remote controls... I have water-proof containers to store all of these things on my counters.

    My older son's tutor (college student) once said to me brightly "I always thought that those refrigerators with computers were a waste of money, but I see that you really like to use your computer in the kitchen!"

    Oh, well... here's to curious little hands.

  • fondantfancy
    16 years ago

    My children can reach the counters by pulling up charis (even the little one and she is only 18 months, so all the stuff we don't want them to reach goes on top of the fridge!

    Divamum - yep I have the sock problem too :)

  • sherilynn
    16 years ago

    FWIW: I've subscribed to the Messies Anonymous emails for YEARS on yahoo groups. They send out GREAT tips daily to keep you motivated and keep things organized. If you Google them you can find their support group. GW won't let me put the name of the group online. It's blocking me. :(

  • fnzzy
    16 years ago

    Flylady is good too - a tad annoying - but the principals work.

    what we've done in the kitchen is eliminate all the places that clutter accumulated in the old kitchen - so no open shelves with baskets where i can put something "just for now", where it stays for months until I toss it out.

  • bklyn2pok
    16 years ago

    I inherited the packrat gene from both sides of my family - oh the stories I could tell! Our biggest clutter issue is paper, since the kitchen reno I've set new rules - if it's still sitting around at the end of the week it goes in DH's in-basket in the foyer if it looks personal if not it goes in the trash or recycling bin. It's just the two of us so there's no reason for the kitchen to have that much clutter.

    The deeper sink is also a great help in giving the illusion of clutter free space...especially when taking pictures :=)

  • rmlanza
    16 years ago

    Well clutter is certainly a popular topic, isn't it? My problem is that I have 3 kids who all go to the same school. So every PTO flyer or newsletter or school dance notice or lunch menu, etc....is times 3! Our school does "take home Tuesday folders". So every Tuesday I get at least a week's worth of homework, quizzes, tests, returned projects, school notices, etc. At least it's only one day of the week. We have 3 junk drawers plus 2 in the garage (mostly small tools, extra hooks, tape, stuff like that). And for us it's not the hair brush (well, that does sit near the sink a lot as I use it wet to tame my wild boy's hair) but the hair THINGIES...otherwise known as ponytail holders. I find them on the floor all the time, too...they make great cat toys apparently.

    I think clutter multiplies. Someone said that one piece of clutter is like a magnet for more. How true that is! But I actually believe that it just spawns on it's own. Dirty, evil little things.

    On my island I currently have a box of Nilla Wafers (empty), a shopping bag (empty), a folded throw blanket I bought today for my dog, an honor roll certificate and ribbon, a Webkinz trading card, a notepad with my son's spelling words written on it (and spelled incorrectly), the phone, an african violet (it lives here) and my lap top, which also pretty much lives here. Oh, and 3 pens and one pencil. Sigh. Time to clean up!

  • amck2
    16 years ago

    I have never allowed clutter on any visible surface in our home.....Just don't open the closets! LOL

  • alexamd
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    rmlanza...it sounds so familiar! Thanks everyone for making me feel like I am not alone. When my late aunt was looking for a house she referred to one of the rooms as a catch all room...I didn't quite understand what she meant then, but I guess I have a catch all island...and a catch all dining room table...and I could go on, but that might be a bit embarrassing.

    Brklyn2pok -- I too have inherited the gene. My father is so bad that you can't see his basement floor and his kitchen and dining room aren't far behind. When my dear mother was alive she kept it at bay. The clutter was quarantined to the basement, but since she died the clutter has been having a party and has migrated up the stairs to every vacant surface. I can only imagine what she is thinking.

    A friend of mine once said that there are too kinds of thinkers -- vertical and horizontal. Apparently, I am a horizontal thinker and need everything spread out in various piles.

  • redroze
    16 years ago

    I learned this tip from a magazine: Have a designated inbox for all your papers (bills, notes, etc.) Then sort through and organize it every weekend, and also everyday (as much as you can) while you're cooking dinner. The key thing is constant maintanance. Otherwise it builds up and you just give up!

    I am a neat freak though. I store away everything and don't like to have much on the countertops. Anything we have a duplicate of something (two spatulas for example) I just donate the duplicate. I only keep the bare minimum of what we need. Geez...I sound so severe! We have a fairly spacious eat-in kitchen though.

    My husband calls me "miss throwaway" because I throw out or recycle any stray items! Haha...

  • raehelen
    16 years ago

    rmlanza,

    I would suggest to your school administration that they update their school notice policy. Ours goes ONLY to the youngest sibling (better chance that it gets home that with the eldest). In this day and age of conservation/recycling I'm surprised your school would send out multiple notices to each family. (Just an FYI :>)

  • vicnsb
    16 years ago

    amck...hey thats MY house! LOL

  • judydel
    16 years ago

    ROFLMAO

    I am sooooo glad I found this thread this morning. I don't know why it has tickled my funny bone so much but seriously now, I've been gafawing so loud that the dog ran into his crate. I even spilled a couple of laughing tears!

    All too familiar I guess.

    In my redo I'm trying also to take the clutter issue into consideration. Lots of great ideas. Thanks for the tips and laughs.

    Anyone use wine cubbies as mail cubbies?

  • shannonplus2
    16 years ago

    My weakness is paper clutter - I am pretty good with clearing out clothes/dishes/books/etc. but paper is an obstacle for me that I struggle with. What I found to be the BIGGEST HELP EVER to my paper clutter habit was not to let it into my house. When I receive catalogs or advertisements or other mail I can't help but read it or "keep it to read later". Even though I know it's junk and should be tossed. So I went on a CAMPAIGN not to let it into my house in the first place. It was initially time-consuming, but SO worth it. Here are the steps:

    1. Go to the DMA's website (the Direct Marketing Association) to register for the Mail Preference Services by filling in the online form. It takes about 30-60 days for it to kick in. On that same webpage is also a credit card solicitation opt-out service which I recommend both to decrease junk mail, and to decrease chances of identity theft (identity thieves could take a credit card solicitation addressed to you, fill it out, and get a credit card in your name).

    2. Call all your magazine subscriptions' 800 numbers, and tell them "Please mark my account so that my name or address is not rented or sold to other companies."

    3. Call all your credit cards, and and tell them "Please mark my account so that my name or address is not rented or sold to other companies."

    4. Call any catalogs that you want to continue getting, but tell them "Please mark my account so that my name or address is not rented or sold to other companies."

    5. Call all your utilities (phone/cell phone/electric company, etc.) and and tell them "Please mark my account so that my name or address is not rented or sold to other companies."

    6. Call any sweeptstakes 800 numbers when you get a sweepstakes solicitation and get them to remove you from their lists. Just takes one call to each sweepstakes company.

    7. Whenever you donate money, purchase something on the internet or via a catalog, write in the "comments' box in capital letters, "Please do not sell my name or address".

    8. Call 1-888-567-8688 or 1-888-5OPTOUT. This will remove you from junk mail sent by Trans Union, Equifax, innovis, and Experian.

    Whew! That was a lot of work! But once I finished, after a few weeks my mailbox ONLY contains mail I want. I would say my mail has decreased in volume by at least 70%. Good for the environment too.

    And that's 70% less paper on your island, and 70% less work for you every day sorting through your mail. A very nice payback for the time you have to spend initially.

    Here is a link that might be useful: DMA's Mail Preference Webpage

  • annie1971
    16 years ago

    Where does that stuff come from!!!? It just reproduces right there on the island, the table and bar and DON'T get me started on the laundry room!
    I read a suggestion once to get a plastic bin and walk through the house decluttering everything. Get it clear and then go through the bin, sorting, filing and throwing and putting stuff where it belongs. It really doesn't take long if you do it faithfully. It works.
    Except, eventually I ended up three of those @#!!# bins full of crap! They reproduce too.

  • rhome410
    16 years ago

    I find that ONE little item landing on a table, counter, or island serves as seed, and everyone takes it as license to leave things there...Even dirty dishes after the dishes are supposedly done. Why can't THEY see how much nicer things are when they're cleaned off?!