Alexa Erickson
Even if you think you’re organized, you might be guilty of keeping these kitchen items around. Here’s what to throw out ASAP!
Shopping bags
Sometimes you forget your reusable shopping bags and end up with a few plastic and paper bags you ultimately stuff in drawers, under the sink, and alongside the trash bin to use for a rainy day. But the amount you use likely never catches up with the amount you bring home. Clear up some space in your kitchen by recycling them, or check with shelters and food pantries to see if they can be of use.
Scratched-up cutting board
Much like other kitchen appliances, your cutting board has a shelf life. All that chopping up of veggies and fruits has likely made your cutting board full of cracks, which means bacteria has found a home in all those deep grooves.
Freezer burnt food
Just because frozen food can last a long time doesn’t mean it can last forever! And while the freezer can keep your Crockpot soup around for a rainy day, if your items look like they got stuck in a snowstorm, you can bet they’re not going to taste nearly as good as they should, so chuck ’em.
Expired or separated condiments
You may be quick to throw out moldy strawberries in the fridge, but what about the condiments taking up space on the side shelves? It’s easy to forget about things that come in a jar, have a longer shelf life, you don’t use often, and are stacked in a space you don’t pay much attention to in the fridge. Spring clean your biggest kitchen staple by ensuring you check that bottle of sauce’s “best used by” date, and seeing if the ingredients have begun to separate or smell funny.
Unused cleaners
Household cleaners have a shelf life, and if you’re not using them regularly, you’re certainly wasting your money on them. Pinpoint the cleaners you know you need around, and make sure they’re still good. Lysol disinfectant has a shelf life of about two years, multi-surface cleaners about two years, dishwashing soap between 12 to 18 months, and metal polish up to two years.
Plastic cutlery
All those nights of takeout come with plastic cutlery for your convenience. Whether they give you more than you need or you instantly opt for the real deal silverware, you might save the plastic kind for a rainy day. But you’ve likely procured quite the stack in your drawer, and if you’re not going through them, why keep them around? If your cutlery is disposable, toss in the recycling bin. Better yet, the next time your Oder in, tell the restaurant to hold the plastic forks and knives.
Old plastic storage containers
One of the most frustrating sources of clutter in the kitchen is certainly food storage containers. Where’s the matching lid? Why can’t you keep the cabinet with all the plastic containers organized , no matter how hard you try? Why do they always fall out all over the floor when you’re short on time? There are two big reasons you should throw out older plastic containers. The first is surely because they create such a cluttered disaster, and the other is the dangers of old plastic. Because some plastic food storage containers use polycarbonate, which can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals, like Bisphenol A into food items after repeated use, it’s truly best to swap to glass or silicone!
Extra cups and mugs
It’s so nice having well-organized cabinets with your cups and mugs lined up just right, but how often does that last? When you have too much, it’s impossible to keep things straight.
Takeout menus
Though your takeout bag comes with a menu or two, the reality is, you end up stuffing all that wasted paper in a drawer. Then before you know it, menu after menu, it’s hard for you to close your kitchen drawer. Toss those suckers in the recycling bin and stick to looking up menus online.
Old spices
If you’ve had your spices hanging around for a year, it’s time to swap them out for new ones. Spices lose their potency and flavor over time, so you don’t need to feel guilty about giving up a half-full jar, because it’s not good anyway.
