Getting counter-tops cleared is easy, right? But what about keeping them that way for more than a day? Now, that's the tricky part! Here are five habits that can help keep your counter-tops clear and make for more enjoyable cooking, particularly on busy weeknights!

The first habit listed below takes place outside of the actual kitchen. However, it can have huge effects on keeping those counter-tops cleared and at the ready, making your time in the kitchen more fun and less stressful

 Limit Mail On The Counter

This means reducing junk mail, dealing with unwanted mail at the door, and having a place to put important mail instead of tossing it onto the counter-top. 

If You Air Dry Dishes, Have A System

If you often allow hand washed dishes to air dry, feeling like towel-drying is less thorough and more time-consuming.  An in-sink or counter-top rack (or even a wall-mounted drying rack!) will save space so you can free up more counter-space even when you have dishes drying.

Wash Cookware As You Go

Large items like sheet pans and soup pots are big culprits on wasting counter-space as they wait to be washed. They're often too big to soak in the sink and end up waiting to be washed if you don't stay on top of them. So, wash up as you go. Or if that's not practical, be sure to wash up your tools and cookware from preparing a meal as soon as the meal is over. This way, your counter-tops are clear next time you're ready to prep a meal and you don't have to play that all-too-familiar game of catch-up.

Use Hooks

Quick! How many items currently lying on your kitchen counters could happily be hanging on a hook?  The purse and shopping bag belong on a hook in the coat closet, and the towel belongs on a hook here in the kitchen. There is no excuse for me to be out of habit on this one, as there isn't anything easier than hanging something on a hook. Well, besides throwing it on the counter-top!

Make A Habit Of Letting Loose, But With Design

Design one small area into your kitchen where you can fall back when you're caught in a pinch. That might mean designating one small open shelf over the counter where you can easily put things you don't have time for in the moment . Or having one "junk drawer" that catches those "homeless" odds and ends that inevitably end up on the kitchen counter. Allowing a little room to be messy takes the pressure off, making the prospect of sustainable success much greater.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

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