I Tried the “Countertop Curfew” Trick to Organize My Kitchen

I recently moved to a new apartment, which has very limited kitchen counter space. My previous home had a spacious kitchen, so I was accustomed to not worrying about what I left out. But now, with less space, I knew I had to carefully consider what stays on my kitchen counters. That’s when I came across a pro organizer’s “countertop curfew” trick on The Kitchn, which was exactly what I needed to manage the visual clutter. 

Decluttering and organizing expert Lenora O’Keith of Aronel Home’s “countertop curfew” trick is simple: If you don’t use a kitchen item at least three to four times a week, you remove it from your countertop. Additionally, the decluttering pro has three strict “nos” for kitchen countertops — knife blocks, oils and spices, and that dreaded “mail pile.”

When I read about this hack, I immediately knew it would help me declutter my tiny kitchen. I spent about a week enforcing the rule — here’s how it went.

The first step of the process is to assess which items you use regularly, and which you don’t. You can tally up how many times you reach for each item in a week, or just go off your gut about what you use most often. For my husband and me, the appliances that we use almost daily include our Nespresso machine, SodaStream, NutriBullet, toaster, and Ninja air fryer. We use them so frequently that it doesn’t make sense to tuck them away, so they stayed.

However, we use our egg boiler and tea kettle only about once a week, so those two were easily evicted to a lower kitchen cabinet. Next, according to O’Keith’s advice, my bulky knife block, spices, oils, and miscellaneous “mail pile” had to go. 

Getting rid of the knife block cleared up a huge portion of our very limited counter space. Then I tackled the oils: For some reason, we had five bottles of olive oil on our kitchen counter. I put them away, keeping only the one we use daily. Lastly, we had the dreaded “mail pile,” a magnet for random, non-kitchen-related knickknacks and junk papers. Moving that to the entrance foyer made an immediate difference.

Of course, throughout the process I did have to find storage spots for everything I was removing from my countertops. Luckily, my kitchen has plenty of cabinet storage, but if you’re in need of added organization, check out these smart storage tricks.

At the end of the week, my kitchen was transformed. After trying the “countertop curfew,” the room felt so much more spacious. And without the added clutter of papers, oils, and appliances, I finally had more than enough counter space for cooking and baking projects. 

I adore this trick because it’s so easy to put into practice, and it offers a shocking amount of relief. Now I have plenty of prep space, and without random clutter in my peripheral vision I feel more at peace in the space. If you have a busy or compact kitchen, I highly recommend trying the “countertop curfew” trick — you’ll be amazed by how much breathing room a few small changes can create.