Things You Should Never Put on your Countertops

Do you use your kitchen counter as a catch-all for diverse bits and pieces, food items, and some other stuff? No matter how big or small your kitchen is, your counter space will always be cluttered with some kitchen tools, mail, handbags, keys, and so on.

While it’s very tempting, storing things this way always leads to a real mess and nobody likes a messy kitchen. To avoid that, I have a list of things you shouldn’t keep on your countertop. Some of them you’d expect to find in this list, but I bet you’ll be surprised by other things you didn’t know shouldn’t be stored on your countertop.

Rarely used appliances

In a recent study from MasterBrand Cabinets, 60 percent of Americans found cluttered counter space as the biggest cause of stress when it comes to house storage. When you already have loads of items on your countertop, adding more stuff to it will definitely turn cooking into a nightmare.

Things like juice makers, rice cookers, toasters, blenders, and other kitchen appliances are the most common items you will find on a kitchen counter. But do you use all of them daily? If you don’t, maybe you should consider putting them away. Trust me, you’ll save a lot of space by doing that.

Canisters

We have all seen those nice and well-organized kitchens in pictures on the Internet. Yes, canisters for storing sugar, flour, and other ingredients can be very decorative, especially if they match the kitchen design style. But you have to admit some of them (pasta canisters, for example) are taking up a great deal of space.

To clear the area, think about storing all the canisters in a cupboard. Better yet, keeping them handy on a shelf just above the countertop would be far more convenient for you. This way they are within reach but also on display, which is a win-win situation.

Cooking books

Other elements that add style to your kitchen are cooking books displayed on the counter. Many cooking books are literally pieces of art. A lovely hardcover and an artistic spine deserve to be seen and admired, right? Besides, if cooking is part of your daily routine, then those favorite recipes should be within reach.

But keep in mind that cooking can be sometimes very messy as spills of oil, tomato sauce, or other semi-solid food can get almost everywhere, book covers included. You don’t want to stain beautiful cookbooks as some of them can be pretty expensive.

Try storing them on open shelving or in a glass door cabinet to keep them clean and on display. This way your cooking books will still be in a good condition and you’ll still have a stylish kitchen.