Christmas

32 things to clear out of your kitchen before Christmas

You need space to make merry - clear the decks before you deck the halls.
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You have prawns to prepare, turkeys to stuff, cheese platters to construct and don’t forget the summer berry pavlova!

This is the one time of year to clear the decks and get rid of unwanted stuff from your drawers, pantry, fridge, shelves and benchtops. Be ruthless and the reward will be a smooth run through Christmas preparations and celebrations.

White kitchen with dark floorboards and grey benchtops
An organised kitchen will make Christmas preparations run smoothly. (Credit: Photography: Ryan Linnegear | Styling: Fiona Gould)

Items to throw away or donate to charity:

  • Broken utensils
  • Can openers – keep one that works well
  • Broken Tupperware lids
  • Tupperware with missing lids (or organise your pantry with them)
  • Broken pencils and pens that don’t work (life is too short)
  • Empty jars – unless you will be filling with preserves for Christmas gifts
  • Utensil double ups – just keep the ones you use
  • Advertising fridge magnets
  • Chipped crockery
Organised crockery and glassware in a white kitchen cabinet
Keep crockery organised by discarding items with chips or cracks. (Credit: Photography: Angela Landsbury | Styling: Corina Koch)
  • Near-empty sauces – check the fridge and pantry
  • Old herbs & spices – check use-by dates as flavours go stale after a year or two
  • Torn tea towels
  • Twist ties, rubber bands and bread tags – only keep a small supply
  • Old newsletters and shopping lists on the fridge
  • Serving bowls you never use (you know the ones)
  • Coasters – you only need one set
  • Cook books you never refer to
  • Cookware you have upgraded from
  • Unrecognisable items buckled at the back of your drawers
Black and white kitchen with orange tea towel in counter
Torn tea towels and stale herbs have no place in a kitchen at Christmas time. (Credit: Photography: Claire McFerran | Styling: Alex Carter)

A lot of items are seldom used and can move out of the immediate kitchen preparation zone. Store smaller items in a labelled container or out-of-the-way shelves of your pantry. Clean larger items before storing elsewhere in the laundry, garage or under the stairs.

Store these elsewhere:

  • Punch bowl – how many times a year do you use it? (But while you’re at it, clean to save time on Christmas Eve)
  • Fancy cookie cutters
  • Cake decorating tools and embellishments
  • Gravy boat
  • Pie weights (essential but occasional use)
  • Slow cooker
  • Tea assortment (leave your favourite handy)
  • Fancy baking forms
  • Outgrown kids’ dinnerware (we mean it – store in a memory box or donate!)
  • Large platters
  • Deep fryer (empty oil and clean thoroughly)
  • Pens and pencils – keep just a couple handy
  • Papers, newsletters, mail and junk mail

Now sit back and enjoy a cup of tea whilst you admire your clutter-free kitchen!

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