Things You Should Never Keep On Your Kitchen Counters

Of all the real estate you have in your home, your kitchen counter is among the most valuable. After all, it's where almost all the action occurs — meals are prepped, mail gets sorted, kids do their homework ... and leave their book bags. And because the kitchen can be a culinary catch-all, it tends to get super-cluttered, too. That's why you need to know what to keep (and not keep) on your kitchen counters.

For starters, it's okay to open your mail on your kitchen counter, but forget about leaving that unpaid electric bill there, Real Simple advises. Instead, you can sort your mail on the counter, but then have a separate system for filing (and more importantly, shredding) unnecessary paperwork to prevent a pile up.

Although their place is rightly in the kitchen, you shouldn't clutter your countertops with additional appliances. Even blenders, if used only once in a while, can be bulky and take up precious space. So even though you might be absolutely obsessed with your Instant Pot, try to find some space in your cabinets to safely store your appliances until you need them to cook with. The same goes for canisters (even if they're holding essential cooking ingredients, such as flour or sugar), according to Reader's Digest. If you keep in mind that each container might be holding five pounds each of pantry staples, it's easy to see how quickly those items can eat up space.

While it might seem that your prized collection of vintage dessert plates would be fitting for display in your kitchen, it should really find a home elsewhere, per The Spruce. Another alternative is to find a separate shelf to show them off, like in the dining room. Best part: If they're not in the kitchen, your knickknacks have a greater chance of staying clean, since they won't get grimy from grease or other spills.

Speaking of displayed items, cutting boards can be a beautiful way to show off that epic charcuterie you made for your gal pals. Thing is, the often-oversized cutting boards aren't practical when it comes to saving space on your kitchen counter, despite the fact that they're flat. So stack them up and store them elsewhere.

Even though you might want to keep all of your culinary collectibles on your kitchen counter, all you're really doing is creating extra clutter. Determine what truly deserves a spot on your countertop, and welcome the calmness that comes with a clean and uncluttered kitchen counter.