We are back in the kitchen and this week is one of my challenging areas – tools and equipment (excluding electrical). We have already culled our utensils so this is more about the baking/cookie trays, cake tins, cookie cutters, cake decorating tools and the like.
I love cooking and baking, and have lots of tools to help me do it, including an array of cake decorating equipment and cake tins of many shapes and sizes. I may need Jo’s help with this one!
So how do we decide what stays and what goes?
As always, the criteria you created during Week 1 of our challenge will assist you in making decisions about your items. If you are new to the challenge, you can see our Week 1 post here.
Here are some questions you can ponder as you plan your attack:
- What type of items do you make in the kitchen and how frequently?
- Considering those goodies, what tools or equipment do you need and how many of each is necessary?
- Do I have a tool that will fulfil more than one function?
- When was the last time I used that tool?
If you only bake a cake once or twice a year, you really don’t need 32 cake tins in different shapes and sizes.
What do I do with the keepers?
As you always hear us say, everything must have a home. Whether you live in a 1 bedroom apartment, or a 10 bedroom mansion, you need to live within your capacity. This also helps you to find things when you want them and also to maintain your home.
Things that you use frequently (multiple times) should be placed in easy reach – that is generally between shoulder and knee height in your pantry. The items that are used less frequently should be stored up high or low.
Baking trays can be stored flat or on their sides and hopefully you don’t have too large an array of cake tins that can’t be stacked within one another.
For future reference, you can consider renting specialised cake tins for that one-off dinosaur or fairy princess cake rather than purchasing (and storing!) them. Meg’s Toy Box in Canberra has a range they hire out. Some kitchenware and cake decorating stores also do the same.
I am very fortunate to have a walk-in pantry, and being a bit of a baker, I have all of my baking trays/cake tins etc. in a plastic tub in the bottom of my pantry so I can keep things together and easily wheel it out to get what I need.
In the interests of transparency, I currently have 3 tubs – I know, I know! My mission is to reduce to 2 or possibly less. Wish me luck!
What do I do with the ones that no longer have a purpose for me?
If they are still in good condition but no longer have a purpose in your home, here are some sell/swap and donation options for your non-electrical kitchen and baking equipment.
- Sell or Swap:
o Swap with your friends or family
o Gumtree
o Facebook Marketplace or any of the myriad of Buy/Swap/Sell groups
o Garage Sale
- Donate options:
o Canberra Paper & The Works based out at the Green Shed in Mitchell
o Charity shops such as the Salvos or Vinnies
o Green Shed (Mitchell or Mugga Lane)
o Let’s Recycle Canberra (Hume)
You could also ask at your local childcare centre or community centre if they are in need of any of the items too.
How did you go? Feel free to share your successes, challenges and tips on our Facebook page.
Happy decluttering!
Melissa x