5 Things to Organize First Thing in the Morning Every Day This Week

Good morning! It’s a beautiful, sunny day — and it’s been sunny since about 5 a.m. While you’re feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, let’s tackle your kitchen!

“Time is short, but your clarity is high first thing in the morning, so it’s the perfect time for laser organizing,” says Kate Varness of Green Light Organizing. “You can knock off a task in about three minutes — then start your day with a sense of accomplishment!”

Here are five things you can tackle this week — just do one each day!

You ran your dishwasher last night, so it’s holding all the clean dishes you actually use. “A full dishwasher makes your least-used items more obvious. Before you put the [newly cleaned] dishes away, look at the back of the cabinet and see if any of that stuff can be donated,” says Varness.

Chances are, you’ve got about 15 of these things, a few of which are getting pretty beat-up. “If they’re spilling out of the shelf when you go to grab one for your purse, pick three right now to recycle or donate,” says Varness.

Related:

I Have Found My New Favorite Water Bottle and It’s Made Out of Glass

No, you don’t have time to dump the whole thing, but you can easily target a few no-brainer items to toss while your coffee is brewing. “Trash expired coupons, stale packs of gum, extra takeout sauce packets, and the like, and it’ll be easier to grab the things you really need that live in there,” says Varness.

• Before & After: How I Transformed My Junk Drawer Without Buying a Single Organizer
• This Is the Most Organized Junk Drawer We’ve Ever Seen

• 5 Things That Don’t Belong In the Kitchen Junk Drawer

• How I Decluttered My Kitchen Junk Drawer

You’re using the espresso maker, the frother, the toaster, and the blender for your gourmet breakfast — so what on earth is left in your appliance cabinet? “Today is the day to walk that bread maker down to the stoop on your way to work,” says Varness. (Or put it in your donate pile!) If you’re not sure how often you use an appliance, tag it with a dated sticky note — and check back later to see if you’ve used it within six months.

Just don’t get rid of these things: 5 Small Electric Appliances Every Kitchen Should Have

Every house in America has one: a bag filled with other bags. Yes, even if you bring your own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. These things just have a way of accumulating! Messily! Take a minute to gather up any bags that didn’t make their way into the official collection bag. Sort plastic bags together and paper ones in a different bag before putting them away again.

When you have more time: 6 Ingenious Ways to Store Those Extra Grocery Bags

“Can’t find the lid for a food storage container while you’re packing your lunch? Toss the piece into a bag for mismatched containers,” says Varness. At the end of the week, sort through your bag — any unmatched bottoms and tops can get recycled now.

What other little organizing tasks do you do in the mornings?