#8 End Surface Abuse Now

#8-People of the world hear this!  The time has come to end all kinds of abuse.  Look inward at your needs in the kitchen and then turn your gaze outward towards your counter tops and see if you are an abuser!  Kitchen counter space is prime real estate.  Like a lot in Beverly Hills or a corner in Manhattan, nobody buys one just so they can store a huge stack of bricks on it.  The same is true for the counters in your kitchen.  If space is at a premium in your kitchen, do not store items on the counters unless you use them every single week.  Every.  Single.  Week.  If you don't use it daily or very, very often it belongs someplace else in your home.  That might mean inside the cabinet.  That might mean in the laundry room where you can grab it once a month when you need it.  That might mean the tree shaped jello mold that is propped against the backsplash and is only used twice a year should be stored in the garage with the other seasonal items.  There is no rule that says every kitchen appliance that you own must be stored in the kitchen.  If you have an empty shelf in the guest bathroom, you can store your crockpot there.  If you have space under your bed, you can stash seldom used cookie sheets in a plastic bag.  There are no rules.

My point.  Surface abuse happens when appliances, dishes and other items prevent counters from fulfilling their dreams of being functional work spaces for people in their kitchens.  If you don't use it weekly or very, very often, it's abusing your surface and not serving your needs.