The kitchen is the nerve center of the home. The junk drawer is usually in the kitchen, a library of cookbooks, appliance pamphlets and the like. The kitchen isn't only the main meeting place and message center of many a home, but also the headquarters of all airborne grease, center for spills and stains and a gruesome gathering spot for gadgetry. There is never enough room in the room that needs the most room. To begin de-junking your kitchen, remove anything that is allergic to cleaning water, it will gather grease and need to cleaned often. Want more counter space? Get rid of the inadequate canister sets, the bare breadbox. the never used cookie jar, the top-heavy mug stand, stacks of mail and magazines waiting to be read, and free standing towel holders. Now to the drawers- get rid of all the gadgets that never worked-peelers, opener, etc. Inside the cupboards- dispense with excess dishes, salt shakers, toothpick holders, and unused company stuff. Think about how often you entertain and how many people, how formal, and remove accordingly. Root out those items like woks, souffle pans, pasta makers, and the radish-rose and carrot-crinkle machines. Unplug and remove any choppers, juicers, openers, grinders, brewers, and toasters you seldom use. The average kitchen contains enough plastic containers to fill six freezers. Get rid of those, along with the margarine containers, foil pans, plastic bags and empty mason jars. Donate or toss the never used mushroom place mats, aprons you wouldn't be caught dead wearing and anything that looks like a frog. Look at your walls- Do you have clocks that don't run? A Christmas wreath still hanging over the door? Long dead plants still standing in their pots? Check the window sills- are they filled with screws, bolts, buttons and small items waiting to find a home? Onto the floor- Is the old microwave setting there that you meant to take to recycling last year? Do you have six pet dishes and the pet no longer lives there? Is there a tool box complete with tools that you keep in the kitchen just in case? The last place you need to de-junk in the kitchen is the refrigerator. Most of you know what to toss in a refrigerator, but just in case a few of you need reminding- All Tupperware bowls with unrecognizable innards, vaccine producing cheese, butter that's white, cottage cheese with many colors, and macaroni surprise that's now macaroni shudder. Don't forget the freezer. Although some people think that freezing is a way of preserving things permanently, it's not a solution. If it's been in there more than ten months, it's tasteless, and utterly lacking in nutrition. After completing this task , I hope you find your kitchen more enjoyable to work in.