Most people live under the assumption that you can never have too many plates, cups, dishes, and bowls, but unless you've got commercial-sized kitchen storage that's simply not the case. As Well + Good points out, "next to cookware and appliances, dishes definitely tend to take up the most real estate in the kitchen."
If crowding cupboards are a way of life, and pulling out a plate for an afternoon sandwich means unstacking countless bowls and dishes to reach your frequently used service, it's time for a purge. Stop using dishes right out of the clean dishwasher because it's too much of a hassle to put them away, and if you don't have the heart to part with a perfectly good plate, at the very least get rid of the ones that are damaged. In addition to being potentially dangerous to eat off of or drink out of, Silverthorn explained they are simply unnecessary to hold onto. She adds, "all you need in your kitchen is enough for a daily meal with the family, plus a couple of spares in case of breakage or visitors" (via House Beautiful).
The formal plates for parties and holidays shouldn't be cluttering the same cabinet as your everyday plates either. As The Spruce notes, your fine china should be stored safely out of the kitchen since you don't use it regularly and not only will that free up space, but it will prevent your expensive sets from getting unnecessarily damaged.
