When was the last time you gave your pantry a deep clean and organized everything inside? Do you ever look at your pantry and wonder how it got so cluttered? Similar to seasonal cleaning, it’s recommended to go through your pantry about 2-4 times a year. To make this even easier, try to set a few minutes aside each day, before you cook a meal, to reset your pantry and put back anything that seems out of place.
The First Step to Organizing
The best way to start your pantry organization is by removing everything from the pantry. The old saying “it has to get worse before it can get better” rings true when it comes to cleaning and organizing. Make sure you have enough space to take everything out so, you can easily wipe down the shelving to give it a good clean.
Once everything is laid out, it’ll be easier for you to set aside anything that’s expired, stale, or you have no intentions of using again. Consider donating unopened items that aren’t expired to a local food pantry organization! With what you have left, organize into a few large main categories. Things like dry grains, wet food, healthy snacks, junk food, and beverages can be your main food groups and from there, you can further break it down with subgroups such as cereal, pasta, potato chips, and coffee grounds.
Choose Specific Pantry Organizers for Each of Your Items
There are different options and ways to utilize them to best fit your pantry
1. Start with frequently used bulky items that come in a variety of boxes and bags. Flour, cereal, and pasta can be placed in glass jars or clear containers to create a more unified look and allow you to see when you’re running low on an item:
2. For items that are just floating around in your pantry, such as coffee pods and candy, easily organize them with baskets:
3. Do you purchase a variety of spices from all different brands and stores? Unify them with matching spice jars! This is a great way to create that ‘Pinterest-look’ in your pantry. Most come with labels and a stand for easy organization, there are plenty of options to fit your pantry:
4. Another common pantry item are cans. Whether it’s cans of soup, vegetables, even drinks – they can take up a lot of space in your pantry making it hard to see what you actually have and what you need. To really organize your pantry, finding a can organizer can be a great choice:
Label All of Your Pantry Items
If you take away anything from this post, you should consider labeling everything! This can help you spot things in your pantry and organize them throughout your week as things start to get misplaced. You can also label dates you open a product and when an item expires. There are plenty of options when it comes to labeling, using permanent labels, dry erase markers, even chalk labels – find what best fits your kitchen!
Create a List of What’s In Your Pantry
Another great tip is creating a list in your pantry. When you run out of something or find yourself missing an item, you can add it to your list. This can be useful when you’re making your grocery list and save you time! There are many free grocery and pantry list printables you can find with a quick search on Pinterest. All you need is a printer and you’re on your way to keeping an organized list of all your non-perishables!
Do you need to organize other areas of your home? If you’re seeking more tips on home organization, storage, or DIY improvement projects, check out the Prime Storage blog!
