The pantry is possibly one of the most susceptible areas of the house to clutter. Yet, the pantry can be very easy to organize and maintain all year round, even during the most chaotic holiday periods. Think about how much time and stress you’ll save knowing that your food and supplies are not only safe but easily accessible in the pantry. Simple pre-organization now could be the difference between a stressful and delayed holiday meal or an easy dinner that allows you to sit back and enjoy your food and kitchen faster.
Keeping the pantry organized has other benefits too. You have the option to customize and even decorate another aspect of your home. As an added benefit, you’ll also be able to track supplies and avoid losing them in the pantry! Here are some tips to get started organizing that pantry!
Group Items
Depending on the layout of your pantry, you’ll have a lot of shelves and levels to work with. Begin by grouping related foods or supplies together on a single shelf. For example, you can have an entire shelf dedicated to rice and pasta, with the row beneath it used for oils. Grouping foods will reduce the time you spend looking around for specific items. You’ll always know the general location of what you need.
The next step would be to arrange items in a specific order, whether alphabetically or by another form of organization. Using labels or even pictures in your pantry shelves will allow you to log where specific items are and make the layout more visually interesting.
Use Containers
Incorporating containers into your pantry organization will enable you to identify specific foods and help reduce the chance of spilling. If you use clear containers you’ll also be able to see how much food you have remaining every time you use it, alerting you to when it’s time to replenish supplies. Additional container options would be to utilize baskets and/or over-hang shelving.
Grouping similar item containers into common baskets will help you reduce the spread of items actually stored on the shelf. This will allow you to have more storage space while reducing the number of loose items you could potentially knock over. One of the major causes of clutter is simply too many items to keep track of and arrange. Using baskets or boxes to store your individual containers will allow more mobility without the risk of shifting around other items by mistake.
Small metal overhanging shelves or space holders can also maximize your pantry by providing additional surfaces to put items. These can be found in many stores and often in different colors too, so they can become a feature decoration in your pantry. Using overhanging shelf storage will also enable you to visualize your organized items more clearly. A clearer layout will also help you find and clean messes easier as well.
Take Inventory
Making sure that your pantry is sufficiently stocked will give you peace of mind that you have plenty of supplies and food for all occasions. This will also keep you from not having a key ingredient when you’re preparing special meals! After organizing your pantry, get into the habit of just making sure that the food levels are not too low, or that you have extra ingredients. With an organized pantry, this process will be quick. You’ll also be able to note items that you don’t need to replenish. This will save you money if you’re just guessing what you need to buy.