Ahh, the pantry! Having a dedicated place to store non-perishable food and kitchen overstock is an extremely helpful step towards a more harmonious kitchen. However, maintaining this space can be a huge challenge - take it from us! We have been knee deep in a lot of them lately and want to share our tips on how to keep the contents of your pantry tidy and organized.
Ready to start? Here are five simple steps for getting control of this space and building a system for the future.
Step 1: Start with a clean slate, then declutter
Take everything out of the pantry and clean the shelves. This is going to be the most time-consuming task out of the whole project, but trust us, it is necessary!
Before you start putting anything back on the shelves, take a few minutes to review everything you took out. First, check expiration dates and toss anything that is past its prime. Then look through the remaining items and find all the food you don’t think your family will eat. Consider donating any unused items to a local food bank instead of throwing them in the trash. Once you have gotten rid of the expired and unwanted items, you’ll have a lot more space to work with.
Step 2: Group like with like & create zones for your food
Group similar items together so you can see how much of each item you’ve got on hand. This helps you better plan for spacing and storage options. Thinking of pantry space as zones will help you see what food you have, what you need to restock and where incoming groceries belong. It will also help you find things quickly. Zones or categories can include types of food (e.g. pasta, oils, beans, tomatoes), recipe ingredients (baking, Mexican), types of meals (weeknight dinners, breakfast), or items (small appliances, paper goods).
Once you have identified the zones, designate an area for each. Since maintaining your pantry should be intuitive, keep items that are normally used together near each other like pasta and sauce or flour and sugar. Another good rule of thumb is to have the most often used zones within easy reach and those items you don’t use as frequently up high. Heavier items that are not everyday essentials, like beverages and kitchen appliances, are often better stored on lower shelves or on the floor. And don’t forget that if your kids need access to grab and go snacks they should be where they can easily get at them.
Step 3: Invest in the right storage solutions
Whether you like to decant dry ingredients into clear canisters or use clear plastic containers to corral boxes of pasta and rice, bins, baskets, hooks, pull out racks and lazy susans can make a huge difference in keeping items neat, organized, and together. Bins help you keep items upright and lump items together so you can easily take inventory before you hit the store. They also provide a limit on of how many items to keep in a category. This and this are bins we consistently use when working in clients’ pantries.
The right organizing products let you take full advantage of every inch of your space, from an over the door hanging shelf system for seasoning packets to an expandable tiered organizer for canned veggies. Also, you’ll find the clean look of your new storage will help inspire you to keep it organized and maintained.
Step 4: Stay organized with labels
We firmly believe that labeling is the secret to long term maintenance. Labels provide a set of instructions for everyone in the household. When items stay where they belong, it helps you to maintain an organizational system. Writing “bought” or “expiration” dates on your items can also help in pantry maintenance.
Focus on general categories like “Snacks” or “Breakfast” first. Then, see if you need sub categories like granola bars or oatmeal. You can use anything from tape and a Sharpie to these cute labels on Amazon. At Home Space Harmony we provide custom labels for our clients.
Step 5: Commit to maintaining
Once you have everything in its designated place, take a picture to refer back to when things start to get a little disorganized. Try to get into an everyday habit of putting things back in their home. The key to keeping an organized pantry is to check in a few times a year to assess its contents. You are never done!