No matter how large your kitchen pantry is, it seems that there is never enough room.
A well organized pantry can take advantage of whatever space is available in order to be more functional and efficient.
Here are a few tips and tricks for how to organize a pantry.
photo courtesy of Bill Wilson flickr.com/photos/okchomeseller/14776687637/Remove Everything
Yes, everything needs to be removed from your pantry.
Put it on the kitchen countertop, put it on the kitchen table, and/or put it in the living room temporarily.
Clean
Now is your chance to deep clean your pantry.
Clean all of the shelves, clean the floor, and clean the walls.
Make it Pretty
Since the pantry is now empty, consider using this opportunity to make it pretty.
Add a fresh coat of paint or a fun wallpaper detail to encourage you to take pride in your pantry and keep it tidy and organized in the future.
A chalkboard wall will help you keep things labeled without the labels being permanent.
Check for Expiration Dates
Now, back to all of that stuff you just removed from your pantry.....check all of the expiration dates on the food items.
I'm guessing you have at least one item that is expired, so trash it.
If there is anything that is not expired but you do not expect to use, donate it.
Group Like Items
Before putting anything back in the pantry, make groups of like items.
You can group together canned goods, boxed side dishes, baking supplies, cereal, kid snacks, beverages, paper goods, prepackaged items for school lunches, occasionally used appliances, etc.
Make a Plan
Plan to put your most used items on shelves between your waist and the top of your head.
Kid snacks should be on lower shelves so they can reach them.
Heavy and large items can be put on the floor, such as dog food and unopened bottled water.
Rarely used items should be put on a top shelf.
Organizational Products
Before putting anything back in your pantry, reimagine how you can organize your pantry better.
Visit the organizational section of your local big box store, hardware store, or organizational store to find the latest products for organizing a pantry.
You can use a spice rack, clear canisters, a lazy susan, pull out drawers, square baskets for loose items, shelves for the back of your pantry door....who knows what you may find.
Try to use a basket, bin, or canister per type of pantry item to keep like items grouped together and allow items to be stacked without tumbling to the floor.
Put Everything Back
Now is the time to put everything back in your pantry.
If you have a small stockpile of the same items, make sure to check the expiration date and put the item that expires first in front and stack the duplicates behind.
Once everything has been put back in your newly organized pantry, consider labeling the shelves so everyone knows where things go.
Also label any baskets or bins with the contents.
Other Tips
Consider putting your spices in alphabetical order so you can easily find them.
Clear glass jars look pretty, but can be heavy to move around and impractical if you have children who are prone to breaking things.
Square canisters are more efficient on square shelves than round canisters.
When purchasing canisters, be aware of which ones are dishwasher safe - not all are.
Having a deeper pantry can actually make your pantry less organized since items get lost in the back.
If you have a stockpile, you may want to write the expiration date of items very large on the package to make sure items do not expire before you use them.
Consider getting a basket for every day of the week and put items for that day's meal in those baskets.
