Organize Your Way to a Picture Perfect Pantry in 5 Steps!

For those that have a pantry large enough to do a cart wheel in consider yourself a great candidate for this blog post! For those who have limited food storage space you can certainty still gain from the tips and ideas, with organizing its ALL in the details!

Purge

If you are taking on the task of getting food in order in your kitchen I highly recommend taking everything out of the pantry or cupboards, sometimes you need to make a mess to make it neat! Start sorting like with likes. Rule of thumb- toss (my favorite de-clutter word) anything that has expired or items that need a new home. 

Designate Shelving to Save Time and Money

Keep your pantry focused! Understand the purpose for each shelf. Once you have removed everything have a plan in place for each shelf before bringing the items back in. A baking needs shelf for instance or a designated snack area. This will always prove to be the best way to see what you are running low on and avoid purchasing duplicates. Remember once items start to live with non like items you will always struggle with not knowing how much of an item you actually have!

Designated pasta section and snack section below 

All canned goods stored together, like with like

At the Right Height

Items you use on a regular basis should be within your reach. Items that are purchased in bulk can be stored at the very bottom so not as to use up too much shelf space and weigh down shelving. Keep the not so used items at the very top.

Cleaning supplies low enough to reach but high enough to keep out of harms way for children. 

Remove Boxes and Label

Boxes can take up space and if you are taking from an opened package its much harder to see how much you have left. Items such as granola bars, tea, fruit snacks, bottles of water etc that are packaged can be removed from the boxes and stored front to back or within bins. Keep the older items in front (at the top within a bin) and the newer behind them (bottom in a bin). Label every bin with its contents! My favorite labels to use on bin storage in a kitchen are the Avery brown Kraft labels. In deciding what bin storage to use its always best to determine how many items you are going to be storing first. Always measure shelf height and length for the best fit prior to heading out to the store! Clear containers work wonders for cereals, pasta and rice. If you are adding a bit of color be sure to label the contents! 

Oatmeal, cider and tea are stored in baskets

All snack bins labeled

Maintenance!

Once a week, or twice a moth take a minute to be sure items are still in their designated areas and you feel good about the organization within your pantry of cupboards. By taking the time to maintain your food storage you will be well on your way to having an organized pantry!

 Comments, questions? Feel free to post! 

Happy Organizing~

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Posted in: kitchen Pantry