As the new year begins, we’re inspired to make resolutions to pursue our passions and change our lives for the better. Organizing your pantry may not be as exciting a goal as running a marathon or publishing your first novel, but it has two things going for it: It’s a heck of a lot easier than either of those and if you do it right, it can increase your contentment around the house every day.
What Goes in a Pantry?
Pantries are versatile spaces with a multitude of uses. Ask around, and you’ll get a wide range of answers to the question of what to put in them. Some people say pantries are only for dry goods and foods that come in cans and jars, while others consider them ideal places to stash items such as:
Giant packages of essentials from the wholesale store, like paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues
Bulk lots of school lunch items, after-school treats for kids, and snacks for the whole family
Economy-sized bags of pet foods and treats plus leashes, carriers, and other cat and dog accessories
Unwieldy appliances such as a food processor with attachments or a seldom-used bread maker
Rolls of everything from aluminum foil to wallpaper to gift wrap
Cleaning equipment like brooms, dustpans, mops, and sponges plus cleaning solutions
Aprons, shopping bags, cleaning rags, and old towels you may need someday
Extra dishes, bowls, serving pieces, glasses, and cups that come to the dining table only for parties and holiday meals
The list is limited only by your space, your imagination, and what you most want to keep from cluttering the rest of your house.
To avoid disappointments and do-overs, measure your pantry space before you start gathering items to store there. Then envision what will go where. Keep in mind that whatever you choose to put in your pantry must not only fit into its assigned space — it must also be easy to access.
Assemble Your Organizing Tools
Once those decisions are out of the way, it’s time to shop for the materials you’ll need for your organizing adventure. Depending on what you’ll be storing, you may want some or all of these:
Clear, airtight containers to keep items fresh and let you see what you have and how much
As many stackable containers as possible to make the best use of vertical space
Clear bins with handles to store bagged and boxed snacks like chips, crackers, and popcorn
Adhesive labels to attach to each container identifying the contents and giving their use-by dates
Shelves configured for visibility and access, like a tiered arrangement to make all 3 rows of canned goods easy to identify at a glance
Space-saving lazy Susans as an alternate way to keep items easy to view and reach
A wall-mounted rack with adjustable baskets to hold small and medium-sized items like condiments and cleaning supplies
Hooks or an over-the-door rack for fabric and paper items like towels, aprons, and grocery bags
A stepladder to help you safely reach items on the highest shelves
More Tips for Successful Organizing
Out with the old and in with the new—your pantry deserves a better-than-ever makeover! Before you start bringing new things in, take out everything that’s in there now, toss the expired items, and put the ones you plan to keep in your new, labeled containers. Then:
Clean existing shelves and bins.
Install any new shelving, racks, or other structures that will hold what you’ll be storing.
Group like items together, such as pasta, rice, and cereals; baking ingredients; canned and bottled goods; paper products; cleaning materials, and so on.
Create zones based on frequency of use, which will determine how easy each group of goods must be to access. Things you use daily need to be closest at hand, then those you use weekly and monthly, while party and holiday items can stay a few more steps away.
Move everything in, let the pantry alone for a day, then see if you like your new arrangement. If not, do whatever reorganizing seems necessary.
Make a habit of keeping your beautifully organized pantry tidy. After your weekly trip to the supermarket, reposition anything that’s gotten out of order before you bring in anything new. And check expiration dates every month or so.
Now that you’ve achieved the organizing task that once seemed like mission impossible, marathons and publishers don’t seem so scary, do they? If you need help organizing your pantry or any other area of your home or office, Creative Organizing Solutions is here to help.
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