5 Simple Tips to Organize Your Kitchen Pantry

As one of the most frequently visited and occupied rooms in any house, the kitchen can be a difficult area to maintain due to so many people passing through all day, every day. Fear not, however, for there are ways to fight this battle and keep your kitchen neatly organized. The custom storage design experts at Smart Spaces have put together a short list of simple steps you can follow in order to declutter your kitchen, keeping it neat and organized all year long.

Get Rid of the Clutter

One of the most important aspects of organization, whether you’re sorting your closet or your pantry, is to get rid of the things you don’t need or want. The first thing to do is to empty out your pantry completely, as most people tend to throw things into pantries, drawers and cabinets rather haphazardly. Once clear, clean each shelf and examine every item you have. Throw away anything that is past its expiration date or that you will probably never eat. Figure out what you want to keep, donate what you can to a food bank, and throw out what you can’t.

Sorting Your Food

Pantry organization is all about order and the best way to accomplish this is to sort your foods into various groups rather than by size, as many people commonly do. Consider sorting foods into groups like: grains, canned fruit and vegetables, soups, baking supplies, canned meats, breakfast foods, snacks, spices, and so on.

Label Foods Clearly

Labeling your food items clearly is an important part of pantry organization, especially if you buy food in bulk. One of the greatest tools for this is transparent, airtight containers. Simple masking tape and markers can work for labels, or you can use chalkboard labels to give you a little more flexibility in changing food items in your containers at your leisure. By removing foods from their original, bulky packaging and placing them into easily stored containers, you will have a much easier time keeping your kitchen pantry organized.

Get Creative

Clear containers and pullout drawers are great tools for pantry organization, but you can take it a step further and get creative with your storage techniques. A lazy Susan can help keep everything in your pantry right at your fingertips if you’re having trouble seeing everything. A door rack on the back of the pantry door is perfect for storing spices.  An over-the-door shoe organizer can hold spices, plastic bags, baking supplies, and any other small items for quick and easy access. You can also use wire magazine holders to store canned goods instead of placing them directly on the shelf and taking up that space. Magazine holders are also great for holding things like cutting boards, boxes of tin foil and plastic wrap, and bags of onions or potatoes.

Regular Organization

Much like washing the dishes, organizing the pantry is a daunting task if left to pile up, but that is why we recommend you handle it a little at a time. Instead of overhauling your pantry once a year, organize one shelf every weekend or one per day if you’re feeling particularly motivated. It’s a good idea to declutter your pantry about once a month and do a complete overhaul roughly twice a year.

At Smart Spaces, we know that pantry organization can be a challenge, but we’re here to help you create kitchen calm from kitchen chaos with a custom pantry designed to suit your specific needs. Contact us online today for a FREE in-home consultation and design quote!