Having an unorganized pantry was causing me stress. Every time I opened it, it bothered me. Which, if you’re like my household, the door to the pantry gets opened A LOT, everyday! There was no better time than after the holidays and the start of a new year. I was going to get it organized, no matter what! Read on to find out how I organized my pantry in 10 steps.
How I organized my pantry in 10 steps
I assessed the project for quite some time, researching, and shopping, but I didn’t want it to look mismatched and like I had just thrown things together. I wanted it legit, organized like a pro! When I have an organized house, it equals a happy mommy & wife! We don’t have a very large pantry, so the most important thing was to utilize the space we were given. Here are the steps I took:
- Throw out items that havent been used in a LONG time(I saw things I hadn’t used for over a year) and decide which containers you can re-use and keep in there. Let me just take a second to talk about my banana hanger that I already had, its flat-out awesome! It folds up when not in use and really does keep bananas fresh, longer! I also had the 3 bottle wine rack, and it is such a space saver, It’s one of my favorite items!!!
- Remove any extra lids/small cooking appliances/water bottles etc. and see if you can find a great spot elsewhere in your kitchen(or basement if you don’t use the item(s) often at all. I took out the small white plastic baskets I had in there because I preferred everything to match and wanted something different.
- Write down what sizes of containers/styles would be best for your space and how many you’ll need(you may not get it right the first time, but thank goodness for Amazon Prime) so you can order more or a different size and get it in 2 days! I was aware of the wasted space I’d have in the center corners, so I decided lazy susans would utilize that area best, for vitamins, spices & items that we use a lot like the large coconut oil container, & kids lunch containers. I also knew I wanted see thru containers so I could tell how much of each item I had left and when I was getting low on an ingredient. I already owned the wine rack, banana hanger & the magnetic spice holder on the wall. So, Anything that can be stacked, do it!
- Get some chalkboard stickers & a chalkboard pen(I used fine point) to label your containers
- Hug the UPS man when he delivers your boxes of items
- Take everything out of the pantry and wipe the shelves down(this is a great time to install a liner for your shelves if you choose) This is the one I have and have had tons of compliments on it.
- Pour everything into your washed containers, put smaller cooking items in a basket of their own. I use a basket for baking/cookie decorating items/tuna packets, etc. I also use a separate basket for snacks, and a small rectangle wicker basket solely for my coffee pods.
- Put taller containers on the top shelf, items you use most frequently at eye level or the third shelf, and appliances such as the Instant Pot/Slow Cooker/Kitchenaid Mixer down below(shop here for my kitchenaid mixer cover, which keeps my mixer free from dust, etc). I use these items weekly and didn’t have room anywhere else in the kitchen. I’m the type of person who can’t stand things left out on the counter, it looks cluttered, to me! If things are free from clutter, it actually brings a visual peace to the brain! I also knew I needed a place to store my onions on one side and fruit on the other, so the wire baskets would stack great on top of one another. (You do have to be aware of what’s placed next to fruit/vegetables because of the gases that are emitted from each could ruin one another)I didn’t know this for the longest time!
- Rearrange things a 2nd/3rd time because you wont get it the way you want it the first time.
- Stand back and revel in your clean and organized pantry(threaten the kids if they mess it up)jk…..
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