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In case you could use a little help in getting motivated to organize your pantry, I thought I share some of the favorite things we use and ways we’ve learned to help keep our pantry clean and (most of the time) organized.
One chore in our house that I long delegated to kids was bringing in and putting away groceries. Having them do that is awesome, but it also means that if I don’t clearly spell out where things go that I might never find the items I need.
8 Ways to Organize Your Pantry
- Divide your pantry into zones.
Think of large categories of things that you make a lot or come into the pantry to find things for. We want to arrange those items together to cut down on your searching time and then hopefully your cooking time too! Some examples: baking, lunches, easy dinners, snacks, breakfast etc. Most of us already have something like this as our set up without even thinking about it. Putting a bit of thought into it though will make it even better.
- Utilize Your Pantry Door.
This is like finding new space in your pantry you never had! Grab a closet door organizer from closetmaid (this one is perfect if you are renting or don’t want to mount it) or go even cheaper with an over the door shoe organizer. Either option will let you store more items. The shoe organizer would be a great place to keep snacks for the kids.
- Use Baskets/Bins To Group Like Items
Snag baskets and boxes from around the house (or buy some cute ones) to help keep similar items together. Store your paper goods together, extra baking items, you can even go super organized and keep meals ingredients together (meal planners this is like achieving the next level of life). One little example, we keep everything to make sandwiches in a small box so the kids can pull it out to make lunch and put it all away in one trip.
- Large Plastic/Glass Containers for Bulk Dry Ingredients
Keeping your flour and sugar in large pretty bins, is not just for looks. Having your dry ingredients in clear sealed containers will help in a number of ways. Now you can see when you are running low, keep bugs out and keep things neatly together. Go big and label them (many even come with cute chalk labels and a pen). The labels will help to keep the kids from hauling everything out when you ask for sugar.
Tip: Get a set that can stack so you can get more per shelf.
- Grab Command Caddies For Tight Spaces
Many of us have areas on the side of the pantry that are just empty wall space. Grab some Command Caddies that stick right to the wall and use that to hold seasoning packets, drink mixes and other small items. These are items that are always getting lost in the back corners of the pantry, now you’ve got them in a place where they stay together and you’re using extra space you didn’t have before!
- Double Your Space with Under Shelf Baskets
Your bread will thank you for this one… Save the shelf space for boxy items, and grab an under shelf basket to store bread, bagels and other light items. These can’t handle lots of weight but they are perfect for keeping the bread from getting destroyed!
- It’s Time For a Can Rack
Stacking cans is very 1990’s. It’s time to grab a can rack. Now you can keep like things together and see when you are out of corn instead of thinking there still has to be some in the pantry somewhere. Each spot can keep a different vegetable, plus there is room for tomatoes, soups, olives and anything else you bring home. We loved ours so much we have two!
- Pantry Corners Need a Lazy Susan
If you have shelves that wrap around and form deep corners, then grab a lazy susan to help reach items that would normally be lost. There are a number of options here, so start by measuring the width of your shelf to see what size is best, then consider what you tend to keep in the area to decide whether you want a two shelf or one level turntable.
Do you have any other ways that help to keep your pantry organized?
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