Do you have a love-hate relationship with your pantry? Love the space you have but hate how disorganized it can be? Here are some tips to organize the space and make your pantry relationship all love.
Empty First, Then Organize
While it may be tempting to just jump right in and move things around, the best way to get started on your organizing journey is to empty your pantry out entirely. This will allow you to do some cleaning if wanted, and it will give you a better sense of what all you have to organize. With items out of the pantry, you can create a plan of how to group items and where you want them all to go.
Create Zones
Disclaimer: There is no right or wrong way to organize a pantry. You should find a system that works best for you. However, if you are struggling to figure out how to organize all that food you took out of the pantry, one of the easier ways is by using zones. Think of the different types of items you may have in the pantry: baking goods, dinner items, breakfasts, snacks, etc. Then, create different zones in the pantry where you can keep like items together. When creating your zones, also think about how often you use different items. If you are an avid baker, for example, you would want your baking zone in easy reach vs. someone who only bakes once in a while and may put baking goods higher or in a less accessible area.
Use Cannisters, Baskets, and Other Organizers
It can be very tempting to just bring food home and throw it in the pantry in its original packaging. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with this, but using cannisters, baskets, and other organizers help keep things more organized and can give you additional space. Snacks put in a basket take up less space than a bulky box. Added bonus, using cannisters, baskets, and so forth also help you keep track of what you have and what you may need because it is easier to see your inventory.
Corral Canned Goods
Canned goods can be one of the more frustrating items to organize and work with in your pantry. Many canned goods are similar in size, so simply placing them on shelves means having to dig around and move things to find what you need. There are a few ways to fix this. First is a bleacher-style stepped shelf. This allows you to see what you have without moving cans around.
Another option is a can rack that lets you store cans horizontally rather than vertically. These racks typically come in multiple levels and wide enough to store multiple cans side by side, allowing you to organize cans and group similar items together.
Lazy Susans to the Rescue
We are big fans of Lazy Susans/turntables in pantries for several reasons. First, if you have corners, you know how challenging that space can be to use. Items get blocked in by other items, and it’s easier sometimes to just not fully use that space. A Lazy Susan is a great way around that, allowing you to fully use the area and not have to move things around to find what you want. Another great use of a Lazy Susan is on shelves that may be spaced apart, allowing for stacking. In this instance, a two-tiered Lazy Susan is a perfect way to utilize all the space available to you.
Label, Label, Label
Labels are a great way to keep track of what you have in the pantry and help family members find what they are looking for. This is especially true if you used cannisters or other containers for storing food instead of keeping items in original packaging. Whether it’s using a label maker, buying cute decals online, or using paint pens, you should label items as much as possible for organization. Using cannisters for food items? Good Housekeeping offers this pro tip: Use a dry erase marker to write down the expiration date before you decant it into the container.
Use “Dead” Space
The built-in shelves aren’t the only places you can use to organize items. Pantries often have “dead” spaces where, with some thought and organization, you can add more storage space. Have a door to the pantry? Install a door rack on the inside for additional storage, or you can add hooks to hang tools, linens, or other items. We’ve even seen people use shoe organizers to hold spices and things like aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
Is there space on walls between shelves and the door or between shelving units? Install smaller plastic organizers on the wall for spices, drink packets, or whatever else may fit there. If you have a larger wall space, consider installing a pegboard that could be used to store pots and pans or cleaning supplies or kitchen linens.
Another “dead” space often overlooked is the floor. Larger baskets or crates are a great way to utilize the space under your shelves. We love House Beautiful’s idea of adding wheels to crates for easy access to items on the floor.
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