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Pantry Organization Tips

No need to stress over a messy pantry! I’m here to offer up a few pantry organization tips to help bring your house up to tip top shape.

Pantry Organization via Nutmeg Nanny

I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to dream pantries.

I know that seems like a really weird thing to devout a board too but I just love the idea of having a massive walk-in pantry and never running out of space.

Sadly, my real-life pantry is not much a dream. It’s just a small metal shelf unit I managed to snag on clearance. It’s not the best, but it works. 

The one downside to having a shelving unit as your pantry is that it’s deep. That means stuff can get shoved to the back and never see the light of day again.

Well, until I get the energy to clean it out. But, all of that is going to change! I have set myself on an organization schedule and I’m going to stick to it.

Now, back to this pantry.

It sits on the top landing to our basement/garage and is just a step away from the kitchen. It’s conveniently located but since it’s out of sight it can get unorganized quickly.

I have a bad habit of just shoving stuff on the shelves instead of putting them where they belong. As you can see in the above picture it was a bit out of control. 

When you’re finally ready to buckle down and clean out that pantry you have to start by taking everything out.

I know it seems like you will be making things an even bigger mess but it helps to have a clean slate. 

Second, go through all your food and check expiration dates.

Any food that is expired just toss it away. I know it seems wasteful to throw away food but it’s not fun eating it expired either.

Pantry Organization Tips at TidyMom.net

One thing most people forget about is checking the dates on their spices.

Look at this poor bottle of tarragon. It expired back in 2009 – whoops!

Pantry Organization via Nutmeg Nanny

Something I wanted to do this time around is start storing some of my products in airtight containers.

So the awesome folks over at OXO sent me some products to play around with. 

I have heard of bugs and mice getting into pantries so I have been nervous about that happening.

Knock on wood it has never happened but still something to keep in mind.

So this meant that I didn’t want half opened bags of rice, pasta or grains hanging out in my pantry any longer. 

Pantry Organization via Nutmeg Nanny

As you can see I consolidated a lot and now have all my food together and grouped.

That means I can easily find what I need when I’m scrambling around trying to cook dinner and all my food looks stylish in its fancy new bins.

Pantry Organization via Nutmeg Nanny

Also, when you add your products back into the pantry try grouping products so they are all together.

All my tomato products are in one row, followed by baking products, canned beans, vegetables, etc.

Since my pantry is small and deep it’s important to keep your products stacked so you can see what’s in your pantry.  

And since I was able to make more room in my pantry, I could move some of my large spice bottles out of my cabinets and into the pantry.

The large bottles were blocking my plates and in general a giant annoyance.

Now I can grab for my plates without having to move around 6 different spices bottles.

Not only am I happy but my husband is happy too. I buy these big bottles of spices to refill smaller bottles that I keep near the stove.

Normally I would find this a waste of space but my local grocery store has such wonderful prices on spices I can’t pass it up! Those huge bottles only cost $3.99.

That’s less than half the price of smaller bottles in the supermarket. I always make the room for a deal. 

Lastly, I took a couple of seconds to hang up my measuring spoons. They were a big jumbled mess in my silverware drawer but now they are perfectly organized and easy to grab while I’m baking. 

One more thing, if you have the time try to take an inventory of your pantry.

No one wants to be rooting around for an item before they hit up the store. With a running list of what’s in your pantry, you will always know what you have in the house. 

I’m planning on painting a chalkboard square near my pantry so I can keep a running inventory and shopping list. It might be a little over the top but I love knowing that my pantry will no longer be overflowing and unorganized. 

I know this was a long post so I’m going to give a quick rundown

HOW TO ORGANIZE THE PERFECT PANTRY: 

  •  Take everything out of the pantry 
  • Check the dates! Throw out any expired food and spices.  
  • Try to fill a bag full of non-perishable food to bring to a local food pantry once a month. This will help keep your pantry clean and not cluttered. 
  • Try to group together all items that belong together. 
  • Stack cans so you can see what in your pantry. 
  • Take inventory of your pantry so you know what you have on hand so you don’t double buy. 
  • Always put items back where they belong and clean out once a month to keep organized. 
Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Marly

Friday 25th of April 2014

Love these getting organized tips!!

Jessica (Savory Experiments)

Friday 25th of April 2014

I need to organize my pantry so bad! I just painted it and then let it go to chaos all over again!

Dawn Lopez

Thursday 24th of April 2014

This is SO cool, thanks for sharing this guest post and awesome ideas. I am moving soon and really want to get off to a good start.. esp. with kitchen organization!

Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines

Thursday 24th of April 2014

I love seeing before and after photos of organizing efforts. You did an outstanding job and I'm so glad the OXO products were so helpful for you.

Angie

Thursday 24th of April 2014

I have so many of those OXO containers. They make life so much easier!

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