Anyone feel like their pantry could use a little love? This is one of those spots that can fall apart fast – especially during a busy holiday season. With lots of people using it and huge fluctuations in food volume, this one of the trickiest places in your home to keep organized. Here are some tips to help you to get – and stay – organized in the pantry.
1. Don’t try to do a fast job.
Sometimes it is tempting to keep most of the pantry intact and just tidy up the places that feel out of control. But this isn’t going to solve the deeper problems that are causing disorganization.
To really address the problems, empty it out…all of it! Sort into piles and then decide what to keep and what to toss.
This can get a little overwhelming, as the shelves empty and food towers higher and higher on the countertop. Check out my Get Organized training for some additional important tips and tools to help you manage this process.
2. Use good containers.
Want all your hard work to stay in place? Then you need to use containers. Containers give boundaries to items that like to roam all over the pantry. Empty boxes of fruit snacks and protein bars into containers for uniformity on your shelf; get consistent canisters for rice, pasta, flour, and sugar; and label everything (containers and the shelves they sit on) so your family can easily return bins to the correct place.
Here are some of my favorite containers:
Turntables https://www.containerstore.com/s/madesmart-white-lazy-susan/d?q=turntables&productId=10027812
Turntables are a great choice for condiments in the pantry, spices or medication in skinny cabinets, or baking or other dinner ingredients. Turntables can even help you utilize space in your fridge.
multi purpose bins: https://www.containerstore.com/s/office/multi-purpose-bins/1d?productId=10022942
From pantry to kitchen to craft room and office, multi purpose bins truly do have many purposes. Be sure to check out the various sizes.
handled baskets – https://www.containerstore.com/s/clear-handled-storage-baskets/d?q=plastic+handle+basket&productId=10022155
These plastic handle baskets are perfect for shelves that are hard to reach.
interdesign bins https://www.containerstore.com/s/idesign-linus-clear-storage-bins/d?q=interdesign%20bins&productId=11000989
I love every variety of these bins for the pantry and kitchen cabinets.
3. Use a Habit Hook to keep it organized.
Habit hooks are my secret weapon! Anytime you want to work a new habit into your life, leverage your existing ones. Take something you do regularly, such as grocery shopping, and hook onto it a new habit of restoring the pantry back to order. Soon your brain won’t resist the idea of reorganizing the pantry you worked so hard on (by throwing out old boxes and returning bins back to their proper shelves) because it will be in the habit of doing this every time you put groceries way. It’s magic!
Look at this pantry! It never gets old. I love to see the transformation that comes with getting organized.
We’d love to see your pantry! Post before and after pictures here and let us celebrate with you!
