Posted on April 29 2019
A pantry is one of the most sought-after features of modern homes, whether it's a walk-in room or a large alcove closet. There's no doubting how useful they are, but they can also be the part of a home that soon descends into mess and chaos.
How can you make sure your pantry stays useful and tidy so that you get the most out of it?
1) Organize Items into Groups
A little organization goes a long way in a pantry. There's no need to go wild and put your items in alphabetical order, but a disorganized jumble of items is ugly as well as inconvenient.
Keep similar items together so that you can find them quickly, and group them by size and shape with the largest packages at the back for easier reaching.
2) Use Clear Containers
A pantry full of items in their original packaging quickly starts looking chaotic and crowded. And while brightly colored or patterned storage containers may look pretty, but they're not particularly practical.
The ideal solution is to transfer dried goods into clear, matching storage containers. You can see the contents at a glance, and there are fewer clashing colors and designs cluttering up the shelves.
3) Label Everything
Make a point of labeling every item with erasable labels. You'll be able to find what you need more quickly, and this simple habit also encourages you to keep things in order.
4) Use Mobile Storage
Wheeled shelving or small mobile carts can increase the amount of usable space by a surprising amount. Fill them up with light items that you use regularly, and place them in front of heavier items that you use less often. You're not blocking anything off, but are getting more out of your pantry's floor space.
5) Don't Forget the Door
The inside of the pantry door is a great place to store smaller items for quick and easy access. Try adding shelves for spices and other kitchen ingredients, or hooks for cooking utensils and small bags. You could even add a mini whiteboard for writing down memos and shopping lists.
6) Pegboards
If you use your pantry to store small hardware like cake decoration tools or cooking utensils, a pegboard makes a much more attractive and useful storage option than an overcrowded drawer.
And as these items are lightweight, you can safely place the board above head-height to make use of vertical space.
7) Use Baskets
Grouping bags of dried pasta, beans, and so on in lightweight baskets lets you fit more into a space without creating a jumbled mess. You can save even more space if your dried goods are vacuum sealed. And what's more, you can fit small baskets snugly under shelves or into corners, to use up spare floor space.
8) Clean and Consolidate
And lastly, don't forget that chaos will reign again if you ignore your pantry for too long. Every month or two, go through the contents, throwing away past-best items and consolidating opened ones into smaller jars. If you keep on top of this task, it won't take long, and it'll stop pantry anarchy from getting out of hand.
An organized and tidy pantry makes kitchen life much easier. But left to itself, it can soon become a confused and disorderly mess. Use these tips to stay on top of your pantry, and you'll enjoy all the benefits without the muddle.
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