Seven Tips for Organizing a Pantry

Organizing the pantry has been a project I have kept putting off, but now I can finally check it off my to-do list.  I’m not sure why, but it seemed like a daunting task to complete.  With these seven tips for organizing a pantry, you can mark this project off your list in no time!

Since we are all in quarantine, now is the perfect time to organize your pantry.  You have the time to do it and are probably being more mindful of eating the food you already have in your pantry.  For us, we’re trying not to go to the store much and are getting pretty creative with our meals using random pantry ingredients!  Let’s get real – my pantry is not like one of these beautiful pantries you’ll find on Pinterest.  However, if you don’t want to spend a bunch of money to make a beautiful pantry – this is the only post you actually need to read!

I had planned on organizing the pantry awhile back and had picked up some glass containers with copper lids for this project, but other than that I mainly used items I already had around the house. I had some old plastic baskets and spray painted them copper – they’re super pretty now that they got a makeover!  Now, let’s get to work and organize our pantries!

I tell ya, the pantry was a complete mess!  Back in March, when all of the stuff happened with the virus, Mr. Sweet Southern Oaks went to the store and stocked up on some extra canned goods.  We have more in our pantry than usual right now.

Seven Tips for Organizing a Pantry:

1. Pull Everything Out

In order to efficiently organize a pantry, it’s best to pull everything out.  This way you are starting out with a clean slate to make it easier to organize the space.

2. Group Similar Items into Categories

Since you are already pulling everything out of the pantry, group like items together.  Put all of your baking items together, canned goods, pasta shells and grains, etc.   This is going to make it quicker to organize everything later.

3. Purge and Donate

As you are pulling food out of the pantry, check the expiration dates.  Anything that is expired, throw away.  We had a can of beans that expired in 2014.  Which means we probably bought that sad can of beans back when we were newlyweds AND moved that same can of beans four times.  Four times, you guys!  😉

Any unopened food that you know you’re not going to eat, donate to your local food bank or church that takes food donations.  Right now local food banks need our support more than ever, so it’s a great time to donate food and help your local community.

4. Clean and Wipe Down Shelves

Wipe all of the shelves (and any baskets you are reusing) of your pantry down.  Remember, we are starting back with a clean slate and you’ve pulled everything out anyway!  It’s the perfect time to wipe down the shelves and take care of any sticky messes or crumbs that may have been left behind.

5. Decide on Placement of Items

Now it’s time to decide how you want the pantry to flow.  Determine what food items you use most and figure out a way that will work efficiently for you when your pantry is organized.  This will probably vary for each person.

Perhaps you cook a lot of pastas and like to keep ingredients such as noodles and sauces together.  If this is you, a basket with noodles and jars of sauces together; then a basket of taco shells, seasonings and refried beans could work and so on.  Then when you are cooking all you have to do is pull out that designated basket.  I tried this method and it didn’t work for me.

I prefer to have similar items grouped together in categories and organized according to how much the ingredients get used.  So for example, foods that we eat often are placed within eyesight of the pantry and are easy to reach.  Items I don’t use as much, such as baking supplies, are placed higher in the pantry.

6. Use Baskets & Clear Containers

Place grouped food items together into a designated basket to keep the foods organized.  So in our baskets, we have all of our snacks in one basket and baking ingredients in another.  Inside of the clear containers are things such as powdered sugar, rice, chocolate chips, etc.

7. Label It

After you have put the food into the clear containers and baskets, label it!   This way you quickly know what is inside of each basket or container.   You can use cute vinyl pantry labels or even print some labels off online.  Another idea would be to make your own with a label maker or a chalk marker.

8. Bonus Tip – Make a List

Take the time to create a list of items you need to buy while you are cleaning out the pantry.  In the future, you’ll also be able to quickly see what items you are running low on if you keep the pantry organized in clear containers or designated areas!

Have you organized your pantry recently?  With these seven tips for organizing a pantry, you can have your pantry cleaned out and organized in no time!

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