Kitchens are the most frequently used home areas, so homeowners take their time to organize them. This place is where food preparation occurs daily for all family members and even occasional visitors. However, a mismanaged kitchen pantry may result in disorganized and cluttered storage that may accumulate expired items and be left unnoticed for years.
Remember that a functional and organized pantry can be well-managed once the homeowner invests time and effort in arranging it in an orderly manner. By doing this, you’ll be able to save money from repurchasing items that you thought you didn’t have. Once you maintain the proper organization of your pantry, it will be easier for you to scan and monitor your stocks and quickly identify what needs to be on your next grocery list.
As a homeowner, you must take some time managing your kitchen pantry if you want to save time, effort, and money in the long run. With that, you must follow these five surefire strategies to organize your pantry successfully:
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Invest In Airtight Containers
Investing in airtight food storage containers is one of the essential steps to effectively organize your kitchen pantry. These containers are great for dry ingredients like flour, cereal, nuts, and dried fruit. Additionally, these Tupperware food storage containers keep your food fresh by preventing bacterial development and the entry of foreign elements that could contaminate it.
However, not all of these storage containers are ideal for every item inside your pantry, so you have to check what kind of container is suitable for a specific item. Before investing in airtight containers to organize your kitchen pantry, you should measure your shelves first to ensure they all fit. Then, you must print labels to quickly identify and locate items on these shelves and bins. After labeling them, you also have to put the specific dates when they bought them so you can quickly determine when to remove expired items and replace them with new ones.
You may try using a shelf rack to keep your spices standing upright and in plain view so you can quickly grab them once you need them. On the other hand, you should organize random packs of seasonings and baking mixes in a single spot using a mesh packet holder to manage those miscellaneous pantry goods.
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Declutter
Decluttering your pantry is one of the most effective ways to improve your kitchen organization. Without this activity, you won’t know what you have and which ones you’ll need in the future. In turn, you won’t be able to start the sorting process since you haven’t adequately inspected the whole pantry space.
Remember not to take shortcuts by merely pulling out half of the pantry and rearranging the rest about as you go through this task. You’ll end up with a less effective storage system and more work down the road if you do this. Instead, you must remove everything and place everything on the floor so that you can make an inventory of the contents right away.
Once you remove all items from your pantry, you have to get rid of anything you aren’t going to use anymore by checking their expiration dates. Before using your new containers and organizing this area, you should clean every shelf to eliminate crumbs and spills. Then, you have to lay everything out in sets of similar products before you start putting them back into the pantry.
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Divide Pantry Into Zones
You must designate specific spaces for each kind of food item to transform a mismanaged pantry into a streamlined food storage area, enabling you to see what stocks you still have. You must divide your pantry into different areas to keep your food organized and reduce meal preparation time.
You may store items that support food-related issues and emergency anticipation for the first pantry area. This shelf includes a selection of napkins, fast-fix appetizers, and trays in baskets wherein you have to keep them on a top shelf to prevent them from taking room where daily products go.
The second pantry area may include all the baking supplies in clear containers so you can quickly determine when stock is low. For the third area, you may stock all your weeknight meal items by dividing each container by meals so you can immediately get everything once you start cooking. Lastly, the fourth area may include general food staples by grouping them using stair-step shelves based on types, like fruits, vegetables, and soups.
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Designate A Kid-Friendly Spot
Another way to implement an organized kitchen pantry is by creating a kid-friendly spot so your kids can assist you in putting away groceries. You can fill a single bottom shelf with snack bins, water bottles, and cereal dispensers so they can eat while they help you. Use containers with built-in dividers to offer a variety of healthy choices like fruit gummies, protein bars, and crackers.
You may also store healthier snacking options at eye-level so your children and their friends can help themselves whenever they’re hungry. Then, write a list of allergies in the cupboard available for anyone who manages the household. Furthermore, you need to attach emergency phone numbers and a strategic action plan in case of an allergic reaction.
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Implement This Organization Habit
After organizing your kitchen pantry for the first time, it’s easy to fall back into old habits and forget to implement this activity. With that, you must communicate with your family members and educate them on the importance of returning items in their appropriate spots. Schedule a quick cleaning at least twice a month to ensure that everything is up-to-date and in place, so you never have to spend hours organizing this area again.
Another way to implement this pantry organization habit is by creating an organizing calendar. This tool allows you to set a goal to organize at least one area per week to eliminate dust particles and maintain the cleanliness of your shelf liners. Also, you may delegate the weekly organization task to your older family members so you can all take part in cleaning your pantry.
Key Takeaway
As a homeowner, you must take some time to ensure the cleanliness of your house so you can live in a comfortable place for your family. You must consider organizing your kitchen pantry with these five effective strategies mentioned above. You can save time, money, and effort because you’ll never go wrong in buying items you already have.