How to Organize a Kitchen Pantry

The kitchen is one of the most frequently used rooms in our homes and often times it is a place that attracts clutter and unused items. For this reason, it is absolutely necessary that you learn how to organize a kitchen pantry. At Perry Homes, we have storage solutions that will get you on the right track to a perfectly organized kitchen.

Declutter and Clean Out Old Ingredients

The first step to being organized and creating more pantry space is to get rid of what you no longer need. You will need to pull everything out of your cabinets and place them in a designated area. Wipe down your cabinets carefully, making sure that you clean up any stray spaghetti noodles or grains of salt.

Once the cabinets are clean, turn your attention back to the contents of your cupboard. Check each item individually for their expiration date and throw out anything that is expired. If there are items that remain fresh but that you know you and your family will not consume, donate them to a local food pantry. This first step alone can help you clean out over half of your pantry. You would be surprised at the amount of items we accumulate in our kitchen cabinets.

Invest in Containers

Hopefully you were able to clear some space out of your cupboard by getting rid of items that have expired and that you no longer need. Now it is time to save more space by getting smart with food storage and consolidating what is left. The storage containers that many food items come in, particularly baking ingredients, are not ideal for keeping food fresh and are prone to leakage. Invest in plastic containers that have sealable, airtight lids and pour your ingredients into these food savers. This will allow you to not only consolidate any separate bags of sugar, flour or other materials, but it will ensure freshness for a long time to come. Make sure that you label which container is which, as it would be a flavorful surprise to think you are baking with sugar only to find out it was salt!

Categorize Your Items

Once everything is sealed in airtight containers, it is helpful to create a list of different categories each cabinet item fits into. Common categories include “Baking Ingredients”, “Snacks”, “Pasta” and so on. Find specific spots for each category in your pantry. This way, the next time you go to make a specific dish or want to reach for a quick bite, you will be able to know exactly where it is. Categorizing your items in this manner will save you time and stress when you are feeling “hangry” while also allowing you to keep inventory of what items need to be restocked. It will also make it much easier to keep your cabinets clean. Rather than digging around for different ingredients, you will be able to easily grab them when you need them.

Give Priority to Frequently Used Items

Easy access to items you need most is one of the simplest tricks for keeping your kitchen cabinets organized. Once you categorize the items by use and what they are, it is time to place them back into your cabinets. Keep the items that you use most often easily accessible in the front of the pantry, and the less-used ones toward the back. This will cut down on your cooking time and reduce the constant shuffling of items through your pantry.

At Perry Homes, we want to help you keep your home clean and are pleased to offer you organizing ideas such as how to organize a pantry. Take a look at our blog for more ideas on how to keep your home beautiful and do not forget to check out our new homes for sale.