How To Organize Your Pantry

It's not enough to have just a well-stocked pantry.  It should be organized as well.  This makes finding items easier and quicker.  On the other hand, if your pantry looks like a wreck, some of the items may be hidden in all the clutter and may end up going beyond their shelf lives. 

To organize your pantry, the best thing would be to do an overhaul.  Here are the steps, tips and tricks:

• Remove all items from all shelves of your pantry and place them on a nearby counter or table or place them in boxes.
• Remove the shelf papers and scrub the pantry shelves clean.
• Put new shelf paper on the shelves.  If you have much time, you can paint the walls with a light or pastel color to brighten up your pantry.
• Turn your attention to those pantry items on the table or counter and go through the expiry dates of each item, throwing away everything that has gone bad.
• Arrange and put in items according to certain categories which suit you.  These categories may be:
  • Breakfast items such as cereals, breakfast bars and pastries
  • Canned items such as canned meats, vegetables, chili or soups
  • Boxed mixes such as mac ‘n cheese, pasta and ramen
  • Packaged fruits such as canned or boxed fruits
  • Spices and herbs in bottles
  • Dry goods like flour, rice and rolled oats
  • Baking items such as cake and pancake mixes, baking powder and icing
  • Snack items such as popcorn, nuts and cereals
  • Paper products such as paper napkins, paper bags and sandwich bags
• While arranging, keep these tips in mind:
  • If possible, arrange in one layer only so that nothing gets hidden.  But if your pantry is rather small, arrange so that the taller ones are behind the shorter ones and the smaller boxes are on top of the bigger ones.
  • Arrange further according to subcategories so that like items sit side-by-side.  For example, it’s not enough to just put in all canned goods together.  Go further by placing all canned chili together.
  • You may want to put cardboards in between unlike items so you can easily see if a certain item has run out.
  • Invest in transparent rather than opaque containers for easy viewing of all contents.
  • You can also arrange so that the items you rarely use are on the topmost shelves while those you regularly use are well within reach.
  • In general, for the sake of balance, the heaviest items should occupy the bottom shelves.
  • Food items which come in thin plastic bags tend to attract bugs and rodents so you may need to place them in airtight and transparent plastic containers.
  • Square, stackable containers maximize more space compared to round ones.
• Now that you've organized your pantry, educate your family on the basic layout plan of your pantry so that they will know where to find what item and they can help you maintain it in order.