This past weekend, I finally organized our pantry! It has been on my to-do list for a while and I am so glad that I finally conquered it. For a few months, I have wanted to organize my pantry. I was ready for a slight upgrade in containers (I had a few mismatched containers) and I also knew that I had no real system for our family pantry. In this article, I’ll share how I organized our pantry and overall how to organize a small pantry. I had a few zones, but most of my food items were just randomly placed in the pantry. By following these practical tips, you’ll be able to reclaim control over your pantry and enjoy the benefits of a clutter-free and functional pantry. So, let’s dive in and conquer pantry chaos together!
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Plan
Before jumping in and actually organizing your pantry, it’s important to have a plan. Without a plan and actually thinking about how to organize a small pantry, you may become frustrated and not organize your pantry to your fullest potential. Your plan can be super simple, but these are some things that you will need to include in your plan:
Schedule a time where you can devote a minimum of three hours to organizing your pantry. The steps to organizing your pantry can be time consuming and you don’t want to rush the process (It only took me approximately an hour and a half but I enlisted help from my family).
Take measurements of your pantry. This will allow you to purchase appropriate storage tools for your bins.
Have your materials ready. You will need cleaning supplies, a trash bag, labels, and a box as you may want to donate some items.
You may want to add additional steps as the organization of your pantry will be tailored to your kitchen.
Now that you have a plan you are ready to transform your pantry!
Take Everything Out
While you may be tempted to just shift items around when organizing your pantry, please don’t do it.
You will need to remove everything from your pantry. Yes, your kitchen will look cluttered and will be a mess for a few hours but this step is necessary. Taking everything out of your pantry allows you to touch each item in your pantry, making decisions if you should keep or discard of the items.
Categorize
Once everything is removed from your pantry create categories of the items by grouping like items together.
This is a practical and foundational organization tip. By placing like items together you can find items quickly and do not have to search for items in multiple places. You can also complete a quick assessment to see how many items you have in one category when grouped together.
Clean
Once everything is removed from your pantry give your pantry a deep cleaning. Any cleaning solution should work. If you are in doubt about the cleaning solution, clean a small portion first and observe for an adverse action.
This is also a great time to sweep and mop the bottom of your pantry.
It was only when I took out every item from your pantry that I realized our pantry shelves definitely needed lots of TLC in the area of cleanliness.
Create Zones
Now that your pantry is empty and clean (Hooray) create zones for your categories inside of your pantry. By dividing your pantry into specific areas, you can easily locate the items in your pantry and keep everything in its designated place. This prevents items from getting lost or forgotten.
As you create zones make sure that your most used food items are readily accessible, placing these items in the front and at eye level.
For example, I make coffee every day. My bin that has all of my coffee supplies is the first thing that I see when I open my pantry.
In the back of my pantry, I have staples such as flour that do not get used on a weekly basis.
Consider organizing your pantry into zones based on categories such as food staples, appliances, canned goods, baking supplies, snacks, and spices.
By creating zones in your pantry, you’ll be able to make the most of your limited pantry space. Zones will also help you maintain your organized pantry long-term.
Use Various Storage Bins and Labels
One way to clearly establish zones is to use storage bins and labels.
Bins are awesome because they literally group your categories together.
Labeling your containers, bins, and shelves allow you to quickly identify your categories, which takes away any guesswork or rummaging through piles of food items.
This is especially helpful if you have family members who you feel are often in the pantry more than you. My family members are often looking for snacks in our pantry!
If you are organizing your small pantry on a budget, there are stores that have inexpensive bins. Dollar Tree continues to have inexpensive bins and you could use a permanent marker to label your categories.
Our number one goal when organizing a small budget is function.
Use Every Space Available
Having a small pantry with an abundance of materials means that we have to be strategic with the space in the pantry.
Use stackable containers to maximize vertical space. Stackable containers are a great solution for maximizing every inch of space in your small pantry especially if your pantry has deep shelves. Stackable containers allow you to neatly stack various items, such as grains, cereals, snacks, and even canned goods. By stacking these containers vertically, you are using every space available.
Remember to measure your space before purchasing any containers to prevent from buying bins that are too small or too large.
Over-the-door organizers are another way to use every space available.
Over-the-door organizers come in different sizes and styles. You can use them to store everything from spices and snacks to kitchen tools and cleaning supplies. The clear pockets in the over the door organizers make it easy to see what’s inside and prevent items from getting lost in your pantry.
Final Thoughts
Organizing a pantry is work and understanding how to organize a small pantry can take extra planning but you can without a doubt reach your goal!
With the tips and tools discussed, you’ll be able to transform your small pantry from a crowded pantry into a well-organized and functional pantry that works for you and your family.
Now that you know how to organize a small pantry, tackle and organize with confidence your pantry.
Read Next:
How To Decorate Your Kitchen Counters Without Clutter
6 Incredibly Easy Tips To Keep Your Kitchen Organized
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