The pantry is the long-forgotten closet of the home. Tucked away in the kitchen, it is easy to forget that canned goods, boxed mixes and jars of marinara sauce are ready to use. It’s time to clear the clutter, reclaim your pantry, and make items easy to find. You might even discover yourself cooking more at home. After all, organized shelving makes home-cooked dinners convenient.
Out With the Old
The first step of organization is always to reduce clutter. Start your spring cleaning by throwing out expired items or by donating unwanted food to your local food pantry. You may find this step helps create significantly more space already, which allows you to rearrange items and add organizational units as needed. These clean shelves are the blank slate you’ll need to get started on pantry storage solutions that last.
Designate Pantry Zones
Organizational experts know the best way to fix a messy area is to organize it based on function. Therefore, we recommend separating your pantry into ten different “zones.” Most commonly used zones should be placed at eye-level, whereas less frequently used zones can go toward the back of the pantry or on shelves that are less easily accessible.
Zone 1: Breakfast
Start with the most important meal of the day. Collect all cereals, muffins and oatmeal to be placed in the same section together. This makes the morning routine quick and easy.
Zone 2: Breads & Pastas
Many people choose to keep bread close to the breakfast items, since toast and breakfast sandwiches often mean the two categories intermingle. Keep pastas nearby, however, for ease of access.
Zone 3: Weeknight Meals
Life is busy enough with work, kids’ extracurricular activities and social events. Make life easier on yourself by collecting all nonperishable ingredients for your favorite dinners and placing them all in the same spot. Some people choose to keep small baskets in the pantry for this purpose. Each basket is then labeled with the meal the ingredients are intended to create.
Zone 4: Entertaining
Keep a basket ready with toothpicks, decorative napkins and nonperishable appetizers for impromptu get-togethers. Our go-to last minute appetizers include pretzels, olives and spinach artichoke spreads meant to be served on little toasts or crostini.
Zone 5: Kids’ Lunches
Create a basket full of everything you’ll need to create the kids’ lunches each day. This could include plastic utensils, snack packs, juice boxes, and even little Post-It notes to write your child encouraging lunchbox notes.
Zone 6: Snack Zone
Cravings happen, and when they kick in, the snack zone will be there. Potato chips, popcorn, cookies, and other goodies belong together in this area.
Zone 7: Baking Supplies
Flour, sugar, and baking soda are kitchen staples, but are not generally used on an everyday basis. Keep these items together so they are easy to find when you need them – and out of the way when you don’t.
Zone 8: Canned Goods
Canned goods are great for quick soups, cream sauces and jams, but they take up a great deal of space in the pantry. We recommend giving cans and jars their own spot and using stair-step shelving to lift the back row of cans for visibility.
Zone 9: Food Storage
Try to keep Ziploc bags, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and other items frequently used for packaging leftovers in the same spot. These items are frequently used in most homes, so try to keep them visible.
Zone 10: Utensils
We recommend installing hooks to store utensils like stirring spoons, tongs, cooling racks, and other bulky items. Large kitchen appliances such as mixers, blenders and crock pots should be close by for ease of use.
Other Pantry Storage Solutions
Our home organization experts recommend a few other items to start your journey to a cleaner pantry. Tiered racks can help separate items and create additional vertical space even within shelving units. See-through bins and wire racks are another trick we love to use because they keep everything contained while maintaining the element of visibility. It’s so much easier to stock up on food when you know what is running low. Our last tip: use turntables to maximize corner space. These are a great place to store small items like spices, gravy packets and icing tubes.
Whether your goal is to start cooking more or simply to get rid of that eyesore in the kitchen, pantry storage solutions are a great start for Massachusetts residents who want to attain a picture-perfect home. These tips to get a clean pantry will not only save you time, but may also save you money by eliminating the need to throw out expired food that was hiding behind other items. Get the most out of your pantry today with these tips, and if you’re ready for a completely revamped space, call the Home Closet Systems experts for a completely free in-home design consultation.
