7 Tips for Organizing Your Pantry

I'm just going to be completely transparent and tell you that my pantry much more often looks like the below image than the above image. Our house is messy and lived in 90% of the time, and the pantry falls apart fast. But a few times a year, I bring it back to its glory, and sometimes if even last a whole month. I thought I'd share the things I do to organize it, and maybe, just maybe, that will motivate me to keep it together for longer this time. 

1. Remove everything.
Just do it. All of it. Take out everything and set it all on tables and counters. Then wipe down all of the surfaces and evaluate the situation. If you're anything like me, you probably have a lot more expired stuff (especially in the pantry) than you think.

2. Install and/or adjust extra shelves or racks if necessary.
Our pantry is small (just a closet), so I purchased a wire rack for the back of the door for canned goods, jarred sauces, etc. This was an easy way to free up quite a bit of space.  I also adjusted some of the shelving to make the space more efficient.

3. While items are out, organize into piles by category before putting back.
Once you've thrown away expired items, start grouping items by type. I put all of the pasta together in a pile, all of the breakfast items together, all of the canned beans together, etc.  

4. Transfer items to containers.
It makes everything look prettier, but it's also a huge space saver. I like Rubbermaid Brilliance Pantry Containers because they're air tight, durable, and odor resistant. 

5. Place items on shelves by type.
I tend to shove groceries away wherever they fit. But when I arrange them by type, everything ends up looking better and fitting in a more practical way. When I put all of the pasta and grains on one shelf in the pantry, all of the snacks on another shelf, etc., it ends up staying organized for longer too.

6. Keep the most used items at eye level.
I read this tip somewhere else, and while it seems like common sense, who really does it? It's a game changer though, trust me. 

7. Add bins or baskets to the pantry.
I am a basket lover, and use them around the house for everything. So for non-food items and miscellaneous items that usually get pushed to the back, I grabbed a few baskets and bins to store them within the pantry. They look nice and add an extra level of organization - sort of like built in drawers.

Now let's take bets on how long I can keep the pantry like this... Any takers?

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