Decluttering Tips for Your Pantry

Pantries, like closets and other spaces, can get cluttered easily. They’re out of sight most of the time, so it’s easy to just put things in them without a lot of concern for organization. But you can declutter your pantry and keep it neat and orderly, with a few simple steps. Here’s how to get started, and what to consider for keeping things tidy in the future.

1. Make Sure to Clean Everything

When you’re starting out on your cleaning and organizing journey, it’s important to take it seriously. You don’t want to just straighten things around on the shelves and walk away. Instead, take everything out and clean it. That includes the shelves, countertops, cabinets, and items. You’ll be so glad you did, when you put everything back and it’s organized and clean. Even in closed spaces like pantries, dust and dirt can accumulate. Cleaning items in those spaces is a good idea, and can also show you items that you’re not using very much.

2. Optimize the Space in Your Cabinets

Most people aren’t really using their cabinet space efficiently, and that can mean they don’t think they have much room for storage. If you’re having that problem, it’s worth taking the time to optimize your cabinets. When you organize your cabinets well, you can get the most use out of the space you have. It’s also easier to find things when you need them, and put them away properly when you’re doing using them.

3. Rearrange and Group Items

Rearranging and grouping items when you put them away can go a long way toward decluttering and organizing your pantry and any other cabinets that need it. It’s so much easier and faster to find needed items when they’re all grouped together properly. That’s true of canned goods, spices, appliances, and all the other things you’ll use in your kitchen.

4. Keep Things Maintained for the Long Run

Now that your pantry is decluttered and organized, don’t fall back into old habits. Maintaining isn’t difficult, with a bit of time and effort. Once a month, do a cabinet check and get rid of expired food and anything you don’t need. At that same time, tidy up any areas of the pantry that have gotten messy. By doing that, you’ll be keeping the pantry neat and making it much easier to use what you have and find what you need on a daily basis.

Your pantry, just like the other cabinets in your kitchen, is a great space to store things you need and want. But if you don’t take care to keep that space tidy, it can become messy and problematic. That can lead to expired food, overlooked items, and frustration when you’re trying to cook. But with some decluttering effort and a few minutes of monthly maintenance, you won’t have to worry about any of that again. Instead, you can just enjoy the neat, clean, and tidy storage spaces in your kitchen, and get back to cooking, baking, or other things you enjoy.