Five Easy Pantry Organizing Tips for a Pantry of Any Size

The following is a guest post with five easy pantry organizing tips from regular contributor, Morgan from Morganize with Me.

Grocery shopping and cooking both look differently these days don’t they? Despite the new “reality” they remain essential. With many of our normal options not as readily available, due to stay at home orders, our kitchens, pantries, and dishwashers are getting much more attention!

Now, I can’t come over and offer to cook dinner for you or unload your dishwasher. But I can share how to keep your pantry organized week after week. There are many benefits to an organized pantry. Not only will it save you time and money, but an organized pantry will also help to reduce stress. And who doesn’t want that?

Whether you have a small pantry space or a big walk-in pantry, these pantry organizing tips are universal.

Five Easy Pantry Organizing Tips

Create Systems

The best way to set up your pantry is to create adequate storage and systems that work well. Storage helps to contain and corral like items together and makes it easier to find what you need. Systems help to keep your pantry streamlined and tidy. Consider your space and what additional storage or systems might benefit the overall functionality.

Commit to Decanting

Make a habit to decant and remove packaging. Packaging adds bulk and makes your pantry look more cluttered. Work to remove as much wrapping as possible, right when you bring it home. This will save you time later and you’ll also be able to more clearly see what you actually have on hand. It’s a visual tool that is practical and pretty too!

Check Inventory

Before you make your shopping list, first check your inventory. This step alone will help your systems to remain looking sharp. When you buy what you need and what you have the space for, this automatically makes the ascetics of your pantry look better. While it’s important to have enough, it’s also important to have what you need and what you have the space for.

Clean Up

Pantries are usually a well used area and receive lots of attention. Therefore, they tend to require regular cleaning. A quick way to stay up on this is to do a reset either when you make your shopping list or when you bring home your groceries. Building in time to properly reset your pantry, on a regular basis, guarantees it will stay in tip top shape!

Communicate

Consider adding communication to guide the usability of your pantry. This may look like labels on bins or baskets, or it might simply be a place to jot down pantry items that have run out. Pantries are usually a shared space and the more you communicate boundaries and expectations, the more you and your family will be able to keep the space maintained.

If you make it a priority to create systems for your pantry this will automatically help with the functionality and usability. However, an organized space will only stay organized with maintenance. So, make a point to decant, clean, and check your inventory levels. And then also add communication where it is beneficial.

An organized pantry helps to make cooking easier and most importantly, ensure you have what you need when you need it.

Morgan is a professional organizer (chaos calmer), writer (list lover), and exercise enthusiast (fitness fan), keep up with her on her site, Morganize with Me. Her mission is to share tried and true techniques that she hopes will encourage her readers and clients as they focus on their health and homes. Check out her Books, join one of her Challenges, listen to her Podcast, and be sure to check out her Shop full of fabulous organizing printables!

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