A pantry closet can be a great asset in any kitchen. It allows for maximum storage space for nonperishable food items, as well as makes more room for items in the kitchen cabinets. However, for some, designing a pantry closet or deciding on how to organize it can be quite a confusing mess. It can also be expensive when this area of the home is disorganized – especially when cleaning it out you realize you have 10 boxes of a food that no one in your house actually eats.
To keep things neat and organized in your pantry closet, here are some tips:
1. Categorize Everything: Think of the pantry closet to be sort of like the grocery store. It helps to have like items together to help in finding them. For example, you would want to store all of the items for making spaghetti in one spot, a place for cake mixes and baking supplies in another. This works much better than just haphazardly placing things on the shelves wherever there may be room.
2. Keep Things Visible: You do not want to stack different types of food behind others, because you will inevitably forget that it is there. While it’s perfectly okay to stack like items together, such as multiple jars of spaghetti sauce, in general you will want to try and keep things in single rows only.
3. Take Advantage of Door Space: There are many pantry over the door racks that work excellently for storing many items and will further help in keeping things visible, since most of them are very shallow.
4. Use Clear Plastic Containers: Some items are perfect for storing in clear plastic containers, especially smaller items. Things such as gravy or taco mixes, or anything else small that you often get in large quantities can be easily stored and organized in clear plastic containers.
5. Keep Things You Use the Most at Eye Level: Chances are the things you use the most are the ones that you will be buying the most also. When they are at eye level, you’ll be less likely to buy more than you need, and you won’t be tempted to just jam everything into the place that is the most convenient.
6. Consolidate: Many items come in large bulky packages that take up more space than actually necessary. Consider storing items in plastic storage containers or taking them out of boxes completely if it is practical.
7. Sliding Drawers Might Help: If you’re prone to losing things in the back of deep shelves, sliding drawers might help in making it so you don’t lose or misplace items in the very back of the closet. They come in a large variety of sizes and depths to give you a variety to use exactly what you need. Never again will you need to empty the shelves while you look for that misplaced box!
8. Label It: Once you’ve designated a space for the things you use the most and know exactly where you will be keeping items, you’ll want to label it accordingly to make sure that things continue to go back to their rightful place. You didn’t spend an afternoon organizing the pantry closet for nothing, so don’t skip this step in helping other household members know where to find things as well as where to place them when they’re finished using them.
9. Include a Dry Erase Board: Having a dry erase board easily accessible on the closet door or wall nearby can make grocery shopping a breeze. If someone in the household notices that items are running low or they used the last of an item, all they need to do is write it down on the list. This way, when the next person goes shopping, they’ll know exactly what they do and don’t need.
The more organized your pantry closet is, the more fun you will have in cooking and spending time in your kitchen. You will also likely be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is to go grocery shopping – and might even notice considerable savings once you have a clear inventory of the different foods in your pantry.
