One thing I will mention first that has to do with ALL organizing is that I invested in a decent label maker a few years ago and it has been one of the most handy organization tools that I own. You will see some of the items in my pantry are labeled, that is what I used. However, you can also use write on labels or tags, or you can opt not to label at all, It depends on how many containers of similar looking items you may have. If you only have one container of one kind of flour you will be OK not labeling, however, I have several so the labels are a necessity.
ORGANIZING YOUR PANTRY
When organizing a pantry there are some staple rules that I always follow. Some of these may seem like common sense to some of you, however, there are those individuals whom I will call "organizationally challenged". They just cant make sense of the whats and wheres. If you are not one of these individuals then glean what you can and then share this blog with someone who is, it just might spark some organization in them.
1. Group like items together/labels facing out
My pantry is sectioned off kind of like a grocery store, baking needs, soups, beans, pasta, canned fruit, condiments, etc. This makes it very easy to grab all the items you need for a specific cooking project easily and also makes it easier for family members to find what they are looking for. If you do not have a pantry separate your groups by cubbard or shelf, depending on quantity, so when you open it you see all your baking items, all your soup, all your canned vegetables, etc. Within these groups you should subcategorize...green beans, black eyed peas, pinto beans, etc. That way you know how many you have at a glance. This makes grocery lists less taxing, cooking more fun, and its easier to direct people to items if needed. I also like to pull everything forward so when new items come in I can easily put them behind old stock. This also utilizes the space effectively and gives you definite spots for certain items without mixing your stock. I know some of you only stock two or three of an item where as I may stock 10 to 20....its the same principle, just dont stack your three cans of green beans on each other, stack your three cans of pinto beans on your three cans of green beans, that way nothing is hidden. Here I have collard greens on top of turnip greens because I dont stock very many of each of those items, yet they are similar so it made sense to stack them together over using up my shelf space for two single rows of items.
2. Food With Food and Dishes With Dishes
OH MY!!! I do detest this. You open a cabinet or door and there is a bag of sugar on top of the stack of saucers. Food should not be stored on dishes. Not only is this disorganized but the food may leak out onto the dishes (depending on packaging) and cause either extra work to clean them before using or even sickness if the dishes are not clean when used. Generally, food should not be stored on the floor (items in platic jugs are Ok on the floor...juice, vinegar, soda, etc and also gallon cans if the floor is not damp) so...... not wanting to waste space, I placed my crock pots, steamers, fryers, etc in that space in my pantry. If you need to store food and dishes in the same pantry space store the dishes in one area and the food in another so that they are not stacked on one another. Remember, set it up similar to a store.
3. Bins, Racks, and Carts
These items can be extremely useful when organizing a pantry space. I purchased a large wheeled, air tight container (for bird seed or pet food) at a local farm store and use that for my sugar. When im baking I can just roll it out, use what I need and roll it back in. No lugging of heavy sugar bags, no sugar "trails" etc. and its air tight so no ants! Flour, beans, rice, and pasta can also be stored in these if you use those items frequently and have the space for the bins. I realize that some of you may not have adequate space for them or maybe you just wouldnt use that much so, another option is various sized plastic lidded containers. I like for them to match for uniformity, ease of stacking, and good fit. They are available locally at quite a few stores and in various colors if you look around.
4. Make good use of all available wall space
I do not like to leave empty wall space unused in a pantry or closet. I FIND a use for it. In my pantry I hung broom/mop holders, bag storage, and used emptly floor space on one large wall for small stacking bin system for chili, soup, and gravy mixes and a carts full of onions and various potatoes. (I do not recommend a wire rack for these items...dirt and onion peels are better contained in ventilated, closed plastic drawer type storage. But dont stock more than you will use in a few weeks or you may find a slimy mess in your bins...YUCK!) I used a basket on top of my potato/onion bin for tortilla shells, bagels, etc. Our bread is in a plastic bread box and goes on top of the mixes cart. Notice the fire extinguisher...and its tested and in the green. If you dont have one, get one to keep in your pantry or kitchen.
5. Dedicate a Stepstool to Your Kitchen
This should stay in the KITCHEN or PANTRY and not be taken outside to wash windows or left in the garage for the hubby to use. (If he needs a stool, buy one and dedicate it for that purpose. You can get a decent two or three step stool for $10-$15.) There is nothing more irritating than to need something from a top shelf and your stool is gone. Burn the word PANTRY or KITCHEN or HERS into the metal, paint it pink, spray perfume on it....whatever you have to do to make sure it stays dedicated to the kitchen or pantry.
Thats all I have today, there are many more tips but these are the basic things that I follow when setting up and maintaining my food storage areas. And Ive set up quite a few being a military wife for 22 years. Every time we moved Id have to reorganize every single thing and adapt it to a brand new setting. Now that he is retired and we own a home, I can set things up permanantly with just some minor tweaking here and there.
I hope these simple tips help you in some way. There are many more things that I could share but these simple tips are a good start. I will be back later this week with tips on getting and keeping clothes closets organized. We may even tackle my sons closet for a project!!
Have an Utterly Organized and Blessed day
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