4 Simple Pantry Organization Tips

Enjoy time in the kitchen with our easy pantry organization ideas.

Whether you’re pulling out baking ingredients or just trying to find a can of soup for dinner, rifling through a cluttered pantry is a pain. It’s time to purge, get organized, and take back your pantry.

You’ll have plenty of storage space after using these helpful pantry organization tips from Blain’s Farm & Fleet.

1. Empty Your Pantry Into Piles

The first step to organizing your pantry is emptying it out. This way, you can see everything inside—even the forgotten can of beans shoved way in the back. With everything out on your counter or kitchen table, you’ll be able to get organized.

Separate everything into piles. Make one pile for things that you use on a daily basis, and make another pile for items that you don’t use as often.

If you have unopened, unexpired items that you know you won’t use, put them in a donate pile. Your local food pantry can always use donations, especially in the months not surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Finally, don’t forget to throw away any food that is expired or looks suspicious.

2. Clean Your Pantry

You’ll want to start with a clean pantry before organizing it any further. And with everything already out of the pantry, it’s the perfect opportunity to give it a good cleaning. Think about it—when’s the last time your pantry was completely empty and clean?

Start by vacuuming or sweeping crumbs off the shelves and floor. Wipe down the shelves with a damp cloth or paper towel, and let them dry before you fill the pantry back up.

3. Invest in Storage Containers & Organizers

After your pantry has been cleaned, it’s time to figure out where everything is going to go. If you have things like open pasta or cereal boxes, or open bags of flour, you may want to invest in food storage containers for your pantry. Not only will they make your pantry look nicer, but it will be more organized, too.

You can make cans, jars, and whatever else easy to reach by using turntables (also known as lazy Susans) in your pantry. Load similar foods, such as soup and canned vegetables, on the turntable. Simply spin it to access canned goods, whether they’re in the back or front of the pantry.

If you have a lot of spices to organize, using a spice rack is a good idea. Glass canisters or jars are great for storing all kinds of dry goods, from loose tea to spaghetti. These are a great storage solution to keep everything fresh, while making your pantry look organized.

4. Put Everything Back in the Pantry

Once you have all the storage containers you need, it’s time to put everything back in the pantry. Keep items you use on a daily basis at eye level, making them easy to get to. If you have kids, keep their snacks in one area, so they don’t have to rifle through everything.

Store small items and things you don’t use as much on higher shelves. If you can, keep a step stool in your pantry. It will make it much easier to reach those high-shelf items. And you should store heavier things, such as dog food or bulk items, on lower shelves.

After you’ve followed our pantry organization tips, you can tackle the rest of your kitchen.

For more guides on organizing your car, home, and everything in between, check out our Storage & Organization Blog.