There are few things more notoriously disorganized in a home than a pantry, probably ranking third on the list right after children’s rooms and walk-in closets. Take a peak at any organizing magazine and there’s bound to be beautifully styled (albeit less-than-practical) pantry inspiration.
Thankfully, a little organizing goes a long way to make pantry space more usable and save you money in the long term.
Embrace the Lazy Susan
If you have limited pantry space, you may not want to sacrifice any usable space with a round turntable, but you will be amazed at how useful a simple lazy susan can be, especially on a high shelf or hard to reach area. This can help ensure that items do not get lost in the back of the pantry only to expire.
Use Metal Baskets for Pantry Staples
Every pantry should contain those essential staple items to make basic meals, and your home pantry will contain those items that your family specifically uses again and again. For these items, use metal baskets to keep like items together. Metal baskets are ideal because they will not only contain the items, but allow you to easily see if anything is running low.
Resealable Air-Tight Containers
Flours, pastas and cereals alike tend to come in bulky and uniform containers. Not only do these containers rarely keep the foods fresh, they also tend to look disorganized and uncoordinated due to all the branded packaging. Decant these pantry items to keep your nonperishables fresh, pest-free and pleasantly organized.
Shop Your Home
It’s true that certain organization tools have their advantages and a matching set can offer a finished feel. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to pop to a big box store every time you need a little more organization. Shop your home for baskets, bins or boxes that are underutilized; you may have what you need right at home.
