The 4-Step Fix for a Frustrating Pantry
When was the last time you walked into your pantry to see what you had to make dinner, and instead closed that door and ordered takeout? Yesterday? Me too 🙄.
The pantry, like the kitchen, is considered the “heart of the home,” and other kitschy terms. But, in a remarkably not-cute manner, the pantry can become a burden and one of the most frustrating spaces in our homes. Making decisions like what to make for dinner or what to bring to a housewarming party can become paralyzing if your pantry is overwhelming you. So, I’m breaking down the Type A steps to help you conquer your pantry. That’s right, say hello to your new roadmap and here’s to you finally getting your pantry under control!
Step 1: Clear It Out (Literally, all of it)
I am so serious when I say you need to take EVERYTHING out of the pantry before you can organize it. This is the most important step in any organizing project. You, me, and my grandma do not know how much we own, and seeing it all laid out is eye-opening 👀. Yes, this is going to get more overwhelming before it gets better, so go ahead and get yourself mentally prepared. But know this, getting everything out of the pantry is the only way for you to understand exactly what you own and how much space you truly have. We all love a blank slate, and emptying the shelves will give you that.
Okay, now that you have everything out of the pantry and you’ve had your panic attack, this is where the fun begins (insert Alex’s evil cackle). I want you to look over every single bottle of soy sauce and canned peaches and check the expiration date. I can guarantee that you have a few items that haven’t seen the light of day in years. Clearing the expired items will give you more space for food you can actually eat. Plus, no one wants three-year-old stale crackers anyway.
As you are looking at those scary expiration dates, wipe off any grime or dust that has settled onto the cans and jars. Nothing is worse than blindly reaching into a basket to be met with an unknown sticky jar of honey. No. Thank. You. This is also the perfect time to sanitize your shelves. Since we are rarely emptying our pantries on the reg, I can guarantee those shelves are nasty. Use a sanitizing wipe or a disinfectant spray to clear away the dust (and maybe cobwebs?).
Guess what? Step one is done 💪
Step 2: Categorize and Strategize
Is this my favorite step? No. However, is it the most satisfying? Oh yeah. First things first—I need you to sort all of your pantry items into categories. Hint: This will make putting everything back way easier and help you configure zones later. Our “normal” categories in a pantry are:
Bread
Rice
Pasta
Oils + Vinegars
Condiments + Sauces
Baking
Meals
Snacks
Breakfast
Snacks
Tomatoes (Canned)
Legumes
Vegetables
Soups + Stock
Nut Butters, Jelly, Honey, and Syrup
Mixes
Backstock
I realize that every pantry is different and that some of your items won’t fit in these categories, and that’s okay. These are the base categories we use in the average pantry, but make sure you’re customizing them to fit your lifestyle.
After everything is in a category that makes sense to you, the next step is to strategize. You’re going to be so thankful for an empty pantry right about now. Seeing everything you have laid out, you may realize that it didn’t make any sense to have all your snacks shoved in that corner, right? Instead, a smaller category like baking or condiments might make more sense in that small section.
This part of the pantry organization is going to take the most brainwork. I suggest taking it slow, having a cup of coffee or at least a strong tea, and some relaxing music in the background. If you follow us on Instagram and see our timelapses, this is the only time I am seen stationary during our day 🏃♀️. Pull out the Post-its notes or some scotch tape and make notes of where you want things to live. (Keep these notes up for a later step!) Sometimes our plans don’t work the way we want, so having a note that is easy to move is best.
I want you to think about the flow of your pantry, where you go to reach for things. In our most recent pantry Jumpstart, I spent a lot of time talking to the family about their process for packing school lunches and making dinner. With their notes in mind, I created zones. A zone is a section within a space designated for a particular meal or person. So, for example, if this family was cooking dinner, I wanted all the ingredients that they would reach for in the same zone. Like, if you’re going to make chili, you want the canned ingredients to be close to the cornbread mix and the seasoning.
Zones can ebb and flow depending on the space, but the goal is to make the zone as self-explanatory as possible. For this particular jumpstart, I did my best to determine what would work for them, obviously giving them freedom to move things around if something didn’t work. Creating zones not only allows for easier cooking, but it also helps you determine what you need to buy for meals and keeps things efficient.
Step 3: Contain to Maintain
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry, things only get easier (and prettier) from here! The best-looking pantries are the ones with the pretty baskets and unified bins. While that can be your goal, a pretty pantry doesn’t equal a functional pantry. Above everything else, we want your pantry to work for you, not against you.
Before you spend an arm and a leg on containers, remember that functionality is the most important element of the bins. The worst thing that can happen is that the container makes your life harder and causes more issues than it's worth. We have another blog post all about our favorite products, if that’s something you’re interested in.
However, if you are more interested in making what you already own work, that is amazing too! You do not need to buy a bunch of products to make the space work for you. It may take a little more effort up front to make everything work together, but it is just satisfying in the end.
In our most recent Jumpstart, the client had purchased and was using a variety of containers in their pantry already. Again, while this is not necessary, there were so many great options, I was in a dream pantry playground! Because she had so many different types of containers, it also gave me a lot of flexibility when it came to determining the zones. I was able to mix and match based on what I had learned about the family.
For example, they loved trying exotic oils and vinegars, so lazy susans were best for them to shop through what they owned, giving them easy access. They also make a lot of bread and pizza dough, so they always have a variety of flours on hand (#goals). I ended up using multiple airtight OXO Canisters for just their flour! Another amazing option I used was clear drawers and containers. The drawers were perfect for their littles to easily access snacks down low. And clear containers for high shelves so that they can see exactly what they own.
The main purpose of containers is to allow you (and your family, who can’t seem to put anything away properly) to maintain the organization created. It takes a lot of time and energy to organize, so you want it to last. When everything has a place and the system actually makes sense, staying organized becomes second nature, not a constant chore.
And finally, Step 4: Label, baby Label
This is my favorite step! Once you label your pantry, your family had better look out, you’re going to want to label everything!
Seriously, though, this is where things get beautiful. Thus far, we’ve pulled everything out, categorized it, put it into bins and zones that make sense, and now we get to label it. We use the Brother PT Touch Label Maker, and while it may be somewhat of an investment, a fully customizable label is hard to put a price on. BUT, if that is not something you’re willing to spend money on, any label maker will do. We just have a soft spot for pretty labels 😍.
Labeling is actually pretty easy because you already have your temporary notes from where we designated the zones. Boom! Labeling done. You may have a couple that need to be changed, but for the most part, we use the temporary notes from our zoning that we created earlier in the process. If you’re seeking labels that look like ours, check out our Freebie: Label Like the Pros where we break down a step by step guide.
Labels are important for maintaining the system you’ve just created. It helps the people who can’t find anything know where to look, and it helps the “shovers” know where to put things back. It also helps whoever is doing the grocery shopping know what needs to go on the list.
We have tried this system over and over again, and with a little time and patience, it works in every space. Creating systems and maintaining zones will, over time, become the best thing you could’ve done for your space. The pantry is the perfect space to try this out, and we would love to hear about your DIY Jumpstart. Happy organizing!
Or if you’re interested in a Type A Jumpstart with our pros, click here to learn more!
