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7 Golden Rules to Organize Your Kitchen Pantry Without Losing Your Sanity!

So, you finally did a big grocery haul! And now you’re ready to tackle the month with all your supplies in place. But before you make space for these newbies, you know that you need to organize your kitchen pantry first.

Tbh, even the most seasoned Type-A organizers have lost their ways in their kitchen cabinets. From expired cans that have been sitting on your shelf forever to that cheese that’s collecting mold at the back of your fridge— organizing a kitchen is perhaps the most ignored and tiresome task.

But good news, there are a few hacks you can use to help you along the way, and we’re here to share them with you.

Related: 16 Small Kitchen Gadgets You Need In 2022

What are the Golden Rules to Organize a Kitchen Pantry?

1. Begin with organizing pantry shelves

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Kitchen shelves, huh, obviously a no-brainer! However, many people can mess up their pantry organization with the wrong shelves. The trick is to design your shelves according to your groceries— keeping the daily essentials at eye level for accessibility. Pantry storage organizers can also help to store your small tools and boxes. And if you still need more storage, you can always install some drawers.

Do not forget to prioritize space for your non-food items like your coffee-maker, blender, and baking equipment. Decide their place based on their usability. If it’s used daily, you can place them on the slab; if not, tuck them away in a cabinet.

2. One of a kind goes together

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Once your shelves are in place, you can organize your kitchen pantry and refrigerator by following the simple ‘rule of grouping’. All the beverages are on one shelf, cooking oils have their own corner and another station for sauces and condiments. For spices, you probably don’t use all your spices every day. So, divide them according to usage as well.

You can also do your pantry organization according to routine. All breakfast items in one corner and your exercise fuels like energy bars and sports drinks.

3. Switch to the “practical” way of labeling jars

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Have you been doing labeling all wrong? Perhaps! Practically speaking, it doesn’t help to label with just the names of your spices on glass jars. What is super important is the date when you bought them and the expiration date. Many herbs and spices can lose their fragrance and flavor if kept for too long. Whole seeds like sesame and caraway seeds can actually go bad if not consumed within a specific time period.

This goes for many other items in your kitchen. Purchase some washi tape waterproof markers, and carve out some time to label your items.

4. Oldies on the forefront; new items on the back

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When you do a grocery haul, it’s more than likely you still have some items left over, that are yet to be used. Now, you have to organize your kitchen pantry so that you use the previous items first. That’s if they have not gone bad already!

Just purchase another bottle of ketchup? Keep it behind the current bottle and make it a point to finish the old items first. Make this step essential for your fresh produce section in the fridge, beverages, and other canned items. This will make you a lot less likely to waste food.

5. Use transparent storage jars and decants

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Glass cabinetry and mason jars are always classy and elegant, but they serve a greater purpose! Decanting spices, seeds, and cereals into transparent containers is the sure step to avoid infestation. Yes, it’s easier than you imagine, folks! Keeping groceries in their bags seems okay unless one fine day, you find something dark crawling in your bowl of flour. And you do not want that!

So make it a point to decant your daily staples and, definitely, splurge a bit on those fancy-looking jars. Get the ones with big mouths so that you can easily scoop out ingredients with your measuring cup.

6. Bins and baskets will make your life easier

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If you do not have a large kitchen, use bins and baskets to organize your kitchen pantry. They are available in all shapes and sizes. Baskets are not just for your fruits and potatoes! You can use them to store your snacks in one corner and canned goods in another. You can also have a small basket to keep all your kitchen napkins and tablecloths. The best part is that they are easy to carry around and look really nice on your shelves.

7. Remember that it doesn’t last forever!

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Spent a lot of time organizing your kitchen pantry? The results are worth cherishing but take it with a grain of salt! Because It won’t last forever. Especially, if you have a lot of people in your house, including kids – things will go out of place once in a while. Make it a point to check in and assess your groceries and pantry organization. Which corner of your kitchen is gathering dust? Do you need to make space for something new? Maybe, a section for pet food!

Dust your items once in a month or when you get your next batch of groceries. This way, you can be assured that you won’t have to dismantle your entire kitchen to organize from scratch.

Related: 5 Tips on How to Organize Grocery Lists by Monica Geller

Organize your kitchen pantry to bring sanity into your life

An organized pantry can bring sanity to your life by allowing you to find things much easier, and prepare healthier food by always knowing what you have available. No more grabbing the frozen pizza because it’s the first thing you can see or think of! Following the rules above can help get you to that organized place you need to maintain your peace of mind.

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