The Best Items (and Strategies) for Organizing Your Pantry
Many of the storage and organization tips I write about are aimed at those who live in small spaces , but before I moved to New York City and started living in tiny apartments, I lived comfortably in the Midwest, where homes big and cheap – but difficult to declutter and organize in your own way.
My parents’ house had a room called the pantry, and I never imagined that one day I would consider it a nostalgic luxury. This room had seasonal decorations, old furniture, souvenirs, and a large freezer full of food supplies in case we got snowed in. (By the way, this is one of the reasons why living there is so cheap.) My parents kept this thing. in excellent organizational shape, which makes it a super useful space, but if it were to fall into disarray, it would instead become a serious burden.
Whether you have a dedicated storage area, attic, garage space or warehouse space, you need to keep it organized so that when you have a chance to use the things in it, you actually know where they are.
Shelves and drawers
First, you need shelves. You need a lot of shelves and ideally they should be large. When decluttering, it’s important to remember that everything you own should have a designated storage space, so shelves on their own aren’t ideal as they can become cluttered themselves. However, they are ideal for storing containers, which is what you’ll need once you’ve installed the shelves. My pantry had shelves built into the walls all around, but more importantly, they were all spaced evenly and evenly. Fill the wall with sturdy shelving and try to keep every item the same to keep everything relatively cohesive.
As mentioned, you will need storage boxes. I recommend using durable plastic containers instead of cardboard ones, as basements, attics, garages and unfinished spaces can get a little damp. Again, they should be the same so that all the boxes can be stacked comfortably on the shelves and on top of each other. You can purchase a six-pack of 54-quart clear containers for $89.99, but avoid purchasing containers with wheels if you plan to put them on a shelf. This is just asking for disaster.
On the other hand, wheels are handy for things like Christmas decorations, so you can easily carry the entire bin home as you decorate for the season. A reliable option in such situations is a set of three stackable containers, the bottom of which has wheels.
How to Really Organize a Pantry
My recommendations for what kind of shelves and drawers you need won’t help you. It is also necessary to clean up and organize the space. If you need some motivation, consider the concept of Swedish death cleaning : imagine what a burden this room will be for your descendants when you die. It’s creepy, but it works.
For the best technique for cleaning and organizing a room overflowing with old stuff, I recommend professional organizer Andrew Mellen’s “Organization Triangle,” which follows three basic principles: every item needs a home, keep like with like, and use something inside. , something from the approach. Start by removing everything from the room. You can do this when you’re ready to start using your new shelving and containers. Sort everything into piles based on similarity, but be smart about throwing out anything you no longer need to hold on to. For example, Thanksgiving decorations go in one pile, barbecue tools in another, bicycle accessories in another, etc. If you have duplicates, immediately get rid of all but one. Then place each individual stack in its own basket. Again, everything needs a home – a bin – and everything should be stored together with similar items so you know exactly where to look for everything you need when you need it.
Finally, you’ll need a labeling system. Even if you use clear containers, it can be difficult to see what’s in there. Get a major label maker like the Brother QL-600 ($79.99), which supports labels up to 2.4 inches, and use it to clearly identify what’s in each box.
To further improve decluttering, each time you open one of your bins, go through it using your chosen decluttering method , gradually reducing the number of things you store there so you can stay even more on top of your organization.