Organizing your pantry will help you avoid overspending and help you find items faster.
You come home from the grocery store and start piling stuff into your pantry. Boxes of half-eaten cereal and open pasta boxes are stacked haphazardly on the top shelf with canned goods lying every which way on the bottom shelf with items like cookies and bread in between. While your current system (or lack thereof) has been working, you may be losing money by buying items you don’t need or letting food expire because you can’t find it. Let’s take a moment to talk about how to get your pantry organized.
Purge the Pantry
The first thing you should do is pull everything out of your pantry. Put them in baskets or boxes so you can see what you have as you pull them out. If anything is dusty or dirty like canned goods, take a wet paper towel and brush off the grime before putting it into the box. Now that everything is out of the pantry and in the open, start looking at the items. Throw away suspicious looking items or anything that is expired. Now onto the next step, categorizing.
Categorizing
Now that you have thrown away expired items, it is time to categorize everything. Organize them into three different categories: items you use every day; items you use less frequently; and unopened items to be donated. Remember those five boxes of ramen noodle cups you bought thinking you could take them to work in the winter but never even touched? Donate them to your local food pantry. Any items you are not going to eat but bought on sale can be donated to your local church or food bank for the less fortunate. To find your local food bank, check www.feedingamerica.org for more information. Once everything is categorized, it is time to clean.
Clean the Shelves
Now that your pantry is completely empty, it is the perfect time to clean it. Take a small brush and dustpan or just the broom head and sweep out all of the crumbs. Next, take a vacuum with a crevice attachment and get into the corners of each shelf. Wipe down each shelf with a damp cloth and let it dry completely before reloading each shelf. If you want your shelves to be protected from scratches or dirt, use shelf paper to cover them, cutting each piece to size.
Restocking Smartly
Once your pantry is clean, it is time to restock it. Refill your pantry in organized “zones” to make sure you won’t have to do another overhaul in a few months. Start by putting the baking items like flour and sugar in one section and breakfast items in another. You should also have a snack zone for kids and kid-like-adults. Keep heavy items like pickles and olive oil on the lower shelves and things you use every day like pet food and stuff for lunches at eye level.
Organizing your pantry may seem like a big undertaking but it will truly save you time and money. For more information on having your kitchen cleaned, call Ivete’s Cleaning Service today!
Organizing Your Pantry with Ivete’s Cleaning Service
Ivete’s Cleaning Service has been consistently providing the comforts that go along with a clean home and office for 27 years. Our goal is absolute satisfaction, and we strive to provide excellent service to each and every one of our customers. Our cleaning plans are customized to your needs. We also offer Spring Cleaning and Kitchen Appliance cleaning for your convenience during the busy months ahead. To schedule your cleaning consultation, or ask questions about our services, please call 301-327-2444 or request a free estimate online. Be sure to visit our Specials page for special offers on both residential and commercial cleaning services!