Pantry Organization

[mrodgers]

1976 trailer with a narrow closet with a circular spinning shelf system. It's a mess.

Want to gut the shelf out and line one side and the back with shelves, but it's a temporary home and I already need to replace the bathroom floor and have carpet in the kitchen and bath. Also all original paneling so it's dark. I can't type on my keyboard with a light right behind my shoulder because the walls soak up the light.

Lot of work needs done and it's not worth it for a 1976 mobile home. It's driving me crazy, but I can't buy a house for $9k, so I'm stuck.

 

[Silvermist999]

I just spent all weekend cleaning my pantry and getting it back to neat!

Amazing pantry! I saw a pic online, of singer John legend’s daughter sitting in their walk in pantry and his pantry looks TINY compared to yours!

We have a custom “chef’s pantry” plus sufficient storage space in the kitchen. Where we are lacking is space for frozen goods. Right now our small chest freezer for our family of four is jam packed. Definitely plan to buy another one soon for better organization, and stocking up.

 

[tcufrog]

My pantry was very tidy until Stay at Home started and my DH and kids were home all the time. I don't have everything in matching containers but I do keep a very tidy pantry. Here's some organizational tricks I've discovered over the years.

1. The first step to being organized is to buy a Brother Label Maker. You can buy them and their cartridges on Amazon, Costco, and Sam's Club. The machine is portable and easy to use plus the labels are waterproof, dishwasher safe, and easy to remove from most things without damage. I use it to label everything from shelves, bins, containers, to water bottles and medicine boxes.

2. Make the system easy for everyone in the family to use and understand. For example, in the pantry I put the things my kids are most likely to use on the lower shelves.

3. Label everything. Using my label maker, I label shelves, bins, boxes, etc.

4. Make sure things are visible. Instead of bins, I use a three-tier shelf for my canned goods so I can see all of them. I use a lazy Susan for my bottles of vinegar, oils, etc. Things that are hidden are much less likely to be used.

5. Place the most often used things close to where they are used most and put away in the back the things that are rarely used. Instead of putting my baking items in the pantry, I made a baking station right where my heavy Kitchenaid mixer is. In it are baking ingredients, cake pans, the sifter, cake decorating supplies, etc. I had to move some things around but since I did it, I bake more often and I make much less of a mess when I do bake. The things I rarely use though such as entertaining platters, the fondue pot, etc., I moved into a cabinet in the breakfast nook.

6. If possible, find a place away from the kitchen for extra bulk items instead of crowding the kitchen. I have a row of wood shelves from IKEA in my garage. On it are kitchen overflow and cleaning supplies since I don't have a utility closet. Since the shelves are the depth of the gap between the wall and garage door track, they don't make it more difficult to park my car. Once I did that, I found it much easier to find things in my pantry.

 

[fla4fun]

No pantry, but it’s usually not a big deal because I usually shop one week at a time and eat everything I buy. Now that I am shopping a month at a time, the dining room table is serving as my pantry and it is fairly organized. I will be glad when I can get back to shopping weekly. I don’t know what I want to eat 2-4 weeks from now so I end up eating things I don’t necessarily want, even though they are foods I like, if that makes sense. I am one of those people who can never just whip up a recipe from things I have on hand in the pantry. I tried that many years ago, but kept throwing out expired stuff. Shopping weekly for just what I will eat that week keeps me from throwing food out.

 

[cabanafrau]

My pantry was very tidy until Stay at Home started and my DH and kids were home all the time. I don't have everything in matching containers but I do keep a very tidy pantry. Here's some organizational tricks I've discovered over the years.

Everybody's talking about how their house has never been cleaner or tidier and I want to know how. I'm so jealous I can't see straight. We went from essentially empty nesters 75% of the time to both daughters quarantining with us (which has its perks that I am grateful for). Suddenly four adults in the house all day long means I no longer clean and it's still clean when my workday is over. It's also tricky to balance times to do some cleaning tasks because four slightly different schedules means noisier chores have to be carefully planned and scheduled.

 

[dyna]

IN between which is sad because I live by myself, just lazy. My other cabinets are very organized so that I can pretty much reach an grab what ever I need.

I do have to admit my cabinets are needing a good cleaning I'm not getting on step ladder while home alone an the bottom cabinets if I get down there I'll never be able to get back up.

Maybe once this shelter in place is over I can rent a kid for a day, which was what my plan was for spring break but that soon went out the window.

 

[kyton]

The rest of my house is not as tidy but my kitchen is 98% done. As well as the pantry I stripped out every kitchen drawer and cupboard, washed both the cupboard as well as all the contents then restocked them in a more organised fashion. I haven’t tackled the fridge yet - probably Wednesday since I’m only at work Monday - Tuesday this week.

My family and friends always say that if there’s an emergency they know where to come for supplies.

 

[Immadismom]

I found some pics from when I first started. That one shelf is now full of those Sistema containers.
View attachment 489346


I forgot, my bathroom cabinets are all organized into little tubs. Once you get started you want to contain everything. It becomes sorts of an obsession.

I love those Sistema containers. Sadly I’m not finding the Bake It ones anywhere online right now.

 

[wenrob]

I love those Sistema containers. Sadly I’m not finding the Bake It ones anywhere online right now.

Yeah, I suspect they’re being discontinued. They have other containers that are just as nice but I like these because they have a grip. Sometimes you can google for them and find them.

 

[Immadismom]

I

Yeah, I suspect they’re being discontinued. They have other containers that are just as nice but I like these because they have a grip. Sometimes you can google for them and find them.

l‘ll keep checking. I have a lot of other Sistema containers and we like them a lot. I would love to find these!

 

[tzolkin]

Everybody's talking about how their house has never been cleaner or tidier and I want to know how. I'm so jealous I can't see straight. We went from essentially empty nesters 75% of the time to both daughters quarantining with us (which has its perks that I am grateful for). Suddenly four adults in the house all day long means I no longer clean and it's still clean when my workday is over. It's also tricky to balance times to do some cleaning tasks because four slightly different schedules means noisier chores have to be carefully planned and scheduled.

I will admit, I've been a bit jealous as well. My husband and I work in healthcare and are working at least as much if not more than usual (and work is more stressful). We are, of course, glad to have job stability but a break to clean my house and relax would be worth more to me than the money at this point. (We had to cancel spring and summer vacations and will likely not be able to take any time off the remainder of the year.)

Kids are all home (two teenagers and a 21yo) so it seems like someone is cooking and eating basically 24/7. They do pick up some after themselves, but not thoroughly so there is always a pot in the sink, something on the counter, and countless empty water glasses throughout the house. We also moved into this house not too long ago so when they put away groceries or miscellaneous kitchen items, they don't usually wind up in the correct location.

 

[cabanafrau]

I will admit, I've been a bit jealous as well. My husband and I work in healthcare and are working at least as much if not more than usual (and work is more stressful). We are, of course, glad to have job stability but a break to clean my house and relax would be worth more to me than the money at this point. (We had to cancel spring and summer vacations and will likely not be able to take any time off the remainder of the year.)

Kids are all home (two teenagers and a 21yo) so it seems like someone is cooking and eating basically 24/7. They do pick up some after themselves, but not thoroughly so there is always a pot in the sink, something on the counter, and countless empty water glasses throughout the house. We also moved into this house not too long ago so when they put away groceries or miscellaneous kitchen items, they don't usually wind up in the correct location.

I'm glad you have job stability, because being able to support your family is obviously an important concern. I hope very soon your workload resumes more normal levels and the stresses revert to the regular, petty ones we were all accustomed to rolling with -- and griping about. Best wishes for your family's health and safety.

 

[Immadismom]

I will admit, I've been a bit jealous as well. My husband and I work in healthcare and are working at least as much if not more than usual (and work is more stressful). We are, of course, glad to have job stability but a break to clean my house and relax would be worth more to me than the money at this point. (We had to cancel spring and summer vacations and will likely not be able to take any time off the remainder of the year.)

Kids are all home (two teenagers and a 21yo) so it seems like someone is cooking and eating basically 24/7. They do pick up some after themselves, but not thoroughly so there is always a pot in the sink, something on the counter, and countless empty water glasses throughout the house. We also moved into this house not too long ago so when they put away groceries or miscellaneous kitchen items, they don't usually wind up in the correct location.

Thank you for continuing your work and for all that you do and the sacrifices you’re making!!