If you are moving house and have booked in the removalist then the next step is planning the organisation for your new home. This blog focusing on pantry organisation. There are plenty of Instagram and Pinterest photos of amazing panty organisation plus blogs with tips. But this blog focuses on how to organise once you have moved into your new place.
The best bit about moving houses is the chance to start fresh with the organisation. And with a move to a new place the pantry is already empty!
Hopefully, the pantry is already looking clean from the previous tenants or if you are moving into a brand new home. But it's still a good idea to give it a once over. Use great smelling cleaning products and wipe over every spot. Plus give it a quick vacuum if possible.
This step is the key to any pantry organisation! The storage containers do not need to be expensive. In fact, many people recommend budget-friendly stores like Kmart for purchasing containers. The kitchen section of the store will have a whole spot dedicated to storage containers. Plan before you go - families need multiple cereal containers, single households less etc. Buy multiple of every size and include all different shapes. Also look at storage racks, panty stack shelves and any other storage solutions.
Also think about food that isn't going to be decanted into jars, like vegetables. Woven baskets or plastic containers with holes are the best for your veggies. And have a couple at least because not all vegetables can be mixed together. Putting onions with potatoes is a no-no, the onions rot the potatoes. Also, larger baskets or containers can store unopened bottles etc.
Organising means labels. It's no use putting everything into containers and then wondering what is in there. You could use stickers from the school section if a label maker isn’t easy to find. Office supply shops are the best place to find these items. Label clearly, for example self-raising flour and plain flour. If you
Want to add more aesthetics to your pantry? Then try adding more storage using jars, baskets, glass canisters, or clear plastic. This will help you avoid spilling some things like cereals and be more organized.
Besides that, your pantry will be more organized, and you will be able to fit things in a way that is easy to peruse when you need them. Other than using a bought storage, you might have some storage that you can repurpose in your home. If the back of your door has a hanging plastic shoe rack, you can turn it into a place for storing snacks.
It's no use buying containers that don't fit! So either on the final inspection or after the removalists have left, measure the spaces. Measure each shelf and don’t forget to measure the floor area so you know the right sized large containers to buy.
Which items do you use most of the time? You will notice that there are common ingredients that you will always use when preparing any meal in the kitchen, whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
It might be salt, sugar, cooking oil, or other regular spices. Consider keeping them at a place where you can easily access them. This will also help you to avoid disorganizing stuff while looking for them. Ingredients that you rarely use can be placed on top shelves of the pantry and corners.
And if you have small children, have a shelf with their food easily accessible.
It’s important to use every space in your pantry. It would be great if you added hooks inside the closet and cabinet walls. You can then hang tea towels, oven mitts, mugs, aprons and tea towels to create space for more pantry items.
Are you working with a pantry with space under the shelf on the bottom? It would be helpful if you looked for bins that have wheels. Or else, you can create sliding storage by adding wheels on existing bins. Bins with wheels tend to slide faster than the ones that don’t have hence have to be dragged.
It is very satisfying when you remove a can of soup at a grocery store and the next one pops in the empty slot. You can do this to your pantry as well since there are racks that are used for this purpose.
The best tip is to have a container dedicated to lollies and chocolate but label it something that won't catch the eye of kids or partners! A block of chocolate hidden in a container labelled ‘legumes’ is a sure way to keep it all for yourself!!
