You never really know what lurks in your pantry until you pull everything out and take stock. Oftentimes you’ll find forgotten expired items you had bought with the best of intentions or you may come across foods you don’t even remember (or know why) you bought. Start the new year with a clean sweep of your pantry and organize it so you always know your pantry inventory.
You never really know what lurks in your pantry until you pull everything out and take stock. Oftentimes you’ll find forgotten expired items you had bought with the best of intentions or you may come across foods you don’t even remember (or know why) you bought. Start the new year with a clean sweep of your pantry and organize it so you always know your pantry inventory.
Tips for cleaning out your pantry
1. Clear the way
Before you start unloading your pantry, make room on your kitchen counters and/or floor. (Be sure your counters and floor are clean.)
2. Empty your pantry
Remove every single package, container, and other items from your pantry so you can see exactly what you have.
3. Purge old foods
Seriously, if you haven’t consumed a particular can, box, or bottle of food in a year, you probably won’t. Check the dates on all items and start by tossing the ones that are expired. For the ones that aren’t, donate them. If you have items with no expiration date, discard them — better safe than sorry. Spices over a year old should also be tossed.
4. Clean the shelves
Take a warm soapy rag and wipe down all shelving in your pantry. This is especially important if any pantry items spilled. It’s also a good idea to mop the pantry floor; it’s not often your pantry is empty enough to deep clean it.
5. Organize your wares
Organize your pantry items in a way that makes sense for your style of cooking and feeding your family. If you don’t know where to begin, start by making a breakfast section for breakfast foods, pancake mixes, and the like. Have a baking section for flours, sugars, and other ingredients you use in your baked goods. Make a canned section for canned goods. Set up a spice and condiment section for herbs and spices, vinegars, oils, and similar items. Make a bulk section and keep your bulk items in stackable storage containers with labels so you know the item in each. You can even set up a snack area on a low shelf for hungry kiddos.
Leave a Comment