If you don’t have the luxury of a walk-in pantry closet, then creating an organization strategy is a must in order to avoid buying products you already have or throwing away products that expired because they were forgotten about in the way-back.
Follow these steps to put your small pantry in order for a more efficient kitchen and more productive trips to the grocery store.
– Take advantage of vertical space. Embrace stacking, tiered and hanging storage organizers to take advantage of every inch of space and still be able to see and access items.
– Invest in clear storage bins for dry goods and baking items. You’ll also be better able to see everything you have if it’s taken out of its original packaging and transferred to a clear container. This will also help you fit more items in your pantry cabinet and keep your products fresher as well.
– Label away. Labeling goes hand-in-hand with your clear storage system so you can quickly identify the contents within each container. Be sure to add a purchase or expiration date (if the item came with one) to your label as well.
– Use turntables. Install a turntable or two to group and store similar items, such as canned vegetables or spices.
– Use bleacher-style shelving. This type of storage unit is great for larger items, like soup cans, and allows you to see what’s in the back row, which helps prevent back-of-the-closet syndrome.
– Utilize doors. Buy an over-the-door hanging shelf unit to store even more items. You can also mount a row of hooks to hang dish towels, aprons and oven mitts.
– Add a bookshelf. You can instantly add additional storage space in your kitchen with a traditional bookshelf. Use it to hold pots, cookbooks, dishes, canisters of frequently used cooking ingredients, etc.
Remember, you don’t need a large space for an effective pantry – just a good strategy!
Source: Better Homes & Gardens
