Well, it’s September. The weather is getting better, the sun is starting to shine through the clouds, the garden is refreshed from all the rain and you can finally hang washing out on the line again. It’s an amazing time of year, and what a better time to do a spring clean than at the beginning of spring!
We love organised homes with clean and practical spaces that make the business of life just that little less chaotic. We thought we would bring to you a quick 9-step guide to organising your pantry as our first step to our spring clean out.
Pantries can get crowded very quickly. One trip to the supermarket with a stock up of your favourite items that are on special and you’ve got yourself a crowded space again. Don’t despair as it doesn’t have to be this way! Pantry organisation will give you even more space in your cupboard for all your yummy treats and dinner staples with a better snap shot of what you have, what you don’t and more importantly, what you really need to buy.
- Chuck it out
Being wasteful is not good however, we all know that you won’t be using that jar of relish that expired in the early 2000’s. Take everything out and work out what is still in date or close to. Anything that isn’t – chuck it!
- Group items together
Once you have worked out everything you don’t need, arrange them into categories. This could be “snacks” or “fruits” or “dinners” if you group things by what meal they will be used in. There are no right and wrongs when it comes to this step, it’s whatever filing system works for you. Our best tip if you’re lost is to imagine the aisles at the supermarket, and group them into similar categories.
- Get some storage solutions
You don’t need one for everything, but getting jars, containers, baskets or racks will definitely help you group your items together and make them look organised and uniformed. We love using jars for things like granola or muesli and baskets for odd-shaped items such as chip packets or bars. Racks are great for herbs, spices and sauces which keep them lined up and takes up less space.
- Clean
It may seem basic, but a good clean out of your shelves will do wonders to the overall look of your pantry as well as make it smell sweet! Using some cleaning products to get out stains or scuff marks is the perfect way to begin your clean out before putting it all back in.
- Think about the layout
When you’ve got your storage solutions sorted and you have a clean space to work with, think about the layout. Do you want your baskets at the bottom or the top? What items should be at eye level? Think about what you want (and don’t want) your kids to see. This may give you a good starting point.
- Clean everything
Not just your pantry shelves but things like sauce bottles in particular which can get grubby in no time. Get some hot soapy water and give them a decent clean and it will do wonders (just don’t leave any lids open!).
- “Face” your products
Teenage years spent stocking shelves at the supermarket taught us some valuable life-organisation lessons! The reason supermarket products looks so gorgeous on the shelf is because a young lass or lad goes around at night time and “faces” the products to make sure they are facing the right way and are pushed to the front. Don’t let your home pantry be any different – it makes a world of difference!
- Label it
Labelling items makes it so much easier to see and grab on the go. It also makes it look neat and uniformed! A simple label maker or Chalk Sticker with handwritten labels will work a treat.
- Sit back and admire
Your hard work is done and you have a delightfully clean pantry! Treat yourself to a delicious (and now organised) treat!
Well, there you have it – some of our best tips to keeping clean and organised this spring. Show us your pantry before and afters at @creativegourmetofficial (Instagram) or Creative Gourmet (Facebook). We’d love to see what you do with your spaces!
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