How to Clean your Pantry

You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, conducting various cooking tasks. Every day has its fair share of spills, filthy dishes, and untidy things to deal with as a result of this fact. It’s the place where you spend the most time; therefore, you’re always in the mode of cleaning.

Keep everything clean and tidy by removing all the clutter that has built up. Different food items are stored in separate pantries in some homes. This pantry is frequently used as a dumping ground for other unwanted items.

Don’t worry if you’re fed up with a messy house and think your pantry is unimportant. We’ve compiled a list of pantry cleaning tips to save you time and keep your kitchen clean and tidy.

Get your pantry cleared first

Though sorting through items still in place could be appealing, removing them all is wiser. Don’t mess about things! It is easier to examine your inventory if you remove everything.

You should arrange everything on the island or kitchen table so that you can easily see what you’re looking at. It’s best to get rid of anything rotten or damaged.

A family member can help you with the cleaning process. By doing this, you’ll become more aware of what’s in your pantry. You can also find out what people really think about the products you want to keep using.

When deciding how to reorganize your pantry following a thorough cleaning, bear in mind the people using it. Have some kid-friendly and healthful items on the lower shelves where the youngsters can reach them if that helps. Popcorn and peanut butter can also be found in the most convenient spots.

Wipe the shelves to clean the pantry

Clean your pantry with a cleaning solution and a sponge! Clean the surfaces of your pantry after you remove all of the food. Replace old contact paper if you find it in your home.

You can avoid an ant-infested kitchen with a thorough deep clean. To ensure the cleanliness of the surfaces, you can also eradicate bacteria and other pathogens. Enlist the help of a professional cleaning service for the ultimate deep clean.

And don’t forget to give your shelves a good airing out. Avoid restoring everything in a hurry. As a result, the surfaces will be completely dry and free of pests and mold.

Toss out any products in your pantry that have cracked jars after cleaning and organizing your pantry. Make sure they’re properly sealed and labeled.

Use groupings and labels to streamline your pantry organization

There is still some organizing that you need to do even after throwing out the expired products. You won’t be able to effectively manage your pantry in the future if you put everything back in its place. Labels are essential to keeping your pantry in order.

You should decide on an organizational scheme before reorganizing your pantry. Together, you may plan a meal’s ingredients. Alternatively, you might group foods that are similar together.

Organize them into a group as soon as they’re out of the pantry. For example, breakfast bars and cereals may be best grouped. If you have a lot of these things in the pantry, you might want to give them their own shelf.

You can conveniently store mixes and spices in plastic bins. Consider purchasing a label maker if you don’t already have one. This will allow you to name each shelf or container in your house clearly. You can add updated labels as your pantry’s inventory changes.

Unwanted or expired items

Check the expiration dates of the objects you’re sorting through during a deep clean. Keep track of the number of products you need to throw away since they’ve expired. That’s a warning indication that you must cut back on your expenditures.

Analyze the goods’ desirability in the same way. Are there spices in your cupboard that you bought on the spur of the moment but have never used? Or did you receive a box of granola bars that were less than satisfactory?

Toss out anything that is no longer useful. Never put your faith in a product you know you will never use. Even better, if you haven’t opened the food, consider donating it to a food bank.

Discard any food that is no longer in season. Make it easy for yourself to find what you need by storing it all in one location.

Here are some ideas for organizing your pantry:

  • Vinegar and oils (cider, sesame oil, olive, vegetable)
  • Seasonings and spices
  • Canned goods
  • Cereals and snacks
  • Rice and grains (pasta, rice, beans, oats)
  • Sweeteners (corn syrup, maple syrup, honey)
  • Baking goods (baking powder, chocolate, yeast, flour, cornstarch, vanilla, sugar)

Use shelf organizers and small bins

How to Clean your Pantry

There are a wide variety of small baskets and bins to choose from these days. You can use them to store plastic spice packets in your kitchen cabinet. Each package should have its own label. As a result, you won’t have to worry about finding a jumbled mess when you open the cabinets. Additionally, name each container so that you can quickly locate the thing you’re looking for.

The best way to avoid stress is to make a pantry list

After placing the sauce or spice bottle, we often forget about it. In the process of looking for the one, we end up going through every cabinet, which results in an untidy mess. Why not save time by creating a list of everything in your pantry? Make a list of the bin numbers for each cabinet. When you open the cabin, you’ll be able to see the list and quickly get the things you need.

So you know exactly what’s in your pantry and what needs restocking. It’s not a sophisticated list but rather a simple one to assist you in selecting what you need and doesn’t need to buy.

Contact paper

Consider using contact paper to line your shelves. Because contact paper comes in a wide variety of materials and colors, it can be cut to fit your pantry’s shelves and give them an overall pizzazz. The remaining contact paper from other projects is important for lining kitchen cabinets and drawers.

While contact paper isn’t the most attractive option, it’s usually strong enough to keep things in their proper place. It will also protect the shelf from staining if you’re an accident-prone person. Despite the fact that you do not need to do this, it will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.

Protect yourself from pests

Regardless of whether or not you detect any pests, thoroughly clean the pantry and check all nooks and cracks for cobwebs. By preventing sugar-loving insects from setting up shop in your pantry now, you can avoid thoroughly cleaning your pantry again.

To keep pantry bugs away, use soapy water and vinegar as natural repellants instead of pesticides and bleach. You do not want these chemicals to contaminate your food.

Before putting anything away, make sure it’s in order

Don’t make the mistake of reorganizing your pantry after decluttering it, or you’ll be sorry. Find out what it is about your pantry that makes life difficult for you. Did you forget to include them in your recipe because they were hidden at the rear? Is it just that you’re unable to reach them?

Keep in mind that simple and inexpensive transparent plastic bins will hold all of the pantry categories to keep things in order. In order to meet the aesthetic expectations of your Pinterest board, you do not have to spend a lot of money on decorative containers.

It’s a pantry, not a kitchen, so keep that in mind. Unless you’re desperate to have your pantry match the rest of your house in terms of aesthetics, avoid making laborious chalk signs for it. Save your money for a place where guests will actually linger instead of the pantry, where no one comes over to catch up on old times.

In the end, the pantry will appear better than ever after cleaning it out and organizing it.

Instead, look for techniques to keep track of what’s in your pantry that is both functional and visually appealing. Labels printed on your computer and taped to the borders of your shelves will help you locate difficult objects.

Final Verdict

Keeping the pantry and kitchen clean and organized might be challenging if you don’t have a strategy. Keeping an eye on the pantry, cleaning it on a regular basis, and displaying a list of what you need in each cabinet are all good ways to keep your kitchen clean and organized.

You can avoid clutter and food waste by prioritizing items you use regularly and avoiding purchasing items you do not eat regularly.