Wire shelving is not only used in closets, as we discussed in a prior post. They are also used in pantries storing and organizing food and supplies for use later. It’s an area that can be in your kitchen, in a hallway near your kitchen, or maybe even in the basement.
To keep costs down, builders of new construction homes usually have wire shelving in the pantry unless the buyer decides to upgrade. This gives any homeowner the opportunity to creatively make their pantry exactly the way they want it.
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Let’s talk about the pantry wire shelving accessories you can add to your wire shelving pantry to maximize the area. You will be surprised at how many items can be used in this space to make it more customizable to your lifestyle and family.
Kitchen Carts are useful on the floor of a pantry.
Some have wheels, and some do not, but all carts with drawers can be used for different items grouped in the drawers to make finding things easier. There are several items you can store inside these drawer carts. Some examples are tablecloths, small snack packets, onions, potatoes, party supplies, and cans. Below are some carts with drawers I found on Amazon (affiliate). Note: if you decide to click through and buy something from Amazon, I will receive a referral fee at no cost to you.
Clear Bins or Baskets For Wire Shelves
Open or with lids can be used on a variety of shelves to gather items together. From acrylic bins to wicker ones, these items work well on a pantry shelf to bring 'like' items together. Some examples of groups you can create are pasta and rice, drinks, canned food, beans (dried), soups, and pet food. Visit our post about 12 ESSENTIAL CONTAINER TYPES FOR YOUR NEXT ORGANIZING PROJECTS to get tips on different types of bins. Some of the items below from Amazon (affiliate) can hang from the wire shelves themselves.
Add shelving or bins to fill up large gaps.
Some pantries have a great deal of space between the shelves and lack shelves. For this, there are several wire shelving units that attach to the existing shelving to raise items and fill in the gaps due to the mounted shelve's poor placement. Below are similar ones I found on Amazon (affiliate). Be sure to measure the depth and width of the shelf to buy the right type.
Assign part of your pantry for cleaning supplies.
Some people store their cleaning supplies in their pantries. It could be a place for mops, bottles of cleaners, microfiber cloths, and paper towels. Since the pantry closet is usually centrally located, using this space for cleaning items is ideal. Feel free to check out our post on how to create a cleaning supplies area for DIY inspiration.
Utilize the Pantry Door for Storage!
And we can't forget to hang wire shelving behind the door for extra storage. Visit our post here: 6 CRAFTY OVER-THE-DOOR HANGING ORGANIZERS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR KITCHEN SPACE
Cover the wire shelving with liners.
As we discussed in a prior post, using shelf liners helps stabilize these wire shelving to create a surface that works for any organizing product. The tiered shelving accessories for cans can easily sit on top of this shelf liner to organize and visually see all the items in the back. Below are some liners I found on Amazon (affiliate).
Visit some of our many organizing pantry posts to help you maximize your area.
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And label the assigned areas in the pantry.
Labeling is essential when you have several people who use the pantry area. Clear tags hanging from a shelf, as we did here, work for a while. It helps people remember where the items are until it becomes a habit to place the items there.
If you want to know more about the placement of items in a pantry, check out this image and the accompanying post.
Maximizing the wire-shelving pantry storage area will give you peace of mind when you enter the area every day. I hope this post gave you inspiration on organizing your pantry wire shelving with accessories that were designed just for them.
Now it is your turn! What is your favorite pantry wire shelving accessory that you use? Please leave a comment below.
Want more pantry organizing ideas? I found these articles online about organizing tips for wire shelving. Feel free to check them out.
20 Clever Pantry Organization Ideas to Make Your Kitchen Feel Twice as Big
Visit our other pantry organization posts!
Ronni Eisenberg
I use wire shelving in my pantry and it works so well. The liners are a terrific idea as they’re easy to wipe clean and it prevents food and other items from falling through the cracks.
I love anything on wheels. You can pull it out when you need it and then you roll it back in when finished. It’s easy to tuck away in a corner or under shelving. I also like using the space on the back of a door. It becomes so handy for storing a myriad of supplies.
Thank you for sharing!
Pamela Wong
Many of us are in need of additional storage in our homes and you gave great ideas and examples on how to create storage. Thank you for the tips!
Julie Bestry
I grew up in a home without a pantry, per se, but with a person-high cabinet with a giant multi-tier, metal Lazy Susan. To this day, I'm amazed that more kitchens don't utilize this innovative option. You've shared excellent ideas for making the most of wire shelving, and I think my favorite is the over-the-door solution for packaged items. And you're so right -- heavy-duty shelf liners to ensure that nothing falls through (and that the baskets don't get wobbly) are essential.
Linda Samuels
I've noticed a lot of photos of beautifully organized pantries showing up on Instagram and Pinterest lately. There is something so satisfying about seeing cans and boxes lined up neatly with shelves or bins labeled. It makes things so much easier to find. I remember several years ago being asked to organize a huge pantry for a client in abstensia. That isn't normally how I work, so it was an interesting challenge. It was a lot of fun getting everything to fit and be organized in a logical way so that everyone in the family could easily assess and return items to their homes.
In general, I'm not a huge fan of the white coated wire shelves. They're harder to clean and sometimes things fall through. Covering them with a liner, as you suggested, helps a lot. I loved all of the accessories you speced, like the bins and labels. Great!
Seana Turner
I love that you are giving tangible ideas for how to make the most of your pantry space. I ALSO love that the idea of a pantry seems to be coming back in home design - pantries are definitely one of the most important and productive spaces in a home. I feel like almost anyone can benefit from that over-the-door rack. If you don't have a pantry, you can put one on the back of the door to the basement and instantly gain a lot of storage, right?
Sabrina Quairoli
I totally agree! Because my home did not have a pantry when we moved in, the double-sized foyer closet was transformed into half a pantry. It was convenient because it was right off the kitchen. I shared it here 7 Ways to transform a hall closet into a pantry.