How To Keep Your Pantry Organized Forever

Does this ever happen to you? Arriving home from the grocery store and placing all the pantry (Affiliate Link) items away, you are so proud of how you organized it. You think to yourself, "This pantry (Affiliate Link) looks great." The next day, you go into your beloved pantry (Affiliate Link), and there it is, the perfectly organized space you were so proud of, destroyed by other household members. =( If you are like so many others I know, this is a common issue. I know firsthand how unruly a pantry (Affiliate Link) can get. Today, I will share my favorite tips to keep your pantry (Affiliate Link) organized forever and my pantry (Affiliate Link) makeover in my tiny pantry (Affiliate Link).

Jump to:

• Create zones in your pantry.
• Decide which part of the pantry you want these zones to be.
• Pick the right shelf for the different items.
• To help determine what each shelf and zone you want, answer these questions to decide on your personal pantry needs:
• The ideal depth for a pantry.
• How to organize deep-shelf pantries?
• How to organize a door in your pantry?
• How to organize with wire pantry shelves?
• Get family members involved in the planning and organizing of the pantry
• The Before and After Small Pantry DIY project.
• BEFORE Pantry modification:
• How long did it take to reorganize my pantry?
• Things I used for the update:
• How I organized my pantry?
• The Pantry Freshen-Up Reveal

To keep the pantry from getting disorganized every time someone is in it, here are DIY ways to keep the pantry (Affiliate Link) organized:

The pantry (Affiliate Link) needs to have labeled zones that every family in your home can understand.

Create zones in your pantry.

Some examples of pantry (Affiliate Link) zones are baking, weekly meals, herbs and spices (Affiliate Link), canned soups, canned vegetables and fruits, pasta, grains, condiments, legumes canned and dried, bulk items, paper products, and drinks.

Decide which part of the pantry you want these zones to be.

Now that you have divided your items into groups (zones) determine where you want to place the items. Each zone should be labeled clearly and easy to understand. Instead of labeling a bin "our snacks," instead use "gluten-free snacks" or "regular snacks" if you have family members that are gluten intolerant.

Pick the right shelf for the different items.

Each shelf should be designed for the people who will be using it. Some items for young children may need to be lower on the shelves (Affiliate Link) until they have grown enough so you can place them higher on the shelves (Affiliate Link). The easiest way to keep this pantry (Affiliate Link) organized is to assign the shelves (Affiliate Link) by weight of items and frequency of use. Below I divided the pantry (Affiliate Link) into three parts - bottom, middle, and top.

Large and heavy items are closer to the bottom of the pantry.

They can be placed on the floor and/or the bottom shelves (Affiliate Link). Examples of the items at the bottom are juice boxes (Affiliate Link), broth, soda cans and bottles, cases of water, pet food, pet snacks, and small appliances (Affiliate Link) stored in the pantry (Affiliate Link).

Frequently Used Items are stored in the middle of the pantry.

The frequently used items should be in the middle of the pantry (Affiliate Link). Some examples of things stored in this area are pasta boxes (Affiliate Link), rice containers, food used for cooking, lunch ideas items, healthy snacks, and bread.

Infrequently used items are stored at the top part of the pantry.

And the occasionally used and lighter-weight items should be stored at the top. Items on this shelf are paper towels, napkins (Affiliate Link), party supplies, and platters (Affiliate Link).

To help determine what each shelf and zone you want, answer these questions to decide on your personal pantry needs:

• What items do you use when baking?
• What products do you use regularly?
• Are there pantry (Affiliate Link) items you use on certain days of the week?
• Do I entertain often and at the last minute?
• Can all my things fit into the pantry (Affiliate Link), or do I need to store items in other areas?

When organizing your pantry (Affiliate Link), do these tasks to make for a smooth update:

Clear out the entire pantry (Affiliate Link). Then, sort your pantry (Affiliate Link) items into groups. These groups will become your zones. Here's a list of things you can use in the pantry (Affiliate Link).

Add organizers for the different zones.

Each zone could use a different organizer depending on the area's purpose and products that will be held on them. Below are some of the organizers that work well in a pantry.

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon, and at no additional cost, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.

Rotating organizers:

Rotating organizers are an excellent option if you have the space for them. There are single and two-tier options depending on what you are placing on them. You can easily store spices and herbs on these organizers.

Tiered shelves:

Tier shelving for canned goods works well, but you have to be vigilant and push the older cans forward so you can see them. They can also be used for mason jars (Affiliate Link) that store other dried foods.

Sturdy Single shelves:

These sturdy stand-alone shelves (Affiliate Link) are great for pantries that have fixed shelves (Affiliate Link) that are far apart from one another. This brings up the items in the back to help visually see them.

Can Organizers:

I like to have cans on can organizers. I have two of them, similar to the ones in the picture above. They are very useful and keep cans always moving forward.

Canisters and food-safe mason jars:

Canisters are great for bulk products, like flour, nuts, sugar, etc... Make sure you get large enough containers for the size of the product you usually buy.

Baskets (large or small):

Then, use baskets to hold several small things in groups. The larger the bin, the heavier it will be, so stick with smaller manageable-sized containers. Some popular bins on wire shelves (Affiliate Link) are wicker, acrylic, plastic, and wire baskets. They all work well.

Label (Affiliate Link) baskets if you decide to use them so everyone can see where things belong. Use clear plastic bins if you have family members who need to see where the items go. Below are label (Affiliate Link) options from Amazon (affiliate).

Here are some additional tips to help you keep your pantry organized.

The ideal depth for a pantry.

When possible, use 15-18 inches deep shelving (Affiliate Link). The more shallow the shelf, the easier it is to keep organized and not lose anything in the back of the pantry (Affiliate Link).

How to organize deep-shelf pantries?

If you have deeper shelves (Affiliate Link), use baskets to store grouped items so you can easily slide them forward. You can also install pull-out drawers if the shelf is sturdy and well-mounted.

How to organize a door in your pantry?

If you have a door for your pantry (Affiliate Link), use over the door shelving unit to maximize your space. Look for ones with deeper bottom shelves (Affiliate Link). They will help with storing items like cereal and dried goods. Below are some options from Amazon.com (affiliate).

Check out our 6 CRAFTY OVER THE DOOR HANGING ORGANIZERS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR KITCHEN SPACE post to give you more tips!

How to organize with wire pantry shelves?

Wire shelving (Affiliate Link) is standard in pantries and can be an obstacle when organizing. Below are suggestions on what to do to make wire pantry (Affiliate Link) shelves (Affiliate Link) more usable.

First, cover wire shelves (Affiliate Link) with plastic liners so nothing can fall between the wires.

Pick the right organizers that will sit properly on the wire shelving (Affiliate Link). The more solid the bottom organizers work best for wire shelving (Affiliate Link).

Get family members involved in the planning and organizing of the pantry

Above all else, ensure everyone knows where everything goes in the pantry (Affiliate Link). It doesn't matter how large or small your pantry (Affiliate Link) is; if users do not know where to put things, they will never stay organized.

And to maintain a well-organized pantry (Affiliate Link), don't forget these routine (Affiliate Link) steps!

• Review and adjust your zones every few months. Making modifications will keep your pantry (Affiliate Link) organized longer.
• Make sure all the groups still fit in the space you assigned for them.
• Replace any labels (Affiliate Link) that may have broken.
• Create new labels (Affiliate Link) for new group items that may be created.
• Keep reminding everyone about where items go. You may sound like a nag, but it does pay off.

Now that you learned how to keep your pantry (Affiliate Link) organized, I will share with you the steps I had to take with my pantry (Affiliate Link) to get it to function better in our home. Let me give you the back story (Affiliate Link).

The Before and After Small Pantry DIY project.

We remodeled our kitchen in 2014, and the pantry was one area I needed to make accessible since I never had a pantry (Affiliate Link) before that point (we had to do a makeshift pantry (Affiliate Link) in the hallway off the kitchen, feel free to check it out here). So, we installed 18-inch deep shelving (Affiliate Link) to allow for more space in the kitchen. While it worked for a while, it needed some tweaks. First, I started by adding larger white Ikea bins, which worked well since I could slide them out quickly. These bins were used for pasta boxes (Affiliate Link), gluten-free snacks, dog treats/food, and broths.

But now, I needed to take another look at my pantry (Affiliate Link) because two shelves (Affiliate Link) were not working out. It was the condiment and legumes shelf and my canned goods and lunch idea shelf. Here's how I corrected this issue.

BEFORE Pantry modification:

As you can see, the other shelves (Affiliate Link) were organized, but these two shelves (Affiliate Link) were not.

How long did it take to reorganize my pantry?

It only took about 1 hour to freshen up my partially organized pantry (Affiliate Link). I already had the needed organizers, so there was zero cost.

Things I used for the update:

Below are the products I used for this pantry (Affiliate Link) update.

• 4- already used Ikea bins
• One tiered shelving that was expandable
• Containers for larger items like rice
• Mason jars
• Can organizers
• Label maker (Affiliate Link) and label (Affiliate Link) cartridge

How I organized my pantry?

First, I removed all the items from the shelves (Affiliate Link) that were cluttered. Removed them, determined the things that were too far gone to enjoy, and disposed of them.

Next, I sorted all the items on the countertop from these two shelves (Affiliate Link).

Then, I went through my legumes, pulled extra mason jars (Affiliate Link) I already had in another part of the kitchen, and filled and labeled them.

To help see what each mason jar (Affiliate Link) name is, I added a label maker (Affiliate Link) printed at the top rim of the lids. This helped me when I needed to see what item needed replacing before shopping.

I then moved the condiments to the top left and was able to modify the canned organizers so the second shelf down one was just for items to use for cooking and the third one down was items to use for lunches like soups.

The Pantry Freshen-Up Reveal

And this is how my pantry (Affiliate Link) looks now. I love it and can see all my condiments and sauces when I am making my recipes. Yay! Just a slight modification made a world of difference in this small pantry (Affiliate Link). I have more room now!

The below image is a side-by-side before and after of my pantry (Affiliate Link).

The image below shows the top shelf's appearance before, during, and after.

Well, there you have it, ways to help you keep your well-used pantry (Affiliate Link) organized. Now it's your turn.

What tips do you have to keep your pantry (Affiliate Link) organized? Do you love the layout of your pantry (Affiliate Link)? What is your favorite part? Feel free to share below.