Kitchen Pantry Organization Tips

One of the top reasons people's homes no longer work for them is because their homes become too cluttered. There may not be enough storage space for all the items people have in their homes. Adding a kitchen pantry can help increase storage space, but it can also create new problems, such as keeping the space organized and clean. Here are some tips from Closet and Storage Concepts to help you organize your kitchen pantry.

Develop a system that makes sense for you

Any time you organize your pantry, you need to create a system that makes sense to you. People tend to keep items together, such as canned goods in one area and baked goods in another. You need to find a system that makes sense to you because it will help your flow and help you find things better. Once you have a system in place, tell your spouse or partner, roommate or child what your system is so they know where to put things in the pantry system.

Store dry items in airtight containers

Another kitchen pantry organization tip is to store dry items in airtight containers. For example, after you open a box of cereal or a bag of flour, dump the remaining items into an airtight container. Not only does this help extend the life of the items once they are opened, but it also helps deter pests, such as ants and cockroaches, from sniffing out and finding the items in your pantry. After storing items in airtight containers, use tape or non-permanent markers to mark the items in the container and the time they need to be used.

Move older food items to the front of the pantry

A final tip to help you organize your pantry is to move older foods to the front and place new foods at the back of the shelves. This is the best way to rotate items so that the older items are sent to the front to be used and the newer items, which will last longer, will not be used before the older ones. This is a continuous system that can be used every time you go grocery shopping and put away groceries in the pantry.