Can you believe we’re just 2 months away from the holiday season? Just a few more weeks before we whip up delectable holiday treats—yum! But before we get into the full swing of holiday cooking and baking, it’s probably time to do a little pantry organization. Follow these steps to get your pantry holiday-ready.
1. Clean it out
Start your organization project by removing everything from your pantry. This is a great time to get your little helpers involved—they can tackle the lower shelves while you clean out the top. Once you get all of the items out, wipe down all the shelves and sweep the floor. Right now, you want to focus on creating a blank canvas for your pantry, so say goodbye to dust and grime.
2. Sort through it all
Next, sort through all of your pantry items. Toss out anything out of date, and donate the items that are just taking up space. Remember: there’s no point in keeping things you aren’t going to use. This goes for food items, appliances, and kitchen tools!
3. Repackage
If mismatched packages make it hard for you to organize, put your ingredients in cute containers or mason jars. Just make sure to label the jars so you don’t mistake your powdered sugar for baking powder.
4. Organize
Once you’re ready to put items back in your pantry, group them together—baking ingredients with other baking ingredients, soups with soups, etc. If you have deep shelves, put seldom used items (like giant mixing bowls or drink dispensers) at the back and ingredients in front. Label each shelf so you remember where the items are located.
And if you find yourself prone to expired canned goods at the back of your shelves, think about getting a few can organizers to keep everything visible and in rotation.
In just a few simple steps and with just a little time, you can get your pantry ready for the coming months and make it way easier to use.