Organizing the Pantry: 6 Pandemic Tips from a Professional Organizer

Since March, your kitchen has likely become a hot spot in your home. As we all stocked up on basics and created just-in-case inventories, the demand for pantry space soared. Pre-pandemic, all that eating out made it easier to maintain order. Does your pantry set-up still work for you?

Follow These Steps to Take Back Control of Your Pantry

1. Keep High-Demand Items Only – Clear out the pantry and start again. Relocate rarely used items (like your waffle maker) and replacement items (such as paper towel stacks and unopened coffee) to the basement, spare room, or garage. Assess your small appliances. If the slow cooker is only used three times per year, move it. You may want to invest in some new basement/alternative room shelving.
2. Donate – Food banks are in dire need. Give away anything you will not consume before the expiration date.
3. Place Likes with Likes – Place all breakfast items in one spot. Ensure your canned goods are not only grouped together but categorized (e.g., canned beans, pasta sauces, condiments). Allocate a place for pet food, snacks, starches, etc. If you’ve accumulated a lot of spices, alphabetize them for easy access.
4. Prioritize Accessibility – The rule of thumb is work up for more adult-related foods and down for kid-related items. Those items you need daily must be within easy reach at eye level. If you bake once weekly, the flour and sugar can be placed higher up. Save the floor area for heavy or bulky items.
5. First In/First Out – Each time you add something to the pantry, put it behind other like-items. Minimizing waste means fewer trips to the store.
6. Use Storage Containers – Placing grouped items in baskets or bins can help keep them from going to the wayside. Labeling your finished pantry can help keep it from getting messy again.

Count on Potomac Concierge’s Professional Organizers in the DC Area

A well-organized pantry makes it easier and more fun to cook. The benefits of organizing your pantry now may be long-term, as some predict home prepared meals will become the new normal post-pandemic as many of us have gained confidence and pleasure in learning new cooking skills. If you need help getting started, call Potomac Concierge. You will love working with our experienced Professional Organizers!