Make Life Easier: Pantry Organization

I’ve never been a messy person, and I did not grow up in a messy house. My need as an adult to become more organized came from the realization that I have too much stuff, and none of it is where I think it is. As a result, I have panic attacks (perhaps not officially, but I would classify them as such) when I can’t find something, particularly when I’m in a hurry. These panic attacks are neither fun for me nor the Mr.

Fortunately my issues can be fixed with a trip to the Container Store, and not a trip to the therapist. Something as simple as organizing my kitchen’s walk-in pantry, which I worked on a bit more this past weekend, has removed a lot of stress.

We’re fortunate to have a large kitchen that includes this walk-in pantry. With any closet, it’s important to determine what you will put into it. In our case, it’s household goods, including cleaning supplies (including the vacuum cleaner), cook books, cat food and supplies, tools we regularly use, party supplies, and appliances we don’t use daily. Yes, there are a few things that don’t fit into these categories but generally I try to limit what’s in here, which keeps it from filling up with “junk”.

Command hooks are my new best friends. So easy to stick on and rearrange, they hold brooms, BBQ tools, and paper bags on the wall (above), and reusable grocery bags and aprons on the inside of the door (below).
The latest trick I employed this weekend is removing products such as tissues, toilet paper, and paper towels from their packaging so that I can see how much we have left. Clearly, we’re in need of more t.p. and tissues:

Key Tips:

• Put what you use most at eye level. For me, that’s cleaning products, paper and food storage products, cookbooks, and cat food.
• Remove items from their packaging, and put in clear containers if appropriate (like the cat food). This will allow you to see how much you have so you know if you need to buy more.
• Use every available surface. On the inside of the door, I used Command hooks for reusable grocery bags and aprons, and Velcro Command strips to hold a plastic grocery bag dispenser.
• Leverage tall ceilings. With either a step-stool or a hubby that’s a foot taller than me, reaching the the upper hooks and shelves is a breeze.
• Group similar items together, so if you’re looking for something in that category you’ll know there’s only one place in the house where you can find it.

Key Tools:

• Open baskets and bins to corral similar items. While it’s nice to have matching containers, there’s really no need. I’ve combined Container Store items with old woven baskets and cardboard shoe boxes to meet my needs.
• Hooks. I love Command hooks because they’re so easy to install and can be moved if you decide to reconfigure your space
• Label maker. This great tool makes everything you stick a label on seem  more important, especially if your handwriting is as bad as mine is. I’ve used labels on the bins on the top shelf, since I can’t see what’s in them from my vantage point.

Knowing that so many of our household items have a place and being able to see and find them easily is very liberating!