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Post by craftedbys on Oct 4, 2021 16:12:40 GMT
I. Have. Had. Enough.
I am sick (and tired) of my pantry being a disaster.
I am done wasting my time getting everything organized and in its proper place only to be a complete mess within a weeks time.
I have had enough of empty boxes being put back on the shelf instead of in the trash.
And above all, I am sick of nagging and complaining because it mostly goes in one ear and out the other with my family.
Since I am unable to change them and sick of trying to keep it straight, I am hoping that maybe changing the pantry itself might improve the situation.
I am thinking of investing in some clear storage/organizers and would love ideas/suggestions.
My pantry is like a closet, shelves are wooden and non-adjustable and deep, like 24 inches deep. I have some bins on some of the shelves to keep like things together and the shelf clean, like one for syrups and honey and sticky stuff; another bin for other liquids, vinegars etc.
The boxes are just everywhere, crackers, cereal, pasta but despite my trying to keep them grouped together, they become a big mess.
I have several canisters that could be used for rice, etc, but they are *round* so they take up far too much real estate. I am wondering if tall, square might be the way to go.
I did see one idea in one of those million home organization articles that circulate online. I have an over tue door shoe organizer with 24 pockets that hold pouches and small things, bags of dried fruit, seasoning envelopes, and the like. This had actually worked and makes it easy to see what is on hand.
Also, where do you keep bread products? Growing up we had a loaf of white bread in the pantry and that was pretty much it. Right now, there is white bread, seedy healthy bread, bagels, English muffins, tortillas, and half a loaf of french bread hanging out on my counter. Yes, we obviously love our carbs, lol.
I want to figure out a place to put them. They look a mess out on the counter, if anything is put on top of the microwave it gets either squished or falls down behind.
To top it off, this morning the kitten has learned to jump on the counter and he was grabbing the bag of french bread and knocking it off so he could play with it. Thankfully, the dog was asleep in the other room or that bread would have been toast.
Are there any storage products that you love? Any organization suggestions that have worked for you? I love Pea-reviewed items.
TIA!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Oct 4, 2021 16:24:11 GMT
For the shelves, bins that are labeled are your best friend. The other thing that has been great in my pantry is adding the turntables. Are your shelves solid wood? If so, seriously consider having a carpenter remove them and install an Elfa shelving system. I know one pea did that a couple of years ago and was so happy with the results. I'll have to look later today and see if I can find who that was. If you don't want to do an Elfa system, then have the carpenter cut the shelves down to a more manageable depth. For over the door storage, I highly recommend this over the door pantry rack I put one up at DD's apartment and it made a huge difference. Check out The Home Edit and Container Store for more ideas. Headed out now but will check back later this afternoon. |
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Deleted
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Apr 27, 2024 14:40:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2021 16:24:12 GMT
I will be watching this for ideas! Mine is a built in closet like thing in my kitchen. It is not working really well for me either. I'm contemplating moving all of my canned goods to my basement (finished) storage where I keep a few extra things on hand of things we use a lot (we live in a rural area and shopping is an event LOL). Other than more bins for like things, I'm out of ideas for either of us.
**And we keep our bread in the fridge (we have another one in the garage) to keep it from molding before we finish it off.
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Post by janamke on Oct 4, 2021 16:25:02 GMT
I've been on a 6 month process of getting the pantry and kitchen organized. I recommend following OrganizewithTracy on Instagram. She mainly works in multimillion dollar homes with massive pantries (Utah). BUT, her concepts are very transferable and she does do smaller projects from time to time.
I have a miniscule pantry and even smaller kitchen. I moved my breads and spreads (peanut butter, butter, honey) to a cabinet nearest the toaster. Works wonderfully.
Invest in OXO containers. They are expensive but worth it. Getting a quick visual of what we need when doing a grocery list is amazing. Decant as much as possible. I no longer have empty boxes and bags in my pantry, there are none to begin with. Label EVERYTHING. Including the shelf where items go and the containers. Turntables for the top shelf are great, easy to get stuff from.
And be willing to rework the system until you get something you like. It takes time, but my pantry looks so much better than it ever did before. Kids and husband are getting it. They can put away and keep things tidy.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,882 
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Oct 4, 2021 16:30:01 GMT
I don't have a pantry so I can't help much. I have cupboards with non-adjustable shelves... I keep spices and oils on the counter in fridge bins. It's easier than trying to find them stuffed in whatever cupboard my family decided to throw them in.
I try to organize my house, especially the kitchen, into zones, since bread gets used near the toaster that's where I store it, in a drawer under the counter where the toaster sits. Extra bready products go in the cabinet above the toaster.
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Chiara27
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Oct 5, 2019 18:58:25 GMT
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Post by Chiara27 on Oct 4, 2021 16:47:41 GMT
My main pantry consists of an ikea billy bookcase and one small spice cabinet. I am cheering you on. Last year I tried to get organized and bought the canisters from Costco so I could store flour, sugar, etc. and I didn’t label bc I thought I could tell the difference. biggest mistake- when I confused bread flour with cake.  Best best of luck on your process and hoping for some before/after photos. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Oct 4, 2021 17:05:58 GMT
I agree with a different shelving system that works for your family.
But I think that the reality is that your family isn't going to keep up with the organization. They have shown that already. When the kids lived at home, I did a major tidy of the panty at least once a week, usually while waiting for dinner to cook. I don't know how they could leave empty containers in the panty, but they did. I did use containers for cereal, which was helpful. But I was the one to fill them. I know I had another for crackers as well.
I did have bins in the panty for snack items. One for individual bags of chips, one for treats like fruit snacks or cookie packs.
I have always used either a kitchen drawer or a large flat basket in the pantry for bread items. Mine is a Longaberger serving tray basket, but anything like that would work. The idea is to just contain the mess.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,696
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on Oct 4, 2021 17:15:29 GMT
My pantry set up sounds similar to yours. I use Ikea mins (VARIERA) for things like snacks, drink mixes, sauces/condiments, potatoes and onions.
I also bought, a pack of the Oxo pop up canister thingies BB&B (love!).
On the floor, I have a box set up for all of my reusable shopping bag and the gigantic bin for dog food.
I also have an over the door storage rack for canned items.
Each shelf is for a specific category: breakfast, snacks, baking, etc
And I just don't store up food. I order groceries weekly, and only buy what I need for that week.
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Post by worldwanderer75 on Oct 4, 2021 17:19:58 GMT
I also really like OrganizeWithTracy on IG. My pantry is quite small (compared to ones she works on) but her strategies work well. I have been investing in the OXO containers and mDesign bamboo bins. I have mine broken into zones. Breakfast (cereals, pancake mix), Dinner items & condiments, canned items, beverages (overflow pop that eventually goes in the fridge, teas, hot cocoa, oatmilk etc), snack foods (crackers, individually packaged items for my kids lunches), baking items, treats/candy, paper products. I use baskets for potatoes, onions, treats (this varies too much) and then I have a misc basket for upcoming holiday stuff (right now I have hot chocolate bombs that I'll use in out hot choc bar at christmas and fall chocolate sets that will be the take home gift for thanksgiving dinner) I label everything so there is no confusion on where it goes. I straighten/purge every time I put groceries away. Bread and tortillas go in the fridge because we can't eat them fast enough.
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,440
Location: So Cal
Member is Online
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Post by caangel on Oct 4, 2021 17:23:52 GMT
I hate to say this but the first three steps to organizing are declutter, declutter, declutter. Yes, even a pantry. I like to keep a good stock of items on hand just in case so I get it. But really look at your pantry space and honestly consider how much it can hold. If you look at all those pretty pantry picture they DON'T use every available space. There is a lot of space that is empty, which is why it is pleasing. Is that realistic for you? Even if it is not consider keeping less, or move things, like your breads to a different location.
I like listening to A Slob Comes Clean podcast and one of her tips is the container concept. Basically you need to think of you pantry as a container and it can only hold X amount. You can also take that down to an actual container and only keep what will fit, whether that's a large bucket full of food boxes or a canister full of cereal.
Lastly, how do you/your family successfully keep things tidy. For me while I love the look of micro organization (all the granola bars lined up in rainbow order), functionally I need a big bin to just throw everything in or a dedicated location for the original huge box.
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frankiegirl
Full Member
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Dec 22, 2020 12:42:01 GMT
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Post by frankiegirl on Oct 4, 2021 17:34:36 GMT
The best investment we made was buying the pull out racks for the pantry. We put in four of them and they made pantry life so much easier. I actually can see what I have and have stopped buying duplicates. No more stuff hiding in the back.
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Post by freecharlie on Oct 4, 2021 17:48:02 GMT
I'm going to just wish you good luck.
I completely redid my pantry in May of 2020 andi have to clean and organize it about once a month or so due to people not putting things where they go.
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janeinbama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,170
Location: Alabama
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Post by janeinbama on Oct 4, 2021 18:11:15 GMT
I agree with the OXO containers. I had Rubbermaid cannisters for many many years, you just don't know when you are out. I have wooden shelves in my closet style pantry, no lights either. We have shelves on the door and I have OXOX on top two shelves with back stock behind them. I have tried graduated shelving and turntables, with turntables working the best on the dark deep shelves. The bottom shelf, waist high I have three rectangular clear containers. They get junky, but I can slide them in and out and see all sides. I found the turntables and clear containers in the bath section of Bed Bath and Beyond. All the styles in the kitchen area stayed sold out last year. Measure your cabinets and just play with available sizes. I returned quite a bit before I got it right.
I do toss bread on top of the clear containers as we usually have 1 loaf and maybe some buns.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Oct 4, 2021 18:22:47 GMT
Wish I had a pantry. Would settle for even a small closet.
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Gennifer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,991
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Post by Gennifer on Oct 4, 2021 18:27:47 GMT
Switching from fixed to adjustable shelves made a TON of difference in my pantry. I prefer solid ones to wire, so mine is comprised of kitchen cabinets from IKEA that run floor to ceiling, with no fronts. I can adjust the height of the various shelves to fit cans, cereal boxes, or anything in between, and not have to stack items or have lots of empty space.
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desertgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,646
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Post by desertgirl on Oct 4, 2021 18:28:24 GMT
We have been remodeling our kitchen for a year. It’s an older home and we had serious health problems so we are not stressing about finishing it. Dh made a kitchen in our basement so we don’t have to eat out much.
We put our food in boxes when we started and on a few shelves. I’ve started going through the old food to get it ready to store and it has shocked me that I have so much extra food.
Please destash ruthlessly before organizing, especially the fridge and items that will end up in the fridge after opening.
I, too, organize by zones. But, habits need to be changed by all who use the kitchen. It took awhile, but fewer items really helped my family.
Good luck.
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Deleted
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Apr 27, 2024 14:40:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2021 22:14:30 GMT
I am just wondering whether it would be worth making it more family proof somehow.
Making everything extra easy to grab and put away again later.
So if sticky things like honey were on a tray , they would be easy to see and easy to grab whereas If they were in a high sided container it would involve more effort .
It probably would not look as good as something more stylish but if it works it works .
I don’t have a pantry but I can dream !
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SharonScraps
Full Member
Posts: 144
Jun 27, 2014 23:36:35 GMT
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Post by SharonScraps on Oct 4, 2021 23:03:07 GMT
I have a pantry that sounds a lot like yours. I looked at trays that canned goods can toll on, first in, first out, but my shelves are deep. I ended up with Container Store Multi purpose bins. I can get 2 deep. mostly have a medium width for canned goods, a few narrow ones for things like pasta, and wide ones for various bottles, extra condiments, etc. HTH Sharon |
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Post by dewryce on Oct 5, 2021 12:35:55 GMT
I also really like OrganizeWithTracy on IG. My pantry is quite small (compared to ones she works on) but her strategies work well. I have been investing in the OXO containers and mDesign bamboo bins. I have mine broken into zones. Breakfast (cereals, pancake mix), Dinner items & condiments, canned items, beverages (overflow pop that eventually goes in the fridge, teas, hot cocoa, oatmilk etc), snack foods (crackers, individually packaged items for my kids lunches), baking items, treats/candy, paper products. I use baskets for potatoes, onions, treats (this varies too much) and then I have a misc basket for upcoming holiday stuff (right now I have hot chocolate bombs that I'll use in out hot choc bar at christmas and fall chocolate sets that will be the take home gift for thanksgiving dinner) I label everything so there is no confusion on where it goes. I straighten/purge every time I put groceries away. Bread and tortillas go in the fridge because we can't eat them fast enough. I do zones as well, it works great for us. I also have tons of cheap Sterlite bins for items like nuts, all the stuff DH needs in the am, tuna (we keep a lot), extra condiments, etc. My best advice (after seconding the Elfa recommendation) would be to first completely clean your pantry out of expired items, things you don’t use, and then group like items together from what’s left. When you decide where to put everything back make sure and label the bins and the shelves. For now, I’d just tape index cards in place, don’t take any time because things will change for a while until you find a system that works for you. Same with storage containers, just gather what you can from around the house, they don’t have to be pretty. As to the recommendation of clear containers, I think they look great and can be super helpful, but they add another task that will fall on you. Also, you’ll need to make sure and make space to hold your extra food items because you won’t want to pour new cereal (or rice or…) on top of the old. So you’ll need to wait until they are completely empty before you refill. And if that happens and the kids take out a new box…it’s likely to just get shoved in the pantry. Before you invest I’d try it with just a couple of different kind of items to see how it works for you. If it’s been going on for a while and you feel your kids are old enough, I’d be tempted to put a rule in place that if you come across an empty box in the pantry that item doesn’t get replenished the next time you go to the store, and you get to pick the replacement. But I’m a hardass that way. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Oct 5, 2021 13:17:36 GMT
dewrycecraftedbys Yes, yes and yes again. It works. I know from past experience. Although it was long ago, my DS finally would put the empty boxes/containers on the counter. When old enough he added onto a written list. Made life better for both of us!!
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Post by tealpaperowl on Oct 5, 2021 13:43:44 GMT
We don't have a pantry. But we have three double door floor to ceiling pantry cabinets. Bins. Organized, labeled bins for everything. Nothing stays in boxes!
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kelly8875
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,390
Location: Lost in my supplies...
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Post by kelly8875 on Oct 5, 2021 13:50:47 GMT
I have a great big pantry in this house, but my last one was tiny. Honestly, you just have to get your people to cooperate, and make them. They'll learn, whether they want to or not. When I used to see things really out of place, I would make them come move it around to the right places. Why should I have to do it?
And you'll need to move things around all the time, so it's a good chance to see what works, what's been eaten, and what they don't eat. Bins for small items (fruit snacks, trail mix pouches, granola bars). I also have bins for things like gravy packets, instant potatoes, rice packets, etc. Those things that don't stand still on their own need the most help.
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Post by snugglebutter on Oct 5, 2021 14:37:31 GMT
I have a pantry that sounds a lot like yours. I looked at trays that canned goods can toll on, first in, first out, but my shelves are deep. I ended up with Container Store Multi purpose bins. I can get 2 deep. mostly have a medium width for canned goods, a dew narrow ones for things like pasta, and wide ones for various bottles, extra condiments, etc. HTH Sharon
I agree with this. We don't have a true pantry, but I do use the multi purpose bins in other areas of my house, including our deep linen closet shelves. If you don't want a second layer of bins you can store infrequently used small appliances or serving dishes back there.
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Post by workingclassdog on Oct 5, 2021 15:00:20 GMT
Good luck.. been down that road. Still a mess.
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Post by tc on Oct 5, 2021 19:00:23 GMT
I finally added these for my bread so it could be at the front of the pantry shelves and easily accessible. Nothing on top of them so the bread didn't get smashed. And I could see what we were low on just by opening the pantry cabinet door. Bagels and white bread. Healthy bread and hamburger buns. Tortillas. Etc. I also have fixed shelves so the hanging baskets utilized some under utilized vertical space. Hanging wire bin shelf After reading "Decluttering at the Speed of Life" by Dana White (A Slob Comes Clean) one of the first things I targeted was my pantry. Pretty much same advice as you've gotten above. Her system really grew on me. I'd recommend her work. I decanted pretty much everything. From granola bars to rice to fruit snacks to cereal into bins or see-through containers so I know exactly what I have and I don't reach into the granola bar box on Wednesday and find I'm taking the last one when grocery day isn't until Sunday. If I had known the previous Sunday we were low I would have...you get the idea. One of the few things I don't decant is pasta because we typically use a whole box at a time. And we usually use it within the week that I buy it. I use a large lazy susan that I made in junior high industrial technology class (I seem to be very proud of it holding on to it for all these decades) for canned goods. It works for me. Also a big fan of the OXO storage line. Pricey, but to me it's worth it. |
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 6, 2021 16:51:33 GMT
Costco has a set of OXO containers of various sizes in store right now.
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Post by janamke on Oct 6, 2021 18:16:43 GMT
If you are concerned about your family keeping up, I swear, decanting is the way to go. It has been life/pantry changing. Yes, the grocery haul takes longer to put away, but it's worth it. I do a very general tidy about once a month.
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