7 Tips to a Holiday Ready Pantry
With the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to put your pantry in order. A well organized and stocked pantry will make your Thanksgiving and Christmas meal preparations more manageable and enjoyable. Here are 7 tips to make your pantry ready for the quickly approaching holidays!
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Empty and Deep Clean
Proper pantry organization begins with a complete clear out of all items. This gives you a clean slate to start with. Once you have removed all items, now is the time to do a deep clean. Wipe down all shelves, walls, and surfaces to remove crumbs, dust, and grease. If you have a utility room pantry, like we do, vacuum and mop your floors as well.
2. Freshen Your Shelves and Walls
While your pantry is empty, it’s a good time to add new paint or decorative wall paper to your pantry walls or shelf liner to protect your shelves.
3. Go Through Your Items
Grab a garbage bag and donation bin. Now is the time to meticulously go through everything that came out of the pantry. Check cans and packages for expiration dates. Throw away any expired food, broken containers, or trash. If there are usable foods or items you no longer use, place them in a donation bin. Are there appliances or kitchen ware items that you just don’t use? Be honest with yourself throughout this process to prevent cluttering up your pantry again.
4. Organize and Take Stock
Group like items together in categories that make sense to you, like: baking, cans, snacks, dry goods, drinks, breakfast, etc. Take stock of your current pantry inventory. Are there items that you need to restock? What special foods do you need on hand for Thanksgiving or Christmas meal preparations? Make sure to add these to your shopping list.
5. Analyze Your Space
With everything out, now is the time to analyze your current pantry. Consider different ways you can layout your pantry or new storage solutions to make the most of your space. Measure the height and depth of your shelves and storage areas to evaluate the best organizers for your pantry.
6. Contain Items
Assess your current organizing tools and bins. While organzing bins or tools are not necessary, they are extremely helpful. It’s easier to group like items, contain messes, see and use what you have, and keep food fresh in your pantry. Here are some links to our favorite pantry organizing items:
7. Remodel Your Pantry
We love functional and aesthetically pleasing pantries. Big or small, we are happy to assess your current pantry and customize it to meet your needs. From paint, lighting, or custom designs, we are your local pantry remodelers. Please give us a call. We are happy to serve the Bitterroot Valley and Missoula area of Montana.