Quarantine Panic Buying: How to Organize Your Pantry during Covid-19
Quarantine Panic Buying: How to Organize Your Pantry during Covid-19
At the beginning of the pandemic, many of us ended up panic buying and purchasing overabundance amounts of food. It’s hard to forget the strings of empty shelves in the grocery and convenience stores at the start of the pandemic.
Now that your pantry is overstocked, you might find it hard to keep it organized. When it’s crowded, it becomes much more challenging to find what you were looking for. Pantry items could get buried at the back and/or forgotten about. But what is a pantry good for if it only adds mess and stress?
In this article, I will share some tips and tricks on how to organize pantry items, especially during an unforeseen pandemic.
Tip 1: Create extra storage space
Identify where you are going to keep your surplus food. Whether it’s your storage room, basement, or kitchen pantry. A great solution for those living in small apartments with limited cupboard space is to buy or build extra shelves. First measure the shelves then, using a lumber machine, cut them. Your local Home Depot can help you with that.
Tip 2: Use containers for loose pantry items
Use containers for loose items like grains, pasta, sugar, and flour. Not only will this help you avoid or contain any issues with pantry moths (a common nightmare!), but when you organize items into similarly-shaped containers, it’s easier to stack things, create space, and see everything at once.
IKEA has great containers for this purpose – their VARIERA box is among my favorites. Moreover, if you have a storage room, you can get stackable transparent containers with lids. I suggest grouping like containers together, such as those containing grains, pasta, baking supplies, or canned food. Also make sure to stack the heavier containers at the bottom for maximum stability. If you need a shelving unit to help organize your storage or basement, Home Depot and Uline are great resources!
Tip 3: Get rid of expired pantry food
Take a survey of what you currently have on hand, organize your food, and then get rid of food that is expired. For example, you can take off the original boxes/packages for granola bars, snacks, etc. to better see what you are working with. Not to mention, they will take up less space that way.
BONUS tip for parents:
Place some healthy snacks within easy reach for your young ones. That way, they can easily fetch it themselves when you are busy, and most importantly, without making a mess!
Now that we have covered some general tips, it is time to present 7 steps for an organized pantry.
Empty everything out and get rid of anything that is expired.
Clean the surface and inside of the cabinets. Magic erasers are great for hard-to-clean surfaces.
Group like items together by packaging them in containers or baskets.
Place frequently used items at eye level and less-used items at the top or bottom.
Use baskets or bins to help you access far-to-reach items at the back.
Label every bin (according to its contents). Write the label on tape so that you can easily relabel the bins as per their use.
Place heavy items like kitchen appliances lower and lighter items higher. For example, place bags of chips or popcorn on the top.
These organizing ideas and tricks will help you bring order to the chaos. In any case, we are here to help. Contact us today to hire our professional organizing services!
