Tips for Cleaning Out a Messy Food Pantry
Your food pantry quickly becomes the primary source of snacks, meals, and other miscellaneous things as your home fills up with family members. In your food pantry, you often keep snacks accessible for your younger kids, canned goods, cereal boxes, beans, rice, baking ingredients, and more. There’s a chance you’ve designated a specific area for other items, such as cleaning products, cookbooks, pet goods, and more.
Over time, the pantry’s contents can spiral out of control, becoming a huge mess. You start pushing items around to make room for new ones, limiting the amount of space you have left and losing items to the void.
There’s a chance you might have forgotten to clean it a while back and now don’t know how to even start. Don’t worry; life gets in the way! You can take a deep breath and use these tips for cleaning out a messy food pantry. Before you know it, it will look refreshed and easy to access for everyone.
Remove Old or Expired Food
One of the easiest ways to clean out a messy food pantry is sorting through your food items. You should pay attention to the expiration date listed on the product to determine whether or not it’s still edible. If it’s expired, toss it.
However, if you come across canned goods and preserves that haven’t expired, you can donate them to your local food shelter. You can check out the local food shelters in your area and see what they’ve requested for food donations. It’s a pleasant way to give back to the community!
Clear Off Shelves and Wipe Down
Your kitchen space is often an unexpected place for hidden bacteria. If you haven’t dealt with your shelves in a while, take some time out of your day to remove everything from the pantry and give it a good clean. Because the food pantry is dark and cool, it can also be a playground where bacteria and dust accumulate.
Find an all-purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth to help pick up debris, bacteria, and dust. Your food pantry will smell clean, and you won’t have to worry about potentially contaminated food.
Use Basket and Jar Organizers
Partially opened bags, open cereal boxes, loose wrappers, and miscellaneous papers—getting your food pantry organized will reduce clutter and free up space for a more cohesive look. You can find small organizer boxes and baskets to house your food items in.
You can have your rice, beans, legumes, and other foods in mason jars for a rustic feel. Additionally, baskets and boxes will allow categorized food options and easier shelf management. It’s incredibly satisfying to look at and easy to do yourself!
Once you’ve overhauled your food pantry, you’ll feel satisfied with your hard work! It will make your shelves look fantastic and make for easier maintenance and organization in the future.
