Not Your Average Pantry Raid

Sometimes when you open your pantry door, you're met with a sprawl of meal parts and snacks in no real order. That's usually the moment you know it's time to get serious about sorting, removing expired items, and organizing. Or, perhaps, that's the moment you decide to bring in someone help you do the job.

When I first sit down with clients to tackle their pantry, I always ask, "Do you want me to help you build a plan for success, or would you rather have me handle the entire project for you?" Because in all honesty, some people simply need an accountability partner or a clear path to follow. Other times, they just don't want to use their precious free time to organize.

So, let's walk through what goes into transforming a pantry. By the end, you can decide: do you want someone to create an organized pantry blueprint, or would you rather have someone just do it?

Step 1: Evaluation, Planning, & Preparation

• Evaluation: Take a good look at your pantry. What do you envision your pantry looking like? How would you like to change the current system? What often becomes a pain point in your pantry? Is there an area that you use all the time? Are there products that go untouched? Will your system adapt to any changes in your needs? Are you using your organizing products effectively? Do you need more organizing products to make the system flow better?

• Planning: Answering all of the evaluation questions will clarify the needs, wants, and wishes for your pantry. Once you understand this, you can create a system that meets those needs and wishes. If you do need to add organizing products, buy from a place with a flexible return policy so you can overbuy. Trust me, no one wants to make a second (or third!) trip to the store while they're in the process of organizing!

  

• Preparation: Gather your supplies. Think strong garbage bags, a label maker, a variety of bins, a sturdy folding table, painter's tape, and cleaning cloths and spray. (Gloves if it's extra messy!).

  
  

Step 2: The Organization Phase

• Clear Out & Sort: Take everything out of the pantry. Seriously, everything. This is your chance to check expiration dates and sort items by category (like baking, snacks, canned goods) on your folding table. If you're fortunate enough to have a large pantry, multiple tables might be your friend!

  

• Clean Deep: How often do you actually empty the pantry shelves? Probably not often enough! Take this opportunity to give every surface a good wipe down.

Step 3: Strategic Placement & System Building

• Map Your Zones: Grab that painter's tape and make notes on the shelves for where you want to place each category. You have to be strategic here. Organizing alphabetically would never make sense, but putting kids' snacks near the bottom where they can easily reach, and cleaning supplies up high where little hands can't touch, is always a good idea. Have items only used for holidays or special occasions? Put those out of the way, so you don't have to fuss with them daily.

• Make it Beautiful (and Functional!): Now, get to work putting things away. Try to use baskets and clear bins when applicable to get rid of clunky, half-empty boxes. Does your kid love granola bars so much you get a Costco-sized box? Yeah, mine, too. But do I want that huge box taking up prime pantry real estate, especially when the kids inevitably push the empty boxes to the back? No, I really don't!

Hot Tip: Once your bins are labeled and everything truly has a home, you can very quickly scan your items to see what you're running low on before a shopping trip. This saves so much time and helps reduce food waste!

Ready for a Pantry Transformation?

If this kind pantry raid sounds like too few cookies and too much organization & cleaning, maybe you should consider delegating to Tasked.  Remember, we’re here to help, so your real late night pantry raid gets you all the goodies you really want! 

Whether you need a personalized plan to guide you or prefer us to handle the entire project from start to finish, we're ready to create the organized pantry you've always wanted.