Have you been neglecting your pantry? Is it unorganized and needs a bit of refreshing? Yes, it’s time to clean out your pantry. There’s no need to stress over cleaning out your pantry. Especially when you take advantage of these 6 simple tips. I can almost guarantee the job will be done before you know it!
Empty the Shelves Completely
Although it might seem like a lot of extra work, it behooves you to completely empty your pantry shelves, before proceeding. This step makes it much easier to thoroughly clean the space from top to bottom.
Toss Expired Products
As you transfer items from the pantry to the counter, check the expiration date on each one. Throw away everything that’s expired. It’s also a good idea to toss any practically-empty boxes or bags of food and spices you’ve had for longer than six months, too.
Donate Extra Canned Goods
Your local food bank will more than appreciate any donations of extra canned goods. Dust them off, pack them up and donate to a good cause. You’ll be glad you did!
Wash and Dry the Shelves
Wash down your pantry shelves with warm, soapy water. If they seem to be especially “crumby,” you might want to vacuum them first. Tackle sticky spots with baking soda and a wet (use hot water ) paper towel.
Sprinkle affected areas with baking soda and cover with paper towels. Allow to sit for a few minutes. The goopy stains should come up quite easily. If they don’t, use the edge of a credit card as a scraper. Dry shelves and line with contact paper, if desired.
Use Bins to Better Organize
Plastic bins are very affordable. Purchase several to organize loose items like gravy packets. These containers are also perfect to store small jars of spices. Labeling each bin makes things even easier!
Make a Pantry Master List
Keep track of what you have in your pantry and what you need to restock it with, by making a master list. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just a simple list of what you currently have available and things you need to buy on your next grocery shopping trip. You can even use my kitchen inventory printables to help you with this task.
These are six easy tips to consider when you need to clean out your pantry. As you can see, it doesn’t have to be difficult at all!
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