When it comes to keeping your home’s most-used zones organized, knowing how to purge is almost as important as knowing how to tidy. Think about it: It’s much easier to come up with a comprehensive organizational system for 20 items that you use consistently than it is to try and corral 50-plus items you use only occasionally (or, let’s be honest—in the case of that ugly platter your neighbor gifted you—never).
This holds especially true in your pantry, which is easily prone to overwhelm thanks to a surplus of groceries, appliances, cleaning supplies, and more. Before you even begin to put shelves, baskets, and bins to use, it’s a good idea to undertake a good decluttering to make the most of the room you do have. Unsure where to start? Below are seven categories that can use a good clean-out in your pantry.
1. Expired Food
Pantries can often act as black holes, swallowing cans of soup and bags of chips until they’re three years expired or stale and soggy. Use organizing your pantry as an audit of sorts—nothing gets placed back in the cabinet or closet until you double-check its expiration date (or, in the case of already-opened goods, its viability). You may be surprised just how much room you’re able to free up by eliminating the expired goods, and you’ll end up with an even better idea of what needs to be added to your grocery list the next time you head out.2. Unused Spices or Seasonings
Spices are notoriously hard to keep a handle on, and they add a ton of visual clutter to a space. In order to get your pantry under control, a spice purge should definitely be on your list. In general, most dried spices lose their potency after six months, so start by tossing any that have been around a great deal longer than that. Now is the time for some tough love, too—if there are certain blends or spices that you simply never use, consider throwing them out or passing them off to a friend who will put them to better use.3. Crumbs, Spills, and Rogue Food
While not technically an item to purge from your pantry, this next category is just as important to your end goal of a clean and organized space. Chances are, no matter how neat you are, there are probably a decent amount of food scraps and crumbs lingering in your pantry. Take this opportunity to wipe up any messes or spills, vacuum up crumbs, and retrieve the contents of that box of pasta you spilled months ago. You may be surprised just how tidy your space feels after just a quick wipe down.4. Excess Bags and Totes
We’re all for sustainable shopping and reducing our overall waste, but it can sometimes lead to pantry clutter. If you find yourself collecting reusable totes or saving paper grocery bags with the intention of using them again, now is a good time to pare down your collection. Keep just the basics—six sturdy bags is usually sufficient for most households—then devise a good way to store them. The rest can either be recycled or passed off to friends who are also looking to reduce their single-use plastic waste.5. Catch-All Junk
Pantries have a tendency to collect junk, and that role multiplies tenfold if you don’t already have some solid organizational methods in place. When looking to purge your pantry and make room for stuff you actually use, the ubiquitous “catch-all junk” category is a great place to focus your attention.Realistically, this category can mean different things to different households—for some, it’s a slew of mystery tech cables and takeout menus at least a decade old; for others, it’s stained dish towels your spouse insists will come in handy at some point. Remove everything from the pantry, sort it into categories, and decide what should stay in your space (try to keep it to food or cooking-related items, if possible) and what should be trashed—or stored elsewhere.
6. Any Useless Organizing Solutions
Not all organizational solutions are created equally, especially when it comes to a spot as prone to chaos as the pantry. Translation: Just because you may already have something in place doesn’t mean you have to keep it—in some cases, it may be doing more harm than good (ever try to Tetris teetering bottles of olive oil into a too-small bin?). Take the time to assess which bins, risers, baskets, or shelves are working for you in your pantry and purge accordingly. As you go through, try pairing the storage solution with its intended contents to make sure everything works together and has a plan.7. Outdated Appliances
If the past few years have found you collecting air fryers or trying out every smoothie blender on the market, chances are your pantry is moonlighting as an appliance graveyard. Countertop appliances add lots of bulk to the pantry and if you aren’t using them on the regular, they’re not always worth keeping around. If you’re unsure which appliances should stay on your roster, spend a few weeks rotating through them and testing each for functionality and ease. Anything that doesn’t work qualifies for immediate elimination. Donate or sell duplicate items or those that you aren’t totally in love with—you can even put the proceeds towards buying the blender you actually wanted.Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to [email protected].
