How to organize a pantry floor
Get tips on how to organize a pantry floor so you are sure to be using all the space you have available for storing your food. An often overlooked space in pantry organization, but you might be surprised at what you can do with all that room!
Closets and pantries may just be two of the smallest rooms in our, which is funny when you think about it. These two spaces hold more things than most of our other rooms combined.
This means we need to be strategic when setting things up. To not only ensure we are making the most of the room we have available but also to make it easy to find what we need without wasting time searching in chaos.
When you are organizing a space it helps to look at the areas that are the easiest for you to reach. This is your “prime real estate” and it is where you want to place anything that gets frequent use. In contrast, is the top shelf in your pantry along with the floor. Both of these areas can be a bit tricky to get to so housing less frequently or very heavy items will be a good use for this space.
How to Organize a Pantry with Wire Shelving
More often than not things tend to get tossed on the floor to deal with later, this is a clutter-bug habit that keeps rooms in absolute chaos. Let’s face it, food is expensive and by streamlining your food pantry, yes even the floor, you will turn this small area into an organized tool for your kitchen.
What should you store on a pantry floor?
Usually, when you think of what belongs in a pantry, food is the first thing that comes to mind. However, there are so many other items you can keep in this area. Appliances that you do not use frequently will do better in your pantry rather than clustered and out on your kitchen counter. This is a great item to keep stored on the floor of your pantry. A few ideas are:
- Stand mixer
- Instant Pot
- Crock-Pot
- Dehydrator
Paper supplies are another item that will do better stored in a pantry. You can set up a large basket on the floor to hold paper towels, napkins, paper plates, and plastic silverware.
If you purchase food in bulk, the floor is definitely a good place. Food storage buckets are great for holding flour, sugar, rice, or beans.
Bottom line: The pantry floor is best for items that are big, heavy, bulky, and simply awkward.
Fun Organizers for Small Appliances
How to organize a pantry floor
A floor will still do best once organized and this is going to work best with organizers or tools that you can use to section things off. Large floor baskets, hampers, totes, shelves, and trays are all great options. Let’s look at each one of these options in detail so you can better see what the possibilities are.
Floor baskets
I love baskets for storage and they work well on the pantry floor. You can use baskets to hold paper products such as napkins or paper towels. You can also set up a basket to hold paper plates and plastic silverware. If you have a large basket you can use it to hold water bottles or coolers.
Hampers
I really like to use organizers in ways that fit the space. A clothes hamper may not seem like a good choice for the pantry but it works well for holding brooms, mops, Swiffer, and other long-handled tools.
Totes
This is my go-to organizer for most large areas because of how versatile they are. A tote will work well to hold seasonal supplies such as dishes or table cloths and napkins. If you keep your pet food in the pantry a food storage tote will work quite well on the floor.
Floor Organizing Options:
Shelf
A shelf on a floor? Why yes and here’s why. If you have appliances that you are not using often but still would like to have them close for easier access, the floor is a great storage area to consider. Double the room you have with a single shelf. This will allow you to put appliances below and above giving you more room to hold your items.
Why put appliances on the pantry floor?
When you only keep out the appliance you use frequently it frees up so much space on your kitchen counters. Clutter-free counters can make this room so inviting. The less you have out the more room you have to cook, bake, visit, and enjoy your kitchen.
When deciding what appliances to keep in your pantry, take a look at what you have out now. Ask yourself if there is anything you can put away without causing inconvenience by not having it close by. These items may be good candidates for your pantry.
Trays
Most often you may be used to seeing these trays in mudrooms to hold shoes because they keep the dirt better contained. This is why they work well in a pantry. Trays help to contain any mess that may spill. A shoe tray will keep large containers of oil together while catching any spills at the same time.
Food Storage Buckets
These work great to hold bulk food such as rice, sugar, or flour. They are durable and the handle makes them easy to remove and use. Be sure to note the expiration date so you are always keeping your food used up before it goes bad.
Sliding Drawers
You can add in a few large drawers below your bottom shelf. These drawers are great for snacks that are meant for the youngest children in your home as they can reach them more easily than an upper shelf. Label a basket for each child and fill it with foods they can use for school lunches or after-school snacks.
Pantry Floor Drawer Systems:
Shelf Basket
I love these shallow baskets because they can give you a bit more added space even if you chose to store things on the floor directly below them. Use them to hold bread, foil and wrap, storage bags, or grill utensils.
Plastic Bins
If your family enjoys bottled drinks then you can use this tip to keep them all organized. A bin for each type of drink is a great way to streamline that floor. One for soda, one for water bottles, one for probiotic water, one for tea, and more.
Remember to keep the outside labeled so your entire family can help to keep these bins neat.
Wicker Baskets
I love these baskets and find they work well with snacks. A large basket can easily hold several family-sized bags of chips or pretzels. Not a fan of snacks? You can use them for just about anything and good news, wicker is a nice sturdy option so it will stand up well.
When streamlining your kitchen pantry the floor can often be overlooked. Find extra room on an organized pantry floor and create a food storage area that is the envy of your family and friends.
These were all wonderful suggestions on what to put on the pantry floor and what organizational tools to use.