Streamline Your Pantry for Back-to-School
Summer’s come and gone, and if your kitchen feels more chaotic than cozy, you’re not alone. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. This guide will help you streamline your pantry for back-to-school, making it easy to reset, organize, and get everything ready for the busy school days ahead.
Keep this guide on pantry organization handy so you can refer to it anytime you need to do a food reset.
There’s just something about the end of summer that gets me in the mood to declutter and organize. Even though my kids are grown and have little ones of their own, that back-to-school feeling in August and September still sparks my motivation to tackle new projects.
One of my go-to projects every year is reorganizing the pantry. Having a neat, streamlined space to store food and kitchen overflow always feels like such a win heading into the fall months.
Whether you’re reading this in August, May, or any other time of year, this guide is here to help you whip your pantry into shape and get it ready for whatever season is on its way.
Streamline Your Pantry for Back-to-School
If your pantry is anything like mine, it’s definitely showing the chaos of a busy summer. Between constant snack raids and last-minute BBQs, things might feel more like a jumbled mess than a neat storage area.
What you need is a guide, a simple step-by-step to tackle the summer clutter, create an efficient pantry setup, and keep it looking neat for the long haul.
Step 1: Clear Out the Clutter
Before you can organize, you first need to make room. Pull everything out of your pantry, and I mean everything. As you go, check expiration dates and toss any stale or outdated food. Divide items into “keep,” “donate,” and “trash” piles.
Be ruthless here; if you haven’t used it in a year or it’s been lurking at the back of the shelf for who-knows-how-long, it’s time to say goodbye.
D/M Pro Tip: Got unopened, still-good food that you don’t plan to use? Box it up and drop it off at your local food pantry. It’s a simple way to lend a hand to others while making sure your pantry is stocked with items your family actually eats.
Step 2: Give It a Fresh Start
Once your pantry is cleared out, take a moment to give it a thorough cleaning. Wipe down the shelves, vacuum up any crumbs, and consider adding some shelf liners for a fresh, updated look.
As a bonus, having an empty pantry makes it so much easier to visualize a pantry layout that’s more efficient and works better for your family.
If you want more tips, read our guide on how to design the Best Pantry Layout and grab the free layout pages!
Step 3: Sort and Group by Category
Now that you’re working with a clean slate, start grouping your pantry items into categories. Think snacks, baking supplies, breakfast cereals, canned goods, and quick dinner meals.
This will help make everything easy to find once it’s time to put things back. Get our full Pantry Categories List here.
D/M Pro tip: Keep the kids in mind. If they’re the ones grabbing snacks after school, make sure their favorites are easy for them to reach. This will help you to streamline your pantry for back-to-school more efficiently.
Step 4: Plan an Efficient Pantry Layout
This step is the game-changer. Think about the flow of your daily routine and design your pantry to match. Store items you use often, like school lunch supplies, at eye level for easy access. Save the upper shelves for less-used items like rolls of paper towels or the extra box of oatmeal.
If you have little ones, create a “kid zone” on a lower shelf with snacks and treats they can grab without your help. Remove items from boxes so they can easily grab a snack without making a mess.
Step 5: Choose the Right Organizers
Now comes the fun part—setting up your organizing tools. The right organizers can make all the difference in keeping everything neat and organized Here are some favorites to consider:
- Clear Bins: Use these for snacks, so you can see what’s inside and know when it’s time to restock.
- Lazy Susans: Perfect for items like spices and condiments. No more digging through jars to find the soy sauce!
- Stackable Can Organizers: Great for creating vertical space and keeping canned goods from tumbling over.
- Airtight Containers: Transfer bulkier items like cereal, rice, or flour into these to keep them fresh and avoid spills.
- Over-the-Door Racks: Ideal for freeing up shelf space by storing small items like seasoning packets or baking supplies.
- Floor Baskets: Use these to hold appliances that you use infrequently such as air fryers or crock pots.
- Bulk Food Bins: Buying in bulk food is a great way to save money, be sure you are storing food in containers so it lasts as long as you need it to.
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Step 6: Keep It Up!
The secret to maintaining a streamlined pantry is sticking to a system. Get your family involved by showing them where everything goes, and set a rule to clean up the pantry every few weeks. It doesn’t have to be a deep-clean, but a quick 10-minute tidy-up will keep things from spiraling into chaos again.
Use labels that everyone can see. Big bold labels ensure everyone knows what belongs where, reducing the risk of things getting mixed up and messy.
Bonus Tips for Staying Organized
- Label everything. Whether it’s bins, containers, or shelves, labeling helps everyone know where things belong.
- Do a weekly check. Make it part of your grocery planning to see what’s running low or getting close to expiring.
- Rotate stock. When refilling shelves, move older items to the front so nothing gets forgotten and wasted.
Streamlining your pantry for back-to-school might seem like a big and overwhelming job, but once it’s done, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief every time you open those doors. Plus, your mornings will run smoother when lunches and breakfast fixings are easy to grab.
A little planning now will save you time (and maybe a few headaches) later. Get to work streamlining your food no matter what time of year it is.
