Pantry

Organizing my pantry was a difficult task, because it is a space used every day and it is a space used by multiple people. I began, as I have with all organizing projects I have completed so far, by removing all items from the pantry. In this process, I found a few items that had gone past their expiration date. I decided that the method I used needed to keep only what we needed, because the items that had gone past their expiration date hadn't even been opened. I aimed to find a permanent place for every type of item stored in the pantry for ultimate effectiveness (Kondo 130).


My next task was to sort all of the items by category. On the top of the shelving unit, I placed all of our cereal boxes. I also opened all of the boxes of instant oatmeal packets and condensed them into one box. Another thing I noticed was multiple packages/boxes of the same thing had been opened. I resolved to reduce the wastefulness that my family sometimes exhibits by opening a new container of something when there is already something open in that same category. This is done because the area was so messy; if the area was tidier, we likely wouldn't have opened so many unnecessary containers in search for a specific item.
On the shelf below, I set canned foods, grouped by category- soup, vegetables, or beans. For this, I used Kondo's tip to "store everything similar in the same place or close proximity" (Kondo 143). I also put sauces on the shelf.  I was amazed by the visual impact that I was already making on the space.
The third shelf, I decided, would be dedicated to grains. I put all of the rice, pasta, and popcorn. I also put the peanut butter on the third shelf. The improved access to these items made the "search time" for something reduced by a huge factor.
On the fourth shelf, I put jam and salsa that my mom had made. Personally, I determined that this arrangement would ultimately be the most helpful. She had made so much jam and salsa that it was being stored in the back of the pantry and in cabinets above the upstairs and downstairs refrigerators.
The final shelf, I determined, would be for miscellaneous items- dog treats, garbage bags, wood cleaner, and other such items without category.
An overwhelming factor of the pantry had been the collection of plastic bags. These bags had accumulated from trips to the grocery store, and had been saved. Why we had kept so many is a mystery to me. I estimate we recycled about 1000 plastic bags. I put the remaining bags in three larger bags and hung them on the wall rather than putting them on the floor, in order to create space.
The final change I made in the pantry was moving my dog's food container and dishes to the back of the pantry, rather than right next to the door. This made the space seem more open.
I did this organizational process about three weeks ago, and decided to write the blog post later to test how well it would hold up. It held up surprisingly well. I believe that if a simple system is put into place, people will follow it easily (namely, my family). I am proud of the work I did on the pantry and its shocking effectiveness.

The pantry before...

and after!