Clutter control: planning the perfect pantry



This was published 9 years ago

Clutter control: planning the perfect pantry

By Sarah McInerney

Everyone's pantry has them.

A random collection of ingredients from recipes or diets that have long since been forgotten, taking up space and gathering dust.

Out with the old and in with the new ... Re-organising the pantry.

Out with the old and in with the new ... Re-organising the pantry.Credit:Quentin Jones

Or multiple bottles of the same condiment bought because the originals have been camouflaged by newer items, pushing them into the deep, dark bowels of a shelf.

The kitchen pantry might be one of the most used cupboards in the house but it can also be one of the most disorganised.

Pantry makeover ... Karen Koedding puts plastic containers, internal shelves and labels to good use for a client.


Feng shui consultant and professional organiser Carolyn McCallum has found a lunchbox full of mouldy food and Christmas presents Santa forgot to give out in some of her client's pantries.

But the biggest culprit is old food.

"People keep a lot of things out of the use by date," she says.

"Removing those can make a really positive impact on the pantry."


Cleaning out the expired sauces and the weevil-ridden rice is the first step to organising the kitchen cupboard. Sorting the items into like groups and finding them a home is the second.

There are no hard and fast rule for this, according to Karen Koedding from The Little Elf. Partly because pantries can come in all shapes and sizes. But mainly because how things are grouped and located within a pantry depends on an individual's cooking habits and dietary restrictions.

Someone who is gluten intolerant might want their specialty flours within easy reach. If dinner involves ordering takeaway most nights of the week, the sauces might get prime position.

"Anything a person uses a lot should be between eye level and waist level, " Koedding says.

Two general rules of thumb are to adopt the supermarket practice of rotating the older pantry stock to the front and to locate the heavier items on the lower shelves to avoid being accidentally clocked on the head if they fall.

And remember eye level for an adult will be different for kids. To encourage children to help make their own school lunches, put the snack food at a height suitable for them.

In fact, both McCallum and Koedding stick labels on the shelves to help guide family members.

"This helps with my shopping list, it gives me a visual reminder of what items need to be bought," McCallum says.

Equipment can help

Professional organiser Angela Hunter says a deep pantry offers a lot of space but comes with its own set of challenges - namely things disappearing at the back.

"A good trick if you've got a really deep pantry and things do get lost in the back is to use baskets and containers, use square or rectangular shapes so you make the most use of the space," Hunter says.

Clear containers are good as you can see what's inside them. Alternatively, label those you can't see through, she says.

The other advantage of storing dry goods in this way - for any shaped cupboard - is that it helps keep away the dreaded pantry moths, which Koedding says can be a particular problem in Sydney.

"Often times there will be an open packet attracting pantry months," Koedding says.

"They need to be in closed plastic containers."

Other options for a deep pantry are to install a lazy susan, affix a rack to the door to hold spices or the foil and cling wrap, or erect a series of 'shelf raisers'. These are mini-shelves that provide a mezzanine level in a cupboard. They can be custom-made or purchased from places like Howard's Storage World and Ikea.

"I've come across a lot of deep pantries where there's a no-man's land at the back," Koedding says.

"I like to put a second layer of shelves in the back of the cabinet."

Ongoing maintenance

Hunter says a clutter-free home can help reduce stress levels as well as cut out the time spent looking for lost things. Or in the case of a pantry, the money spent buying duplicate items.

"If you've got a plan and a routine and things are where you expect them to be, then when life happens it's not that big of a bump," Hunter says.

"With the pantry, you're rushing home from work, you have got to feed the kids, it's more efficient".

McCallum suggests having a pantry clear-out each season - in effect a spring clean times four. Koedding recommends a total clear-out once a year - eat your way to the last piece of dried spaghetti then start from scratch, buying only the things you'll use.

But at the end of the day, Hunter says the most important thing is to be practical.

Her philosophy: be "organised enough".


What's your hot tip for organising the pantry? Is there one item you alway seem to have multiple bottles/jars/packets of lurking in the back?

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