Today Is The Day – Reset Your Pantry For Summer Now!

Want to Get Organized?

Switch It Up

Seasonal switch overs aren’t just for your closet, your pantry will benefit from a reset every 3 months or so as well!

It may seem a bit excessive to redo your pantry so often, but the more you edit, the less time it will take. With constant upkeep, your pantry will always be functional no matter what time of year it is, or what season of life you’re going through.

Where To Start

As with most organizing projects, your first step is to take everything out. Before you roll your eyes and say to yourself, “I thought this wasn’t going to take a long time”, we will admit that the first time is the hardest.

Set aside an hour or so (depending on the state of your pantry) to deal with this first round, knowing that subsequent resets will take significantly less time.

Then take out all of the cans, boxes, bins and baskets until your shelves are empty. Wipe them down so you have a fresh canvas to work with.

Categories are next. Sort your food into groups that make sense to you, for example; cans with cans, pasta with pasta or snacks with snacks.

Make sure you get rid of any expired food and box up donations that are still edible but you know you’re never going to eat. We all make shopping mistakes and there’s no shame in it! That bottle of exotic marinade isn’t going to be any more appealing a month from now, so let it go while someone else can still eat it.

Photo: @doneanddonehome

How To Make Your Pantry Work Seasonally

Before you start replacing your food items, now is the time to make your pantry summer friendly. Put all of your cans of hearty soups, chilis and packages of ramen noodles toward the back of the pantry. While you may eat those items occasionally this summer, it’s unlikely they’ll be your go-to’s. Instead give the spotlight to snacks for kids who are out of school, cans of vegetables that can be added to pasta salads and drinks for hot sunny days.

The changes you make may be subtle, but the efficiency of your pantry will go through the roof. If everyone in your home knows where to find what they’re looking for, you may actually get a few minutes to yourself to soak up some Vitamin D and that’s a summer win in our book!