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Whether you cook daily for a big family or regularly meal prep for one, the kitchen is a space where most of us spend a significant amount of time. Though some perceive them as purely utilitarian, the reality is more often the exact opposite. Kitchens are spaces we gravitate toward naturally to prepare delicious meals and spend quality time together. Of course, this also makes kitchens prone to gathering all kinds of clutter, from unusual kitchen gadgets that are actually life-savers to packets of fast food ketchup and half-eaten bags of chips.
Decluttering any area of your home may seem like a herculean task, but the kitchen can be particularly complex since you’ll likely need it to remain functional in the meantime. One easy way to get instant results and keep the space available for cooking is to decant as many pantry staples as possible into uniform, airtight containers. Not only is this a win aesthetically, but it also helps you more easily assess what ingredients needs to be restocked and keeps your favorite snacks fresh for longer.
Instead of struggling to roll and clip crinkly plastic bags, you can simply transfer pretzels, chips, cookies, and even cereal from their original packaging into something similar to the OXO Good Grips 5-Piece POP Container Set. Sets like this usually feature a variety of container sizes so you can easily store different volumes of food. They’re also made to sit flush with each other, freeing up room to keep your pantry well stocked with canned essentials like tuna and pre-cooked canned potatoes.
Tips for customizing your decluttering process
Since no two pantries or families are quite the same, you’ll need to assess your space to decide where your priorities lie. Take stock of what you buy, store, and use the most to determine which containers will work best for your pantry. If you love cooking from scratch, you may need plenty of airtight containers to protect things like flour, rolled oats, and dried fruit from spoilage. If you drink a lot of soda or love the convenience of canned soup, something like the Simple Houseware Stackable Can Organizer may be just what you need to free up shelf space.
If you have little ones that love being independent, you can also organize your pantry to meet your kids’ needs by placing individual portions of their favorite snacks in clear bins at eye level. This helps keep their tummies full during playtime while simultaneously allowing them to feel more in control of their daily routine and saving you time as you won’t need to hand out snacks all day.
Even if you normally buy individual packets of snack crackers, nuts, and hydrating drink mix, you can still keep these things organized in baskets. Square baskets fit neatly onto shelves and allow you to see how much of each prepackaged item you have left. Since these items are already individually sealed, it’s fine to put them in an open container, keeping them easily accessible when you need a pick-me-up or to throw together a quick lunch on the go.
