Use this pantry cleaning routine and printable checklist to get your pantry clean, organized and more efficient than ever before. You’ll know what you have on hand, where it is, and what you need. Plus, you’ll protect your food from pests and keep it from getting stale.
Pantry Cleaning Routine
(BONUS: there’s a printable checklist at the end!)
1. Start tossing.
Move the trash can close to your pantry shelves and begin removing items, starting at the top. Figure out what’s gone bad by understanding expiration dates, then toss expired and stale foods, including old spices that have lost their flavor. Make a note of items you need to replace.
2. Give away good (unwanted) stuff.
If you have canned goods, you know your family will never eat (like the lima beans that sat on my shelves for six months), put them in a bag and give to your local food pantry. There are so many families in need!
3. Clear the shelves.
As you work, separate items you often use (cereal, crackers, etc.) from those used less often (pickling spices, Christmas-colored sprinkles, etc.).
4. Clean the shelves.
Carefully scrape up any sticky spills with a table knife or spoon. Sprinkle on baking soda to absorb the mess, then wipe clean with a microfiber cloth and warm, soapy water. Let dry, then sweep off or vacuum away any crumbs. Be sure to look in the corners and under shelves for cobwebs.
5. Line the shelves (optional)
I am not a fan of adhesive shelf linings because they peel up in the corners and attract dirt. If I’m going to line shelves, I use wax paper or even foil gift wrap bought on clearance as a liner. Just cut it to fit, folding it over the front of the shelf if you like, and use push-pins to hold it in place. Now you’ll it will be easy to wipe up messes, and the next time you need to clean the pantry shelves, you’ll only have to scoop up the used paper and put down a new layer.
6. Corral the clutter.
Gather small items like packets of oatmeal or dressing mix and store them in a container. I re-use pasta boxes by cutting them in half and sticking a label on their spines. (One day I’ll get fancy and cover them with pretty wrapping paper.)
7. Repackage dry goods to protect them
Ants, cockroaches, and pantry moths can all get into cardboard boxes or paper bags. To protect your dry goods, transfer them from their original packaging to air-tight glass canisters that let you see what’s inside. Worried you won’t be able to tell all-purpose flour from cake flour? Label the canisters!
8. Group by use.
Keep your baking items (flour, baking soda, etc.) with each other so you can find recipe ingredients quickly. Store multiples together, so you know how many cans or boxes of an item you have left. A can rack organizer can drastically increase your storage while keeping things neat. If you have several items about to expire, place them together in a container, so you know to use them ASAP.
9. Clean and restock.
Wipe down items as you return them to the shelves. Heavier items should go on the floor or lowest shelf for safety. Place less often used things on the highest shelves, and more commonly used foods at eye-level. If you want your kids to help themselves to snacks, be sure to place them conveniently, so they don’t rummage around.
Printable Pantry Cleaning Routine
Click on the image below to open and print a .pdf file. Be sure to set your printer to landscape orientation and that you’ve chosen the “fit to page” option.
Note: This entry first appeared on July 30, 2012. It has been republished with a revised checklist.
love this post! when i married my husband + we moved in together, i discovered all sorts of creepy stuff – sauces that expired 5+ years ago, etc. ick! i’m super guilty of leaving 5 potato chips in the bottom of a bag, pushing it to the back of the pantry, then ignoring it. i’m trying to get better, though! =)
Oh, my husband does that and it drives me nuts! Then again, I do the same thing with stuff in the freezer. I have oodles of “bags of bits”, as he calls them: produce that was days from going bad that I’ve blanched, stashed and forgotten about; rinds from hard cheeses that I decided to save for soups or fondue; heels of bread, etc.
Opening my freezer can be a terrifying thing if I haven’t cleaned it lately, because all of my bags of bits come tumbling out like Fibber McGee’s closet!
Dearest Katie,
First off, I hope that your husband is recovering well. That’s more important even than the pantry.
Guess after several moves and quite some years I learned some tricks in keeping the pantry neat. Important is to have a sequence where you put the newest items so you don’t end up keeping the old things forever. Grouping by use is great and I do that too.
I’ve learned to place flour and also rice in the freezer for avoiding any meal bugs. Works very well.
Wishing you both well and sending hugs,
Mariette
Thank you, Mariette. He’s recovering nicely! The tip about putting flour and rice in the freezer is an excellent one. I freeze ours for a few days after we get it home to kill anything that might be in there already, then move it to air-tight canisters. Fortunately, we don’t have a meal bug problem. (Though I’m going to keep my fingers crossed on that, the way our luck has been of late.)
These are some really great ideas. I love my pantry but it can definitely get out of hand.
Especially with children rummaging through, right? I can find anything in my pantry, until my son gets in there. Then, whoa Nellie. It looks like a tornado hit it!
Alright, your post has really inspired me to clean my pantry (long overdue!) I suspect I’m going to find all sorts of things lurking in the back….We usually have a good suply of canned food just in case we get stuck at home.
I hope your husband is recovering well. Best wishes to you and your family.
Thank you, Raquel. He’s recovering nicely! I’m due for a pantry-cleaning, too, after our house guests leave. Three weeks with other people going through the cupboards and pantry willy nilly (and not even paying attention to my pretty shelf labels… *sniff*) means it’s a mess.
I’m just reading over the days and this one is a day I’m NOT looking forward to. I am though looking forward to how my house will look when I’m done. So far the daily cleaning routine is going good, the other day my daughter wanted to make the bed before we got out of it.
The pantry is NOT fun to clean. Well, actually, I can’t say there’s really thing that’s fun to clean, but the pantry definitely takes a lot of work. Maybe your daughter would be willing to do it? 🙂
Hi Katie!
I just found your blog today and I am LOVING all of the printables! However, the flowchart for the pantry doesn’t print correctly. Do you mind making it so that it will? Thanks a bunch!! I also plan on trying the recipes for homemade cleaners that I am super excited to try!
Becky
Thank you for the kind words, Becky, and for pointing out the problem with the pantry chart. I’ve been slowly switching my printables over to a new format and that one hasn’t been switched yet. Will try to get it done soon, though. 🙂
I’m starting a new job soon. With my significant other and I both working each week, I’m going to use your printables to make cleaning a faster and easier task. My life revolves around checklists, so your site is amazing to me. Thank you so much for all your hard work. 🙂
Congratulations on your new job, Kaila. I’m glad you’re enjoying the printables!