I love organizing and cleaning. For whatever reason, despite being what some would consider a chore, it actually brings me relaxation. The process isn’t always easy but I think because I know the end reaps benefits, it results in my enjoyment. This doesn’t mean my house stays organized at all times. Especially right now when our house has been a full-time school and office since March of 2020 with, as of right now, no known end date.
One thing I have found when I go on my organizing sprees is that I have to make it realistic for what works for my family. While I may love the look of things I see on Pinterest boards like bathrooms with towels perfectly folded into seashell shapes or pantries with every single item poured into a beautiful container, I know that would never last in my house. I don’t set myself up for automatic failure.
I recently did a deep clean and organizing of my refrigerator and am happy to report it has stayed pretty organized for weeks now. When I decided to organize my pantry, I knew I needed to use the same realistic approach if I had any hope of keeping it organized.
The 3 minute video will take you through what I did but read on for the steps and links to my favorite items for organizing.
My favorite organizing items
Labels– I don’t get fancy with printed out labels. Though those do look amazing. Instead, I bought a pack of almost 100 labels for $12 that comes with a chalk pen. It will last you forever. I highly recommend labeling containers that typically always end up being refilled with the same item. Things like sugar and flour. It will help pull an organized look together.
Lazy Susan– This is hands down my favorite when it comes to organizing a bathroom, pantry, refrigerator, basically you name it and this item will not only help save space and look nice but you can also actually see what items you have. The cost is all over the map but in my experience, places like TJ Max and Marshalls usually carry these at a super low cost.
Dollar Store Bins– The dollar store can be a fantastic place to find things like storage bins. Be cautious of things like BPA if you are using them for food storage. They will also not be super durable. But for things like the storage of packs of goldfish crackers, I find it looks really nice to have them in a bin/tote versus in the box from Costco.
Containers that (mostly) match- In a perfectly organized world, you’d have perfectly sized, colored and labeled containers. But that’s not a reality most of us live in. I try to stick to black and white when I can and a variety of sizes. But you will notice it is not all perfectly matched. I love Home Goods for reasonably priced containers.
Let’s go through each step.
Taking everything out is a step I never skip when doing a big clean out. You won’t be able to do a thorough inventory and clean if you don’t remove all items. You’ll also be able to get rid of anything expired and not accidentally skim over it. It also basically guarantees you can put it back in a more organized way.
Cleaning can include wiping down all surfaces and sweeping and/or vacuuming depending on the space you are working with.
Inventory it all prior to making a purchase—this step will add time but I promise you it’s worth it. Many times I have gone to the store and bought containers that don’t end up working. Inventory exactly what you will want to contain and write down the type of container or other item you need so when you go shopping, you come back with the right items.
Using containers will help things looking visually organized. I have a bin for snacks like individually packaged gold fish crackers. The bins look so much nicer than keeping the big Costco boxes. I also recommend things like those items being kept lower so kids can reach them (if you want them to have access).
Grouping things together will help you to know what you had. When I took everything out of my pantry, I had about eight cans of canned corn. Now they are all together so I actually know what I have and will do my best to not add canned corn to my shopping list since eight cans will last us awhile.
Maintaining is another critical step. Eventually I fail but keeping it maintained well for as long as I can helps me to rarely have to do the big clean out.
Be Realistic– If your house looks like the after version of a Home Edit episode, way to go. If not, know that most of ours don’t either. Just organize to whatever extent will make your life a little easier. I promise you, it is not a competition.
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