Keeping your kitchen clean and organized is one of the easiest ways to keep control of your messes. But keeping your pantry clean and organized is the key to keeping your kitchen up to date! Pantry organization is a vital element to any housekeeping routine, and knowing where everything is and how to find it will make cooking and cleaning less of a daily hassle. With these tips from Closet and Storage Concepts of Boston, Massachusetts, you can have your tidiest pantry ever, giving you more time to focus on what your kitchen is really about: food! 
- Use See-Through Containers
Using clear containers is a great way to make sure that you know exactly what you have, where you have it, and how much is left. Store dry ingredients in glass jars and left-overs in see-through plastic. This way it will be easy to take quick visual stock of what you have and what you need when it comes time to make your grocery list. It will also allow you to see quickly if something is going bad or developing mold so that you can clean out expired products without having to worry about cross-contamination.
- Label Everything
Labels are always your biggest friends when it comes to organization. Labels will show you not only what you have and where it goes, but will also serve as a helpful guide to other people searching for a snack or particular ingredient. Have a basket labeled snacks, which holds things like individual packets of nuts or crackers, and label anything that you can’t see immediately. Between the see-through containers and the labels, you’ll never have trouble finding an ingredient again!
- Use Over-The Door Storage
Repurpose items like over the door shoe hangers to make quick and easy extra storage for things that you need close at hand and use often, but which would otherwise take up shelf space. You can store spices here, or snacks, or even use it as a candy stash if you’ve got a sweet craving. 
- Keep An Eye on Expiration Dates
Making sure that your kitchen is full of fresh and ready ingredients makes cooking much easier, but making sure that nothing you have has expired is a vital step in keeping your pantry up to date. Do a regular check of all your food products to make sure that nothing has gone bad, and plan your weekly meals around the foods that are set to expire soon so you don’t waste money throwing them away. A great time to do this is once a week as you build your grocery list before going shopping.
For more custom pantry storage and organization solutions, visit Closet and Storage Concepts today! Proudly serving the greater Boston and New England areas.
Top photo copyright iStock/ CameronAynSmith.