10 Genius Solutions to Declutter and Get—and Stay—Organized

Pick up in the pantry

Putting groceries away in a rush means they are not always shelved in the right spot. Smaller items get lost towards the back of the shelf, and you might not realize you have three of the same cracker boxes open. Sort and store like foods together, shelve them in your pantry in the same groupings as they are in the aisles of the grocery store. This keeps items you use together near one another and makes writing out your shopping list easy. Close any open bags, consolidate multiple open packages of the same food, and, if you have just a little left, pour it into a smaller container to save space. Slide boxes, turn jars, and twist cans so you can read the labels and you’ll know what’s what a glance. Corral small packets, like seasoning mixes or single serve packages, in a basket bowl, or food storage containers so you can find them. Using storage containers is a smart way to pest-proof your pantry.