1. EMPTY
Take literally everything off the shelves so that when you’re finished, they’re completely bare. Since you likely haven’t seen the tops of the shelves in a while, now is a good time to give them a good wipe so they’re extra clean, Waters says.
2. SORT
“Remember those matching games from when you were a kid?” asks Waters. “This is just like that.” Put all the grains with the grains, legumes with the legumes and so forth. When you’re finished sorting, there should be piles of each food category.
3. EDIT
This is the time where you need to decide between tossing or keeping each item. First, start by checking expiration dates — if something’s old or smells off, chuck it. Next, evaluate which items you’ll never use and donate those to a local charity. Then, Waters suggests getting creative. For example, if you have a collection of half-empty liquor bottles that you only use occasionally, create a bar and display those bottles as decor.
4. RELOCATE
Your pantry should only contain food, so any random items that ended up in there must be returned to their proper homes. Waters is a big proponent of displaying items that traditionally are kept in the pantry — for instance, she loves setting up a tea or coffee station on the counter. “Use those items to design your space,” she says. “Make your home feel like your favorite hotel room.”
5. DECANT
Welcome to the part where you get to break out the label maker. Remove all food from its packaging and fill up glass jars with airtight lids to keep food and ingredients fresh. She says you can literally decant anything — from spices to toothpicks. Lastly, label each jar so you can easily spot it among your array of goodies.
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