Organizing your pantry is no small feat, but keeping your kitchen running efficiently is necessary. In fact, there's a whole day dedicated to this task. April 11 is National Clean Up Your Pantry Day. To maximize space and find things when you need them, it's important to set up a system that keeps your pantry organized. Plus, if you're staging your home for the market, buyers want to see organized spaces. Take a look at eight tips from our real estate agents that will turn your pantry into an organized, easy-to-use kitchen space.

1. Clean Out the Clutter
   Before organizing your pantry efficiently, you need to take everything out and clean the area. To maximize space, eliminate old or expired food items and things you no longer use. This may include old or expired spices and condiments, packaged and dried foods, cooking oils, canned goods, juices, and canned and bottled drinks.

2. Separate Areas Into Zones
   Creating pantry zones will keep everything in your pantry neat, organized, and easy to find. Depending on the size of your pantry, make as many zones as you need. Create a baking zone for flour, sugar, and sprinkles, a condiment zone for relish, soy sauce, and Tabasco, or a paper zone for parchment, paper towels, and lunch bags.

3. Use Shelf Risers to Double Your Space
   Whether your pantry is located in kitchen cabinets or a separate closet, using shelf risers will double your storage space. You won't have to stack boxes and cans on top of each other or move things around to find something. Shelf risers come in various sizes and tier levels, so they easily fit in different types of pantry spaces.

4. Place Lazy Susans in Corners
   Corners in cabinets and closets are dead spots that limit your storage space. By placing Lazy Susans or turntables in pantry corners, you can add valuable space that holds a variety of pantry items. Turntables are great for storing bottles of cooking oil, vinegar, ketchup and mustard, BBQ sauces, and condiments that don't need refrigeration.

5. Tack a Shoe Organizer to the Back of the Door
   If you have a separate walk-in or closet-type pantry, you can tack a shoe organizer to the back of the door for extra storage space. Look for a clear see-through organizer with 20 to 25 pockets that can hold a variety of items like water or juice bottles, canned drinks, bags of nuts and candies, ziplock bags, or cleaning essentials like brushes, soaps, and sponges.

6. Buy Clear Storage Containers
   Using clear containers in your pantry will make it easier to find things you're looking for and eliminate visual clutter from too many grocery store packages. Buy an assortment of clear plastic or glass containers in different sizes with airtight lids. Look for sizes that will hold grains like dried beans, pasta, and rice and snacks like candies, cookies, crackers, nuts, and popcorn.

7. Use Baskets and Bins
   Storage baskets and bins are perfect for pantries with open shelving because they're attractive, they hide pantry items, and you can easily pull them out when you need them. You'll find an assortment of woven and colorful baskets, as well as black, white, or stainless steel bins in different sizes to hold a variety of pantry essentials.

8. Don't Forget the Labels
   To keep your pantry organized, you must label your bins, containers, and shelves, so things are easier to find. If you want a hand-crafted look, consider chalkboard labels you can change or hand-written labels with an artsy, creative flair.

If you're considering Colorado Springs homes for sale, contact us for friendly advice and professional real estate experience.