Leesa Kotis on how to spring clean your pantry

It might not be top of your to-do list, but what if we told you that a well-ordered and happy pantry equals a happy home?

It’s true. FEMAIL spoke to the Sydney-based de-cluttering expert, Leesa Kotis of The Clutter Bug, to find out her top tips for giving your food cupboards a good spring clean this month.

She also revealed how having a well-organised, Pinterest-worthy pantry can make you happier, healthier and maybe even richer. 

According to Leesa, the first step in nailing #pantrygoals is to get everything out and purge the junk – she recommends putting much reached-for items at eye level (stock image)

According to Leesa, the most important in nailing #pantrygoals is to get everything out and purge the junk:

‘The first step in spring cleaning is always emptying the entire contents out,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Clear a space on a surface, fill it and dispose of all out-of-date foods, wiping down the shelves as you go.

‘Pay close attention to best before and use by dates. You can still eat foods for a while after the best before date as they should still be safe, but according to the Australian Food Standards agency, they may have lost some of their quality.’

To keep things looking pretty, Ms Kotis recommends using square or rectangular containers, instead of round ones – as they fit more neatly and look good (stock image)

Next, Ms Kotis said it pays to sort remaining items into ‘like with like’. 

‘Keep things easy to access,’ she explained – ‘by using baskets or shelf organisers, shelf racks and expandable spice racks’.

Smaller items such as tinned fish can live in a basket or on stepped spice racks, for example. Larger tins can fit into a dispenser that stores them on their side, allowing them to roll forward as each one is removed.

The expert also recommends sorting your items into various groups. Put the most used and reached-for items at eye level, for instance, and the things you don’t go for as often on higher and lower shelves.

‘For awkward corners, a lazy susan is great, perfect for oils, vinegars, sauces and anything in taller bottles,’ she admitted.

‘Labelled baskets are also great for organisation and ease of identification.’ 

‘For awkward corners, a lazy susan is great, perfect for oils, vinegars, sauces and anything in taller bottles,’ Ms Kotis said (stock image)

But what about when you’ve done all of this, and still want your pantry to look beautiful?

‘With a little bit of space and money, such pantries are possible,’ Ms Kotis said. 

Leesa Kotis (pictured) of The Clutter Bug

‘To get the look, try to stick to purchasing the same brand of airtight containers. I prefer square or rectangular, as round waste a lot of valuable space and are not as easily stacked.’

Ms Kotis said she favours Kmart baskets for groups of items and Decor match ups for dry food containers. 

Lastly, the de-cluttering expert said that a well-organised pantry can not only make you healthier, but also richer:

‘Just like a well-organised fridge, a well-organised pantry can keep us healthier and save us money,’ she admitted. 

‘If you have healthy food alternatives that are easily accessible and well-labelled, then you’re more likely to reach for them.’

A pantry spring clean could even help in the finances department, insofar as if you have an inventory of what you’ve got ‘it saves buying doubles of items you have but just can’t find’. 

‘Keep a notepad or white board near pantry to note items that need to be replenished,’ Ms Kotis concluded.  

For more information about The Clutter Bug, please click here.