Don’t beat yourself up if you’re overwhelmed by cleaning and organizing your kitchen. It can be one of the most intimidating tasks in your home. And like any intimidating task, the best approach is to start with one task.
If you try to do everything at once, you’ll end up accomplishing nothing. Start with a single project and the progress will fuel your motivation.
Where do I recommend starting? Pretty simple: the pantry.
I like starting with the pantry, because you can see the benefits right away. In turn, this inspires you to keep going.
The 5 Big Benefits of an Organized Pantry
Having an organized pantry isn’t just a Pinterest flex – it’s got some real benefits. Here are a few of my faves:
- Less food waste. When your pantry is disorganized, stuff seems to disappear. And by the time those items resurface, they’re usually stale or spoiled. By organizing your pantry, you know exactly what you have. This means you can actually use it before it goes bad.
- Save $$$. Stop overbuying food that you already have at home. A quick glance at your pantry shelves will show you what you have and what you need.
- Faster food prep. When you can find what you need, food prep gets a whole lot easier. No more running to the store to grab an item you forgot when you’re in the middle of cooking a meal. Everything you need is right where it should be.
- Save space. If you think you need a bigger pantry, you might just need a better organized pantry. With an organization system in place, you maximize the space you have and use every square inch to its full potential.
- Cleanliness. When your pantry is disorganized, it’s easy to let messes go untouched. But when your pantry is organized, CLEAN becomes the default. (Plus, it’s easier to maintain a clean pantry when you can easily access every shelf and corner.)
Simple Tips for Cleaning and Organizing Your Pantry
Here are our 4 easy steps for cleaning and organizing your pantry.
- Gather your tools
Purchase (or gather existing) containers, bins and organizational tools ahead of time. (See below for the ones we love.) Measure your shelf depth and try to get containers that will maximize that depth. Consider accessibility and use items like lazy susans, can organizers, and risers.
Pro tip: If you have these ahead of time, you can put your food into them as you empty your pantry.
Our favorite pantry tools and systems are CLEAR bins and organizers, so that you can see what you have at all times. If that doesn’t work for your budget, feel free to work with what you have, or check out the dollar store for some budget-friendly bins too!
- Take everything out
Seriously. Everything.
Toss anything that is expired and donate anything you won’t use. (Just like clothes… if you dirty bastards haven’t used something in 6 months, chances are it’s not ever going to get used.) Wipe the dust and food off of the packages as you remove them, too. (This is the #cleaningarmy, people! Don’t be a savage.)
Place everything else into your bins as you go, or into piles of like items. For example:
- Canned goods
- Pasta
- Spreads
- Cereal / Breakfast Foods
- Baking Supplies
- Kid Snacks
- Adult Snacks
- Beverages
- Oils / Vinegars
- Spices / Mixes
- Chips

3. Clean it thoroughly
You know the drill. Get after it with your vacuum. Vacuum the walls, shelves, baseboards and floor. Then you’re going to wipe down every surface. (Our recipe of water, bleach and Tide works wonders here. But if you have stubborn food spills, you can bring out Mr. Clean.)

Do you like your current shelving? If you have wire shelves, you might want to add a custom cut piece of particle board or plywood on top of the shelf, so that you have more options when it comes to organizers. Evaluate the heights between shelves if yours are adjustable, now is the time to change those up to work for you.

4. Put it all back together
Next, put everything back into the pantry. Some things to consider when deciding on placement:
- Weight. Don’t overload one shelf with all the heavy things or you could risk breaking it. And keep heavy items close to the supports. (the wall or a bracket).
- Safety. The heaviest things should go on the floor, and lighter items should go up high to avoid injury when you are taking it out. If you keep medicine in your pantry, keep it out of reach from the littles.
- Eyeline. Who is this for, and how much will they need it? If it’s for the kids, do you want easy access for them for quick snacks, or do you want those up high where they can’t reach them, so they might actually eat their damn supper?
- Expiry. Use the first in, first out approach. Older items go in front, newer behind, so that you use the older items before they expire.
- Labels. Make sure you label your bins, so that you can stay organized. Depending on your bins you can use a label maker, chalkboard labels, stickers, dry erase markers, or bin tags.

Please note that the following links are affiliate links which is a fancy way of saying that we earn a small commission from purchases made using the link at no extra cost to you. These commissions are used to pay for staff, cleaning supplies and help keep the content you all love so dearly flowing.
Products we love for pantries:

NOW GET TO WORK!
– Becky @gocleanco
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gocleanco
Feb 1
Dishwasher Filter 101 🤮 Whose ready for spring cleaning?! I’m gonna start psyching y’all up so you are READY FOR COMBAT. #springcleaning
gocleanco
Jan 19
How often to you mop your floors? Be honest cause I’ll come over and check if you are lying. #cleaningmotivation
gocleanco
Jan 18
Fancy New product Alert: Downy Rinse & Refresh is @downy ‘s biggest innovation in the last 30 years. Now, listen up because this isn’t like regular Downy, it is actually not a fabric softener, even though it goes in the fabric softener drawer! Rinse & Refresh helps with mega stubborn STINKY laundry by removing residue that traps in odour. It’s the perfect compliment to everyday smelly laundry like gym clothes, hockey clothes or that load of towels you left sitting in the washer overnight and actually removes odour three times better than laundry detergent alone. Come watch my stories today — I rounded up my teenage nephews hockey gear 😷and we will put it through the ringer. (Pun intended). What is your stinkiest laundry problem? Let me know in the comments and we can get researching 👩🏼🔬 #DownyPartner
gocleanco
Jan 12
Bleach, Pray, Love (and a little elbow grease) 💕 #cleaningmotivation
gocleanco
Dec 31
Wishing you a Tide-ey New Year. Fun fact about me: I live for Mondays. A fresh new week laid before me gives me motivation to get shit done. And January is the BIGGEST Monday of them all. Many people like to reflect on the last year but I like to look ahead and set some realistic and serious goals for myself. Take a deep breath and wake up from your Christmas haze and write down 5 things you want to get done in 2023…(or make a lock screen saver vision board like I do every year!) You don’t always have to join a gym you know. Maybe you want to clean your attic. Or take more naps. Be more present for your kids. Make your bed each morning. These goals can be small but impactful and have a domino effect throughout your life. Start small. The big stuff will follow. Thank you for sticking with me on this wild ride. We have so much in store for the #cleaningarmy in 2023 so buckle up! P.S. Lets pretend this photo was taken today cause I’m currently in my house coat cleaning everyone’s AirPods. 📸 cred @substanceyyc 💕
gocleanco
Dec 29
Are you team Boxing Day Christmas decor tear down or Team January tear down? I took mine down before we left and I’m currently feeling like it was hands down, my most genius idea of 2022. Now to tackle the worlds largest pile of laundry and prep my life for 2023 🎉 #christmascleanup
gocleanco
Dec 28
Have the itch to purge after the holidays? Me TOO! The team at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? can help you have a fresh start for 2023 by getting rid of any unwanted items - even Christmas trees (as long as they fit in the truck)! They are fast, efficient, and reliable making it SO worth it in my books. I would recommend 1-800-GOT-JUNK? to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed with too much stuff in their lives. They handle all the heavy lifting by removing your items right from where they are located, and they recycle and donate! There's no better way to ring in the new year than with a decluttered space! @1800gotjunk #sponsored
gocleanco
Dec 24
Wax removal incase your drunk uncle knocks over a candle tonight. #merrychristmaseve
gocleanco
Dec 17
Christmas Gift Ideas that don’t cost any money: 1. Clean the kitchen after Christmas dinner and tell the Chef to go sit down. They will refuse but you have to firmly tell them to GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN and you can figure out where the pots and pans go without their help. 2. Offer to watch your friends kids this week if you are one of those lucky people who did all their shopping in July are ready for 🎅🏻 . (No one will say no to this.) 3. Go clean someone who is having a tough times house. They will probably decline because they are overwhelmed or embarrassed. They should not be. Tell them it’s an Act of Service and you love them and want to help. Or just show up and kick them out. That always works. 😈 The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is vacuuming loud for all to hear. 🎅🏻🤶🏻🎄 You folks have any other ideas? I love a good act of service, let me know in the comments!
gocleanco
Dec 14
I always keep @swiffer on hand for a quick tidy up before company comes during the holidays (every person who comes over here white gloves my baseboards now—including my mother) or when I don’t want to drag out the vacuum. They are great for the daily tidy, they can get into nearly every tight spot! What many people don’t know is that @swiffer also picks up and removes 95% of allergens. My fave is the Swiffer Dusters Super Extender Handle Starter Kit which extends up to six feet so you can get those hard to reach up high (or down low) tricky spots! #swifferpartner #sponsored
gocleanco
Dec 10
@cfcanada is offering gift wrapping by donation at the following malls this holiday season. My 6 year old niece has #cysticfibrosis and @cfcalgary is near and dear to my ❤️ so please pop in and let someone else do your wrapping this year. One less thing on your plate. 🎁 Locations: Calgary: South Centre Mall and Northlands Mall Edmonton: Londonderry Mall Winnipeg: Kildonan Place
gocleanco
Dec 9
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of @clorox_canada around here @gocleanco and we’ve been using it since the beginning. Clorox® Bleach is derived from sodium chloride - common table salt, and during household use this product breaks down to mostly salt and water. My mind was blown to learn that you could use Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach to prolong the life of a fresh cut Christmas tree, so naturally I had to try it. You’ll need: 1.9 L hot water, 1/2 Tbsp Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach, 1 cup corn syrup, ⅛ cup powdered chelated iron (check your local nursery). Make sure to protect your floor and work area before you start. Cut at least ½ inch off the bottom of your tree, especially if it’s been a few hours since it was cut down. Add ⅛ cup chelated iron and 1 cup of corn syrup to a large container (think juice jug), and then add 1.9 L of hot water. Finally, add 1/2 Tbsp Clorox® Disinfecting Concentrated Bleach and stir to mix. Once your tree is in its stand and you know it isn’t going anywhere, add the solution to the tree stand. Never let your tree dry out and mix up a fresh batch of solution when needed. #yeahbleachdoesthat, #ad
gocleanco
Dec 9
Polished up real ✨ nice ✨
gocleanco
Dec 6
The season has officially landed and we are here to help you through it! Reminder that we have tons of tips on the blog to get your home ready for guests and the holidays. But also: Real friends don’t care if your baseboards are dirty. 🤭
gocleanco
Nov 30
After the Fall Cleaning Challenge my team and I had a lot of stuff to purge! So we called 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and the fellas got to work. Did you know that they are a full service Junk Removal company that actually comes into your basement, garage, attic and you can just stand there and point out what needs to go and they’ll remove it right from where it’s located? ? They price based on volume so you only pay for how much room your items take up in the truck. Plus they then take the items to their warehouse and sort through what can be donated, reused and recycled! You can save money and space before the Holidays with my code: SARAH47 for $47 off your next Junk Removal. Create some space to breathe for yourself before the big guy comes! 🎅🏻 #sponsored @1800gotjunk Cannot be combined with other offers. Offer ends Dec 2, 2022. Offer not valid on standard item pricing or minimum loads.
gocleanco
Nov 23
Is your refrigerator running? 😆 Probably not very well if this is how the vents look! Reminder that your fridge has air vents that can get clogged up with pet hair and dust, when they are clogged, it hinders its efficiency. Before you load it up with food this weekend, pull it out (watch your floors!) and take a peek 👀
gocleanco
Nov 15
#sponsored @bissellclean has hooked the #cleaningarmy up with a bundle deal and you are gonna love it! The bundle includes The CleanView® Swivel Rewind Pet Reach, (one of my fav carpet vacs you see me using all the time), MyAir® Personal Air Purifier (a fav of the #cleaningarmy’s) and their new Pet Stain Eraser™ PowerBrush all bundled together for a cool 20% off. Check out my stories where I put some of my fav BISSELL® products to the test.
gocleanco
Oct 24
Cleaning is such a scary job I don’t even bother asking him to help anymore. #happyhalloween
gocleanco
Oct 21
Not me using Catch Up Week to answer emails and clean my suckers out. 😵💫 Reminder that if you have fallen behind that’s OKAY and you are only human and can only do so many things in a day. What did you use Catch Up Week for? Lemme know ⤵️
gocleanco
Oct 18
The 2023 Cleaning Army Calendar is here! This is a limited print run so get it while it’s 🔥. Who snagged one this morning? #cleaningarmy