8 Pantry Items to Toss Now, According to a Professional Organizer
Clear the kitchen clutter fast with these expert tips.
In many ways, the pantry is the foundation of a kitchen. Whether it’s a standalone cabinet or a walk-in closest, this pivotal piece of storage is likely where you keep all your essentials: cooking oils and spices that flavor your home cooking, baking soda and flour, and granola bars and bagged chips for your kids’ school lunches. Think about it: you’re probably in and out of your pantry all day long! But, along the way, you might notice other unnecessary junk accumulating—and competing for space. “When people don't know where something belongs, it ends up in the pantry,” says Simcha Peretz, a professional wellness home organizer and owner of Joyful Nest Home Organizing. “It's the easiest place to close the door on and forget about!”
Not to mention, with bulk buying and a few impulse purchases here and there, kitchen pantries can quickly become disorganized hubs, where it’s easy for expired goods to go unnoticed for months—even years. “The pantry is almost always the first place in the home to get out of control, and it happens to the best of us,” Peretz notes. While a cluttered pantry is common, its impact is pervasive: It can slow down the cooking process, lead to overbuying, create food waste, and cause mental chaos.
Thankfully though, even if your pantry is in a state of disarray, it isn’t a lost cause. With a little decluttering and reorganizing, a more streamlined space is possible. “When you simplify your kitchen down to only the essential gadgets and stock your pantry with only the items you actually use and love, everything changes,” Peretz reveals. “A good system transforms the whole experience, and suddenly, the pantry works for you, not against you.”
To clear space on your pantry shelves, here are the eight pantry items you need to toss right now.
Overhaul your kitchen with these decluttering tasks:
Rancid Cooking Oils
Cooking oils like olive oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil expire much faster than you’d expect: An opened bottle generally lasts six months to a year before it turns rancid—but its lifespan decreases when stored in a moist area that’s exposed to heat or light. To preserve the taste and freshness of your culinary creations, throw out any oils with a sour smell, cloudy consistency, or bitter taste.
Expired Spices
Although expired spices won’t make you sick, they do lose their potency and taste over time. If you notice a faded aroma, clumpy consistency, or faded color, the spice is due for a replacement. To avoid future food waste, opt for smaller spice containers. “That way, your spices stay fresh and flavorful and actually do something good for your cooking and your health,” Peretz says.
Forgotten Condiments
“Most of us have a collection of condiments and sauces we bought for that one recipe and never touched again,” Peretz notes. Sauces that are stored in a cool, dark pantry after opening have a limited shelf life. An opened bottle of fish sauce or hot chili oil, for instance, won’t last more than six months. “If it’s been ignored for months, it’s time to let it go,” Peretz advises. “You’ll be amazed at how much space opens up!”
Faulty Canned Goods
Canned goods might be shelf-stable, but they don’t last for an eternity. Unopened cans generally stay good for two to five years, but the quality degrades. And when cans are rusted, dented, or swollen, the window in which its food contents remain safe shrinks. As you declutter your pantry, dispose of any expired, damaged, or forgotten cans. For the keepers, put the newest additions in the back and keep the older items in the front.
Opened Snacks
Even if they’re secured with a chip clip or a rubber band, opened bags of store-bought snacks only last for so long before they turn stale. Toss any near-empty bags and boxes—or ones that have been opened for weeks—to free up space. If stale snacks are an ongoing issue, purchase smaller packages, or store them in airtight containers.
Unused Gadgets
If your pantry is piled high with unused cooking tools, such as an avocado slicer or an apple corer, Peretz is giving you permission to part ways with them. “We all hold on to gadgets, thinking we will use them one day, but that day rarely comes,” Peretz says. “If you haven’t touched it in over a year, it doesn’t belong in your kitchen or pantry.”
Duplicate Items
Buying boxed spaghetti, canned chickpeas, or bagged popcorn in bulk is a wonderful cost-saving hack—but only if you’ll actually use the products. Otherwise, you’ll end up with dozens of duplicates and no space to store anything else. To keep your shelves neat and tidy, place just one of the ingredients in your pantry and put the rest in overflow storage. If you don’t think you’ll use up the excess before its expiration date, donate them.
Stray Tea Bags
Technically, instant tea bags don’t expire, but they do lose their flavor and fragrance over time. If you’ve been holding onto a box of tea for over a year, it’s probably passed its peak freshness, so it’s better off in the garbage bin. The same goes for any loose bags of tea: If you can’t identify it, it belongs in the trash. As for the most recent additions to your tea collection, store them in an airtight container to prolong its shelf life.
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
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