spring has sprung the birds are chirping the flowers are blooming and you can feel it in the air but you can also smell something funny in the air and it s coming from your pantry spring cleaning isn t just for the lounge now is the perfect time to take charge of your food pantry get it organised with these tips categorise the items categorising all your pantry items is a good place to start everyone will have a different way you could do it by expiry date perishable to non perishable meal types dinners breakfasts etc or even by sweet and savoury whatever your way using a system to group your food will help you figure out what goes where separate the food items on shelves or by using baskets to keep it neat get labelling labelling the shelves or baskets you have set out will not only make it easier to find the food in your pantry but you ll also know exactly where to put new items when you come home from the shops store meal items togethereveryone has their go to meals when they re stuck for time or energy it could be a tasty pasta or spicy curry keeping these ingredients together in your pantry will save you valuable time when it s time to cook plus you ll know when you re running low on your key ingredients keep food that goes off in sight when it comes to perishables it s best to remove them from all packaging store them separately keeping your onions potatoes garlic and tomatoes visible will also help you keep an eye on them so you can see when they re going off avoiding expensive food wastage this corner rack not only looks great but also packs neatly into a corner saving you space decant certain items once you have opened items that come in bags decant them into glass jars to keep them fresher for longer it s also a neat and attractive way of organising your pantry bigger jars can be used for foods like cereal and nuts while smaller jars can be used for things like spices stack it if you re running out of space in your pantry containers that stack neatly and attractively are a great way of making the most of your space and work well for storing things you don t use as much such as baking ingredients clear containers are your best bet as you ll never forget what s in them don t forget the floor if your pantry is also where you keep things like kitchen towels wax paper and cling wrap a large container is a great way to store them and utilise often underused floor space