Most of us have one spot in the house that we quietly avoid. For a mom named Lindsay, who posts as @uplift.her.wealth, that spot was the pantry. It had gotten so packed that she could not open the doors to pull anything out, and she was sick of tripping over everything around it.
So she kicked off day one of a brand new declutter and deep clean series. Her plan is to go through every room in her house, make a list of everything that needs to be cleared out and scrubbed down, and, in her words, that is “pretty much everything.” The pantry came first because it was the project she had been putting off the longest.
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Lindsay describes herself as a type B mom who is hoping to pick up a few type A habits. Her stated goal is a home that brings her joy and peace, and she says the only way to get there is to tackle the projects she keeps avoiding. She also admits she went in looking for motivation at the bottom of a wine glass, which is a very honest way to start a big cleaning day.
The Myth Of The Five Minute Timer
Lindsay says she has seen plenty of creators claim that decluttering takes far less time than you expect. The advice goes that you set a timer, and before you know it the job is done in about five minutes. She was hoping that would be true for her pantry.
It was not. As soon as she began pulling everything out and figuring out how to rearrange the shelves, she realized that advice did not apply to this project. Between emptying every shelf, sorting the contents and checking dates, she knew it was going to take a long time and that she simply had to be patient. Her way of looking at it was simple: how do you climb a mountain? One step at a time.
That is a useful reminder for anyone staring down a closet, a garage or a kitchen cabinet. Quick-fix videos make decluttering look like a lightning round, but a space that has been ignored for years usually needs a real afternoon. Plan for that, and you will not feel like a failure when the five minute timer runs out.
The Expiration Date Struggle
The part that nearly broke her was checking expiration dates. Lindsay says nothing has made her feel older than trying to read one. First, she says, good luck finding it at all, because the writing is so small that you have to search the entire package. Then, once you finally spot the numbers, you cannot tell whether you are looking at the day, the month or the year.
She says she almost wanted to quit right there. Instead she gave herself a little pep talk, declaring that she is “stronger than a dry noodle” and was not going to let tiny print stop her from getting a clean, organized pantry. Anyone who has squinted at the bottom of a can with a flashlight will feel that one in their bones.
Then she asked her followers a question that sparked plenty of conversation. Do you believe the date is firm, so an item has to be tossed the minute it passes? Or do you treat it as a best before date with a grace period, where the item can still be used a little longer? She invited everyone to weigh in with their answer in the comments.
Firm Date Or Best Before? What To Know
Lindsay’s question is one every household argues about, so it helps to know how the labels generally work. In the United States, most date stamps on food, such as “best if used by” or “sell by,” are about quality and freshness rather than safety. The big exception is infant formula, which is regulated and should never be used past its date.
A few habits make the sorting go faster and cut down on waste:
- Use your phone camera to zoom in on tiny print instead of straining your eyes.
- Look at the bottom, the lid rim and the crimped edge of cans and bags, which is where dates tend to hide.
- Check the look, smell and texture of anything past its date, and toss anything that seems off, bulging or leaking.
- Group like items together so the oldest are in front and get used first.
The same thinking works for the whole pantry. Dry goods such as pasta, rice and canned vegetables often stay good well past their printed dates when stored in a cool, dry spot, while spices lose punch over time and are worth replacing when they smell like nothing. Taking a few minutes to decide your own rule, firm or flexible, keeps you from rereading every label each time you clean.
Why She Is Doing This In A Series
Lindsay says the point of the series is to stop avoiding the projects that make her feel overwhelmed. She hopes that getting rid of items will make the house easier to keep clean, and that she can create systems so things do not spiral out of control again down the road. That second part matters, because clearing a space without a plan for keeping it clear is how clutter creeps back.
She was upfront that the pantry was frustrating. Even so, she says there was a huge sense of satisfaction once it was finished. That feeling of walking up to a shelf you can actually see and a door that actually opens is often the thing that keeps people going to the next room.
She knows it will take a long time and will not happen overnight, but she believes it will be a game changer and make things so much better. Her ask to viewers was to stick around and follow along. She even told them not to be afraid to call her out if she goes a long time without posting, because sometimes she needs a little negative reinforcement.
Take Her Lead In Your Own Kitchen
You do not need a series or a camera to borrow her approach. Start with the spot you have been avoiding, because the longer you put it off the bigger it grows. Pull everything out, wipe the shelves, sort what stays and what goes, and put the keepers back in a way that lets you see them.
Check dates, restock what you are low on, and donate unopened items you know your family will not eat to a local food pantry, which is a kinder ending than the trash can. Then write down one small rule to keep it tidy, such as adding new groceries to the back and moving older ones forward. Lindsay’s mountain-climbing advice holds up: take it one step at a time, and give yourself the patience the job needs.
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