Every home has that one spot everyone avoids. For one mom, it was the pantry. She had put it off for so long that she was tripping over things and could not even open the doors to get anything out. So she kicked off a room-by-room declutter and deep clean series with a challenging first stop. @uplift.her.wealth shared her day one, and many people will recognize the story.
Her plan is to go through every room, make a list of everything that needs to be decluttered and deep cleaned, which, to be honest, she says is pretty much everything.
@uplift.her.wealth
Not as Quick as She Hoped
She says she has seen other creators claim that this kind of project takes less time than you think. They suggest setting a timer, and it ends up being only five minutes. But as she began pulling everything out, rearranging shelves and checking expiration dates, she realized that did not apply to her pantry. This was going to take a long time, and she would have to be patient. Her motto? How do you climb a mountain? One step at a time.
That honesty is refreshing. Some jobs really are quick, and some are not. When a space has been neglected for a long time, it takes time to restore.
The Tiny Print Problem
One of the funniest moments came when she started checking expiration dates. She said nothing has made her feel older than trying to read them. First of all, you have to hunt across the whole package to find the date. Then the numbers are so tiny that you cannot even tell whether you are looking at the day, the month or the year. She almost wanted to quit, but she reminded herself that she is stronger than a dry noodle and was not going to let a tiny date stop her from reaching a clean, organized pantry.
She also put a question to her followers. Do they believe an expiration date is a firm date, so the item should be thrown out right then, or is it more like a best before date with a grace period afterward? It is a debate that divides many kitchens.
The Payoff
By the end, even though the project was frustrating, she felt a huge sense of satisfaction. Her goal for the series is to stop avoiding the projects that overwhelm her, so she can have a home that brings joy and peace. She hopes that getting rid of items will make it easier to keep her house clean, and that she can create systems to stop things from getting out of control again. She knows it will take a long time and will not happen overnight, but she believes it will be a game changer.
Best By, Use By and Sell By: What They Mean
Her question about dates is a good one, so here is some general information that may help. Most date labels on packaged foods, such as best by, best before or sell by, are about quality, not safety. They tell you when the manufacturer expects the food to taste its best. Many shelf-stable items, like canned goods, pasta and rice, are often still safe to eat after those dates, although flavor and texture may fade. A use by date is a bit more serious, since it is the last day the maker recommends for peak quality. Baby formula is a special case, and it should never be used after its date.
No matter what the label says, always use your senses and good judgment. If a can is bulging or dented deeply along a seam, or if food smells off, looks moldy or has an odd texture, throw it away. When in doubt, throw it out.
How to Declutter Your Pantry
Take everything out. Empty each shelf completely. It lets you see what you have and clean the shelves before putting anything back.
Check the dates. Look at every package. Keep a trash bag handy for the expired, stale or opened-too-long items. A flashlight or phone light can help if the print is tiny.
Group like items. Put canned goods together, then pasta and grains, baking supplies, snacks and so on. Duplicates are easier to spot when they sit side by side.
Donate the extras. Unopened, unexpired items you will not use can be given to a local food pantry. Check what your local organization accepts.
Make a restock list. As you work, write down what is running low. This prevents extra trips to the store.
Wipe down the shelves. A quick wipe removes crumbs and sticky spots that attract pests.
Put the oldest in front. When you put things back, place older items in front and newer ones in back. This helps you use them in order.
Make everything reachable. If you could not open the doors before, rearrange so that you can reach what you use most. Use bins, lazy Susans or shelf risers to make good use of space.
One Room at a Time
Starting with a big, avoided project takes courage, and she did it with humor and honesty. If you have a pantry, closet or garage that you have been dodging, take a page from her book. Set aside time, expect it to take longer than you hoped, and break it into small steps. The satisfaction at the end makes it worth the effort.