Free Printable Pantry Decluttering Guide

Time is a pantry’s greatest enemy, as every stored item has an expiration date that unavoidably gets closer. The only way I was able to reduce pantry food waste was to reorganize it. I used this free printable pantry decluttering guide, and it gave me a bonus: now I can actually find whatever it is I’m looking for!

Figuring out what to cook is hard enough without having to hunt through stacks of seldom-used ingredients! I realized my pantry had become less about efficient meal planning and more about navigating through piles of cans, boxes, and bags.

Ideally, our pantries should help us cook more efficiently. If you feel like it’s exactly the other way around give me free printable pantry decluttering guide a try.

It will help you decide what to keep, sell, donate, or throw away using a simple and logical method that has never failed me. Even more, I included sorting categories for the truly useful items that end up in the Keep pile, so you can create a truly functional pantry organization system.

🍪 Pantry Decluttering Guide

My goal with this guide was to encourage tackling even the most intimidating pantry. Dare I say that for most of us decluttering and cleaning is no fun, and a bit of extra motivation never hurts!

Which is why my pantry decluttering guide breaks down the overwhelming task of decluttering into manageable steps, making the whole process simple and stress-free.

🤔 Decision-Making Questions

Facing shelves full of jars, boxes, and bags, and wondering where to even begin? This guide takes you through a few key questions that will help you sort through everything with ease. For each item you pick up, ask yourself:

👉Is this item unexpired, still fresh, and safe to consume?

👉Have I used this item, or do I plan to use it before it expires?

👉Is this item stored in an appropriate container and does it fit well in my designated pantry space?

👉Do I have more than one of this item, and do I need this specific duplicate?

👉Is this item a staple ingredient I regularly use, or something I truly enjoy having on hand?

These questions really simplify the decision-making process. Items that answer “Yes” to at least one question should be considered for the Keep pile. But you should still use your final judgment – there is no fixed formula here.

You might have a can of chickpeas that’s safe to eat for another 2 years but if you never use it than it might be worth donating it. This is just an example of many to show these questions are helpful, but your final reasoning should stay flexible from one item to the next.

💸 The Sell Pile

Some more expensive pantry foods you no longer need or use can return at least part of your investment.

This is your “Sell” pile. These are typically high-value, unopened, and in perfect condition with good resale potential.

• Unopened, high-value specialty ingredients
• Unused, non-perishable gift baskets
• High-quality, unused coffee beans or gourmet teas
• Unopened, long-shelf-life imported goods
• Bulk unopened, non-perishable goods

You might be surprised what someone else is looking for! A quick online check can often tell you if a specialty item is in demand.

🎁 The Donate Pile

Foods that are still good but not high priced and no longer needed are the perfect candidates for the Donate pile – there are always people in need who would be very happy to receive them!

These items are unopened, unexpired, and not stale, making them suitable for sharing with others. Giving back feels good, and it frees up your pantry while minimizing food waste!

• Canned and boxed goods
• Long shelf-life dry goods
• Shelf-stable milk and juice boxes
• Condiments and sauces
• Snack items
• Coffee, tea bags, hot cocoa
• Pet food & baby food

Local food banks and shelters are often thrilled to receive unexpired, unopened pantry staples.

🗑️ The Trash Pile

When a pantry needs a serious purge, there will always be some things that have become unusable.

These are the foods that are expired, spoiled, unsafe, infested, or otherwise unusable and should be discarded.

• Expired and spoiled food items
• Mismatched or empty spice jars
• Anything with mold or pests
• Unopened items with damaged packaging
• Stale crackers, chips, or cereal
• Rusty or damaged cans
• Unknown or unlabeled food items
• Bulk items with a very small amount left

✨ The Keep Pile

Having a final Keep pile is such a satisfying step in the decluttering process, but it’s not over yet. Now that Keep pile needs to be sorted and organized if you want a truly functional pantry.

This section of the guide gives you practical categories to sort your pantry items, so you can easily find what you need at any moment. Final goal? No more digging!

• Canned Goods
• Boxed Goods
• Grains & Pasta
• Baking Ingredients
• Oils & Vinegars
• Spices & Seasonings
• Condiments & Sauces
• Snacks & Cereals
• Coffee, Tea & Beverages
• Baking Mixes
• Cooking Staples
• Baby Food
• Pet Food

⬇️ Grab It Now

Just a few steps to download and print your free printable pantry decluttering guide!

✔️Enter your name and email in the box below and hit the “Grab It Now” button.

✔️In a few moments, you’ll get a new email message from us with the download link to the PDF.

✔️Save it to your device and open it using the free Adobe Reader (or any PDF reader app you prefer).

✔️I designed this decluttering guide to print on regular. U.S. Letter paper. If this is the paper you’re using, go to File->Print and hit the “Print” button.

✔️The File>Print menu lets you change the type of paper used if you’re using another size. You can also use the Scale setting to adjust the size of the printable and how it fits on your chosen printing paper.

💡Tip: This is the kind of printable that gets handled a lot as you will need to use the decision making questions for each item that you pick up. I printed it on cardstock and laminated it to avoid wear and tear and I highly recommend you do the same. This way, it’s print once, reuse forever!

📌 Pantry Decluttering Tips

Just the thought of dealing with a ton of food items that require repeatedly making decisions can be a good enough reason to keep procrastinating your much needed pantry decluttering.

This guide is certainly a great tool to help you do that, but it is not the only thing to help smooth out and make this tedious process truly worth the effort.

📌Declutter, then clean (and vice versa!) – As you pull everything out of your pantry, take a moment to wipe down those shelves and sweep the floor. It’s a fantastic feeling to put items back into a clean space! My free printable room by room cleaning checklist is another sheet I rely on, whichever room I decide to clean, pantry included! There’s a blank version included that lets you create your own cleaning routine so you can adopt a methodical approach.

📌Don’t stop at the pantry – If you’re feeling motivated after conquering your pantry, remember that tackling the rest of your kitchen can make a huge difference too. I also have this free printable kitchen decluttering guide that’s designed to help you streamline all your cookware, gadgets, and dishes for a truly functional cooking space.

📌Master your food inventory – A reorganized pantry is great but you need one more thing to truly be on top of your food stash! A pantry inventory. It’s such a great sheet that gives you an overview of your supplies and their expiration dates. You’ll find it in my free printable kitchen organization binder, along with fridge and freezer inventories so you can keep track of all the food that you buy.

📌Label with style – Whether your storage containers and jars are clear or not, labeling them will make it even easier to identify your food items. Let’s not forget some ingredients look very similar (such as flour and powdered sugar, for example).

I use these free printable storage bin labels to organize all my stored belongings, and they’re great for the pantry too. There are several sizes available, all editable, and also one and two-line options. Simply type your categories to edit the labels, then print and cut.

Your pantry won’t just be organized, it will also be stylish!

Did you uncover any surprising or hilariously old items while purging your pantry? I’d love to hear about your most unexpected discovery!