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Monthly Clean Home Challenge: Clean Out Pantry

Welcome back to the Monthly Clean Home Challenge daily task!  I am on a quest to maintain a clean and organized home in less time and the goal is simple; four daily tasks, four weekly tasks and one additional quick task each week day. 

In no particular order, here are the individual tasks I am tackling each day this month:

1. Make cleaning supplies
2. Cycle clean appliances
3. Clean out cars
4. Clean out microwave
5. Wipe down cabinets/appliances
6. Wipe down trim/doors
7. Clean out one drawer
8. Clean out fridge
9. Clean out freezer
10. Vacuum under furniture
11. Vacuum mattresses
12. Clean oven
13. Clean out one closet
14. Wash out garbage can/recycle bin
15. Wash windows
16. Scrub grout
17. Clean out one cabinet
18. File paper piles
19. Purge bathroom toiletries
20. Clean out pantry

Today I am chatting about the extra task:  Clean Out Pantry

Well, this month you have seen a lot of our messy areas.  In fact, you may be wondering what actually is organized around this place we call home.  And although our fridge and freezer were a bit of a disaster going into this month, I am happy to report that our pantry organization is still going strong.


Just over a year ago we took everything out, lined the shelves and organized things the way we thought they would make the most sense for our family {you can catch up on all of that here}.  Although there are times when the pantry is sparse or a bit overstocked and cluttered, it has been really easy to maintain and we have been really happy with the way it functions.

Each week while we are meal planning, we take a look at our existing foods and try and plan around those before purchasing anything new for the week.  Because we keep the process quick, there comes a time when the pantry just needs a good cleaning out.  This closet is used every day, multiple times per day, so it tends to get dirty.  The shelves receive a lot of traffic, crumbs and an occasional spill, while the back corners of the floor seem to be a magnet for dust.

As you can guess, I started by emptying everything out of the closet.


And taking a couple of minutes to wipe down all of the individual shelves {we are still LOVING The contact paper covered foam core by the way}.


Once all of the shelves were clean and splatter free, I moved onto giving the floor a quick vacuum.


With everything feeling shiny and new and smelling of fresh lemon, I was selective about what was returned and had the opportunity to evaluate where everything was being placed.  I found some items that were beyond expired to an embarrassing extent {sugar cookie mix from 2011 anyone?}, proving the importance of doing occasional pantry sweeps.



One more day of this monthly cleaning challenge!  Don't be surprised if you spot me running up and down a random set of stairs with a boombox on my shoulder playing the theme song from Rocky on repeat when all is said and done!