We’ve got step by step instructions to deep clean the pantry and get it spiffy. 

We know you want to deep clean the pantry as efficiently and as easily as possible so we’ve broken the process down into steps.  Read on so you’re prepared and have supplies and a plan of attack.  The reward? A marvelously clean pantry!

If your pantry is already super clean, but you need some help organizing, hop over to How to Organize a Pantry.

Deep Clean the Pantry: Gather supplies

First things first. You need a trash bag for expired or stale items, a bin or box for sticky items like honey and molasses, a tray for any glassware or vases that need washing, and a donate box for unused items (to the food pantry!).

Cleaning supplies: we use a large bowl of hot water with a splash of cleaner (vinegar or Simple Green, or diluted ammonia for greasy areas), and a rag for cleaning walls and shelves. You may need another rag for any window glass.  We also like to do dusting with a wrung out barely moist rag that was dipped in a bowl of hot water with a few drops of scented pineapple oil, or lavender.

New shelf paper, cork liner, or new containers for flour or grains are (if you need them) and baskets to group small and/or similar  items together are something to look forward to using when your cleaning is complete.

Two: Toss, donate, and transport to sink

From the top and moving down, sort expired items into the trash, unused items that you aren’t likely to use or eat to a donate box, and any sticky-bottomed jars to the kitchen sink, and set any dusty glasses or vases or jars on a tray to the counter near the dishwasher.

Three: all at once or one shelf at a time?

My mother always said you have to sometimes create a bigger mess to get something clean.  By this she was kind of referring to removing EVERYTHING from a room or cupboard and then cleaning before replacing everything.  You can go this route, which means you remove all the items from the pantry, every single one. Then clean from the top down.

Alternatively, for the least disruption and mess, clear one shelf at a time, beginning with top shelves and move down.

Whether you choose to do one shelf at a time, or to remove everything, cleaning from the top down steps are below.

Four: Deep clean from the top down

• Dust the ceiling corners and molding (we use a rag over the broom bristles but you can use what you normally use to dry dust).
• Vacuum any dry spills on shelves (dry spills are from foods like oatmeal, flour, or grains).
• Place a hot water dampened rag on any sticky spills or spots and let sit. Honey jars are notorious for this, as is molasses or oils and vinegar bottles.
• If you come across any mouse droppings, pick them up with a dampened disposable paper towel. Do not vacuum or sweep rodent turds–hantavirus is spread by dust from dry rodent droppings so a moist cloth is best. Then disinfect the surface, wash your hands, and move on.
• Use a barely damp cloth (wrung out after having been dipped into a bowl of hot water with cleaner) to clean dust off of the shelves, one at a time from the top shelf down, including the vertical surface to the back of the shelf.  The same goes for any drawers or cupboards.
• Go back to any sticky spots still covered with damp rags and scrub until clean (the hot damp rag should make these spots easier to remove after sitting for a while).
• Finish off with a fresh rag dipped in a bowl of hot water with some scented oil and then wrung out until barely damp to wipe shelves, molding, cupboard or drawer faces, the baseboard, and to dust food packages and containers.

  

Five: wash sticky or dusty jars and glassware

We dusted the non-sticky jars and packages above, but now comes the tougher to clean crowd. Molasses, honey, and vinegar or oil jars can get a little sticky on the sides or bottom.  Glassware or vases may not get sticky, but can get dusty. Set the jars in an inch of hot water in the sink and then clean them thoroughly. Pop glassware or vases through the dishwasher or give it a good rinse and dry by hand.

Six: give shelves, cupboards and drawers some love

Now that you have clean shelves, cupboards, and drawers, you can line them with removable shelf paper or cork. Shelf paper protects wooden shelves and drawers from dings and stickiness.

We use fingertip tea towels to line spice drawers and a pull out drawer with big spoons, spatulas, kitchen utensils, and for our silverware drawers. Fingertip tea towels are just the right size for ours, but pretty dish towels or old linen tea towels would also work.  We are still looking for the ideal non-stick drawer and shelf liner (stay tuned).

Seven: Organize

You’re almost there!  This is where you should consider the five “rules” of organizing your pantry (see our post How to Organize Your Pantry).  Group items balancing the five “rules” so that your pantry is as efficient and useful to you as possible. Not everyone eats or cooks in the same ways, so we can’t tell you where exactly to store what, but you can develop the best organization for your custom pantry needs (and who wouldn’t want a bespoke pantry!) using our guide.

You should also consider whether your flours, crackers, grains, cereals, sugars, and other dry items are best stored in the containers they came in, or whether you should re-container them into glass or plastic jars and bins or containers.  Air-tight containers preserve freshness longer, and will protect your food from pantry pests.

Once you group your pantry items and decide where they go, and in what containers, move them back in.  Don’t forget to dust off any boxes or containers you haven’t already gone over.

Finished!  The deep clean of the pantry is complete!

Eight: Enjoy!

Once you move everything back into your pantry, take a moment (or several) to enjoy your work.  We recommend a quiet moment, a dance with glee moment, a loud wahooo or two, and frequent reflection throughout the next several weeks on the satisfaction of a clean pantry and a job well done.