From Nancy Rothwell, owner of Straighten-Up Organizing

PANTRY CLEAN OUT TIPS:
How To Organize a Kitchen Pantry

Here's how to clear the clutter from your kitchen pantry.
1. Empty pantry shelves of all items by moving everything into boxes or onto a nearby countertop.

2. Clean the pantry shelves and wipe dry with a towel.

3. Plan pantry use by categorizing into prime and non-prime storage. If possible, prime storage at eye level should be for the most often-used items.

4. Further categorize storage by item. For example, use one shelf for baking items, another for tomato canned goods and another for pasta and rice.

5. Mark these categorized shelves with post-it notes denoting the contents.

6. Begin to fill the pantry by placing items on the appropriate shelves.

7. Make two lists as you work. One will be a grocery shopping list for items you need. The other will be ideas for containers, trays or extra shelves to make your pantry more useful.

8. Place small items (such as mixes) into a small box or plastic container to keep them together.

9. Designate a lower shelf for paper storage and place all napkins, paper towels and plates together.

10. Keep some heavy items, such as soda bottles, on the floor or on a lower shelf.

11. If you have extra wall space in your pantry, consider hanging up hooks, a broom, a bulletin board or other helpful organizing items.

12. If you cannot fit everything in neatly, consider removing some non-essential items for storage elsewhere. For instance, store paper goods in the garage, or extra soda in the basement.

13. Don't hesitate to throw out old food or items you may never use again.

14. Step back and admire your newly organized pantry.

Tips:
1. Try to reorganize when you're alone so you can concentrate.
2. Spend some time pre-planning your storage needs before beginning.
3. Store all cleaning products away from food

Shelf Lives of Pantry Items
Baking
•All purpose flour - 12 months unopened, 6-8 months opened
•Whole wheat flour - 12 months unopened, 6 months opened (if refrigerated)
•Granulated sugar - 2 years unopened, 6 months opened
•Brown sugar - 4 months unopened, 4 month opened (in freezer)
•Confectioner's sugar - 18 months unopened
•Solid shortening - 8 months unopened, 3 months opened
•Cocoa - 2 years unopened, 1 year opened
•Baking soda - 18 months unopened, 6 months opened
•Baking powder - 6 months unopened, 3 months opened
•Cornstarch - 18 months
Spices - Spices last longer than herbs
•Whole spices - 2-4 years
•Ground spices - 2-3 years
•Paprika - 2-3 years (if refrigerated)
•Cayenne pepper - 2-3 years (if refrigerated)
Canned goods (lower acid foods have a longer shelf life)
•Tomato products - 1-2 years unopened
•Fruit juices - 1-2 years unopened
•Soups - 3-5 years unopened
•Meats - 2-4 years unopened (Spam, however, I would guess could last a life-time)
•Gravy - 3-5 years unopened
•Vegetables - 3-4 years unopened
Other stuff, with more info from the Washington Post
•Pasta (dried, no eggs) - 2 years unopened, 1 year opened
•Pasta (dried, with eggs) - 2 years unopened, 1-2 months opened
•Salad dressings - 1 year unopened, 3 months opened (in refrigerator)
•Honey - 1 year
•Ground coffee - 2 years unopened, 2 weeks opened (in refrigerator)
•Instant coffee - 1 year unopened, 3 months opened (do people really drink instant coffee?!?!)
•Bottled water - 2 years unopened, 3 months opened
•Jams and jellies - 1 year unopened, 6 months opened (in refrigerator)
•Peanut butter - 6-9 months unopened, 2-3 months opened
Of course, these are all suggested shelf-lives. You should always go by the date if there is one printed on the package, and certainly throw anything out if it looks or smells bad.