20/10/2026
Pull-out larders. Here’s how to tame them.
This is what we often see when people have pull out larders 😳
Problem: over-full; overwhelming and you can’t see what you’ve got.
Too much stuff affects the mechanism as it’s too heavy to pull out priority. Gah! Too annoying.
Here’s another one with similar problems
One of the issues here is that there aren’t categories for things so it ends up in a guddle 🫣🫣
Let’s see how we can fix this…
Step 1: Get everything out! what do you actually use and need?
By getting everything out and checking sell-by dates, quantities and whether you ACTUALLY use the ingredients or whether they’re just aspirational, you’ll be able to streamline what you are going to put back.
Here’s some golden rules:
1. Group like with like
Keep similar items together rather than spreading them across shelves. Create simple categories such as:
Tins and jars
Pasta, rice and noodles
Baking ingredients
Snacks and lunchbox items
Breakfast essentials
2. Use small containers to stop things moving about
Small open bins can keep sachets, seasoning packets, snack bars and little packets together. They stop everything sliding about when you open and close the unit.
Choose containers that fit the shelf; don’t sacrifice valuable space for pretty storage.
3. Make everything easy to see
Face labels forwards and stand packets upright where possible. Put smaller items in front of taller ones, and avoid stacking things so high that you forget what’s underneath.
4. Give each shelf a purpose
Assign a category to each shelf so everyone knows where things belong.
For example: keep breakfast foods together, cooking ingredients together and snacks together.
5. Put older food at the front
When you buy new groceries, move older items forwards and put the new ones behind. Check use-by dates regularly to avoid food waste.
6. Don’t overfill it
Leave a little breathing room so you can see what you have and remove items without everything toppling over. A full shelf isn’t necessarily an organised shelf!
Maintenance is key…
When you unpack shopping, put everything straight into its designated category. Once a week, spend two minutes returning
