It may sound obvious, but tidying your home bit-by-bit regularly is an easy way to lighten the load and save you from a stressful end-of-week panic clean right before your guests arrive.

To help inspire you to keep your home in order, we’ve pulled together 10 habits that ring true for insanely tidy people. How many can you tick off?

1. They don’t buy junk

Tidy people don’t buy stuff they don’t need. They wait to decide if something is really necessary and then invest. This is a useful habit that cuts down on clutter and junk throughout the home, including top clutter hotspots.

2. They make their bed every day

It’s simple and effective – and good for your mental health. Do it!

3. They clean the fridge on the regular

You don’t have to do a deep clean every week, but before you go shopping for new groceries, have a quick look in your fridge to see if you need to toss anything and wipe up any spills. Don’t forget to take the time to clean your fridge semi-regularly as this will prevent any accidental messes from becoming permanent ones. You could even do this in sections each shop.

4. They don’t make excuses

Tidy people don’t bring their mail inside and then leave it there for the next five days. They open it, recycle the envelope, and file the letter; they unpack the dishwasher every morning; they don’t leave the clean washing in the basket waiting to be folded. They don’t just put things down, they put them away. And so on.

5. They clean as they go

Rather than saving all the washing up until after they’ve made and eaten their roast dinner, tidy people clean as they go. And this practice is not exclusive to cooking – you can clean as you go with DIY projects, craft, everything!

6. They do a whip-around before bed

Tidy people clean their kitchens before retiring to bed for the night and generally straighten their place up. They put TV remotes away, they rearrange lounge pillows, and they put their dirty clothes in the laundry basket.

7. They take off their shoes when they come in the house

No shoes = less dirt. It’s really that simple. Having an effective shoe storage system or solution helps, too!

8. They clean a little every day

Whether it’s sweeping the kitchen floors, folding a basket of laundry, or wiping down the bathroom counter, doing little things every day keeps your place spick and span.

9. They empty their bin

Tidy people don’t wait until their recycling bin is overflowing – they empty it regularly. This not only avoids spills and stains from overflow, but keeps roaches and, God forbid, rodents at bay.

10. They put the dishes away

Whether it’s emptying the dishwasher, or removing clean dishes from the rack, putting your cutlery and crockery back where it belongs as soon as you can immediately gives you peace of mind.

See more on cleaning and organisation

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From half-eaten chocolate to empty jars and barely-touched tins, the pantry can quickly become a space where items are perpetually lost, only to be found once their use-by date has passed. The trick is, of course, having an intuitive and easy-to-use storage system in place that will keep all your products in line.

What is the best way to organise your pantry?

Stylist Natalie Johnson says, “One of the simplest ways to make your pantry look tidy is to use clear or glass jars which will also let you find what you’re looking for. Or, if you’re not a fan of glass, try matching your various containers, baskets and jars to keep a cohesive aesthetic.”

She also suggests that you work in levels and, keep similar types of food items together across shelves. “This will help make it easier to find certain products without rummaging through each and every shelf.”

The best pantry storage containers to buy in Australia

01

OXO Pop 2.0 set of 20 containers

$299, MiniMax

Best for: an all-in-one solution

Buying pantry storage containers one-by-one is a sure-fire way to lose the motivation to organise your pantry before you even start. Get everything you need in one hit, by investing in OXO’s cult favourite ‘Pop’ storage containers. This set is stackable, has easy-to-clean air-tight lids, is dishwasher safe and, most importantly, is BPA-free.

Sizes: Set includes 2 x 200ml Mini Square, 1 x 400ml Slim Rectangle, 1 x 400ml Small Square, 1 x 500ml Mini Square, 1 x 600ml Rectangle, 2 x 1L Small Square, 2 x 1.1L Slim Rectangle, 2 x 1.6L Rectangle, 1 x 1.6L Small Square, 1 x 2.1L Small Square, 1 x 2.6L Rectangle, 2 x 2.6L Big Square, 1 x 4.2L Big Square, 2 x 5.7L Big Square Containers

Key features:

• Dishwasher safe
• Airtight and stackable
• Easy push button feature
• BPA free

Available at:

• $299 from Amazon
• $299 from Big W
• $299 from Woolworths

Shop Now

02

Joseph Joseph CupboardStore 3 piece 900ml food storage set

$74.95, Myer

Best for: space-saving in small pantries

The folks at Joseph Joseph love nifty kitchen gadgets and smart organisation. This trio of under shelf storage is made from durable plastic that will last the distance – and it’s an absolute sinch to install.

Sizes: 900ml, 1.3L

Key features:

• Can be mounted inside or beneath cupboards
• Airtight lids
• Easy, tool-free installation
• BPA free

Available at:

• $74.95 from Joseph Joseph
• $38.63 from Amazon

Shop Now

03

The Cooks Collective bamboo extendable 3 tier shelf

$29.95, Myer

Best for: spices and herbs

Dried herbs and spices are the key to creating delicious, tasty food. So put the flavour back into your food by getting all of the spice jars that have been pushed to the back of the cupboard and onto a neatly organised rack. Depending upon your herbs and spice repitoire, this extendable shelf can measure longer or shorter.

Key features:

• Extendable design
• Ideal for herb and spice jars
• Made from bamboo
• Stylish design

Shop Now

04

Yamazaki metal basket with wooden handle in white

$49.95, Temple & Webster

Best for: bulky, unopened items

All of the perfect pantries on Pinterest may have you convinced that you must decant everything. But that’s not the case. Keep bulky unopened items, like cans, pasta, chip packets, snacks, dried fruit and more in order by placing them in these stylish yet sturdy baskets you can easily pull out of the cupboard when necessary.

Size: 16cm H x 22cm W x 38.5cm D

Key features:

• Inspired by Japanese functional design
• Made from sturdy steel
• Versatile design and stylish appearance make it appropriate for many rooms and uses

Shop Now

05

Medium black square tin

$10, T2

Best for: reason

The taste of tea and coffee can be affected if exposed to too much air and sunlight. Keep them well-sealed and protected from UV rays by storing them in a sleek, air-tight tin like this stackable design from T2.

Size: 8.3cm W x 11.5cm H x 8.3cm D

Key features:

• Keep out of microwave and dishwasher
• Keeps tea fresh for longer
• 100% ethically sourced materials

Shop Now

06

Ecology 4 piece pantry round glass canister set

$24.95 (usually $74.95), Minimax

Best for: dry ingredients

For a super aesthetic pantry, you can’t go past glass jars and bamboo lids – and this Ecology set is just the ticket. The best part is that they’re dishwasher safe – so when it comes time to swap out ingredients, you can start fresh.

Sizes: 2L canister, 1.5L canister, 1.1L and 800ml

Key features:

• Eco-conscious design
• Functional and aesthetic design
• Versatile storage

Available at:

• $44.95 from Temple & Webster

Shop Now

07

Soren Acacia 60cm lazy Susan

$129.95, Harris Scarfe

Best for: easy access

Items can often get lost in a pantry with deep shelving or an awkward corner. Make the most of every inch by investing in a lazy Susan or two to keep things like sauces and spices at your fingertips.

Key features:

• Durable acacia wood surface
• 60cm-worth of storage space
• Handwash only

Shop Now

08

L.T. Williams 3-tier platinum mesh basket system

$109.50, Amazon

Best for: extending pantry storage

Some foods, like potatoes and onions, will last longer when kept in a well-ventilated container in a cool, dark place. This 3-tier, mesh drawer system is the ideal solution, maximising floor space while keeping everything within easy reach.

Sizes: 16.34cm D x 21.85cm W x 26.18cm H

Key features:

• 3 tiers of sliding mesh baskets
• Mesh design means visibility and ventilation
• Easy to assemble

Shop Now

09

Maxwell & Williams Olde english biscuit jar

$16.95, Myer

Best for: cookies, biscuits and lollies

Whether it’s filled with homemade Anzac biscuits or Tim Tams, every home should have at least one biscuit jar at the ready. This classic, cafe-style cookie jar is perfect for the job and will look great placed on the table when visitors pop in for tea and coffee.

Size: 2.5L

Key features:

• Vintage-look design
• Airtight design

Available at:

• $16.95 from Harris Scarfe
• $10.17 from Amazon

Shop Now

10

Salt&Pepper Industry canister set of 3 in stone

$69.95. Myer

Best for: dry ingredients

If stoneware is more your aesthetic than plastic or tin, Salt&Pepper has just the answer. An organic finish and neutral/cream-toned body make this trio perfect for modern country or neutral-style homes.

Size: 10cm x 15cm

Key features:

• Acacia wood lid
• Great for pantry items and also Q-tips and cotton balls
• Also available in black

Shop Now

11

Salt&Pepper HUDSON bread bin with wooden cutting board

$79.95, Myer

Best for: keeping bread fresh

Whether you like to bake your own bread, or buy it from your favourite bakery – it’s important to keep it stored correctly. A bread bin will not only keep a loaf of bread fresher for longer, it will also help to keep your kitchen benches free from crumbs and clutter. This bread bin is roomy on the inside and has the double functionality of a cutting board/lid hybrid.

Size: 36.5cm x 36.5cm x 21.6cm

Key features:

• Lid double-functions as a wooden cutting board
• Keeps bread fresh for longer
• Minimal design

Available at:

• $55.97 from Amazon
• $49.95 from Catch.com.au
• $49.95 from Kogan

Shop Now

12

168 pantry labels

$20.99, Amazon

Best for: organisation

Pair a new set of pantry storage containers with pretty and purposeful labels. This set from Amazon features a minimal, easy-to-read design that will make finding the right ingredients a breeze. You can select a pack of several standard labels or completely customise your order for an extra fee.

Size: 2.5 x 2.5 inches

Key features:

• Includes food name labels, numbers, blank labels
• Waterproof, tear-proof, oil-proof
• Can stick on glass, ceramics, wood, metal and plastic surfaces

Shop Now

The post 12 pantry storage ideas that will keep food fresh and organised appeared first on Homes To Love.

Do they have all the exercise books for all their courses for the year? What about stationery and a stylish backpack to hold all the aforementioned back-to-school essentials? Do they need a new pair of school shoes?

There’s a lot to tick off when it comes to the infamous back-to-school checklist, and that’s why being able to scope out the best deals on back-to-school essentials will be your saving grace.

Lucky for you, we’ve done the research for you. Below are the best back-to-school sales that will ensure you (and your kids) are well-prepared for the school year ahead.

The best back-to-school sales in Australia 2024

• Big W

Shop school essentials without breaking the bank at Big W.

• Target

Target offers school essentials at a great price. From clothes and school shoes to backpacks and lunch boxes. Tick off that back-to-school checklist with ease.

• Typo

Buy all your stationery essentials at Typo. Currently you can grab select diaries for 50% off.

• Kikki.K

Shop various deals at Kikki.K, from notebooks and notepads to desk accessories and bags.

• Myer

If you’re in the market for new school shoes, Myer has sales across select styles, just in time for back-to-school season.

• Rebel

From school shoes to backpacks, you’ll find their next school essential (on sale!) at Rebel.

• THE ICONIC

Save on backpacks, school shoes, clothes for P.E and more at THE ICONIC.

• David Jones

Save on lunch boxes, water bottles, school shoes and more at your one-stop-shop, David Jones.

Our top back to school picks for 2024

Smash Duo bento in pink, $8, Big W

Pack them a nutritious lunch so they have the energy for the entire school day with this sleek BPA-free bento box from Big W. It features two compartments that keep your foods separated if they need to be.

Key features:

• 100% BPA-free

• Two compartment design

• Secure clip design

SHOP NOW

Gel ink pens (10-pack), $5.50, Target

Upgrade their stationery collection with this 10-pack gel ink pen set. Plus, its pastel-hued design will ensure classmates will have serious stationery envy.

Key features:

• Stylish pastel design

• Gel ink reservoir

• Generous 10-pack set

SHOP NOW

Dr Martens Junior 1461 Mono kids-teens, $159.99, THE ICONIC

Looking for a durable school shoe is essential considering they’ll be wearing it at least five times a week. The Dr Martens Junior 1461 shoe is made from a durable soft leather upper and continues to be a staple for everyday.

Key features:

• Durable soft leather upper

• Goodyear welted sole construction

• Rounded toe

• Flexible, cemented outsole

SHOP NOW

2024 Peanuts student planner, $7.49 (usually $14.99), Typo

Help them stay organised with a 2024 student planner from Typo. This one features a fun Peanuts comic illustration that’ll bring a smile to your face every day.

Key features:

• Internal pen loop and removable bookmark/ruler included

• Weekly layout with class schedule

• Assignment and exams trackers

• Monthly and weekly goal pages

SHOP NOW

Stanley classic flip straw tumbler in cream, $69.95, Myer

Help them stay hydrated throughout the school day with a durable reusable cup from none other than Stanley. Available in an array of colourways but our pick is this neutral cream colour that’s timesless and sleek.

Key features:

• Lid features a rotating cover with three positions – straw opening, wide mouth, and a full cover top

• 900mL capacity

• Easy carry handle

SHOP NOW

The post Get them back-to-school ready with the best sales on right now appeared first on Homes To Love.

There are two that featured: their four-storey house in London’s Holland Park, and their nine-bedroom cosy-but-chic Cotswold country escape. But wherever they were in whichever of the homes — on the couch, in the kitchen, at the dining table — the background was always immaculately styled, effortlessly chic and seemingly not a single thing was out of place.

And that, apparently, wasn’t thanks to a stylist or producer, but David himself. The former English football star is the first to admit he has some “weird” habits around the home. “When everyone’s in bed, I then go around, clean the candles, turn the lights on to the right setting, make sure everywhere is tidy,” he tells the camera crew. “I hate coming down in the morning and there’s cups and plates and, you know, bowls.”

We do know, Becks. And while he shares that he doubts his efforts are truly appreciated by his wife, they certainly are by the Homes To Love team, and we think there is a lesson or two in this.

1. Take care of your candles

“I clip the candle wicks, I clean the glass, that’s my pet hate, the smoke around the inside of a candle…I know, it’s weird,” says David in his documentary. No, it’s not weird actually. It’s just good candle care. Regularly trimming your wicks after burning them will actually prevent them from ‘mushrooming’, which often results in unnecessary soot.

“We can’t express the importance of maintaining a short wick to get the most out of your candle,” Claire Barnes, CEO of Ecoya shared with us. She recommends trimming wicks back to 6mm in length before every lighting (or after you’ve blown them out). “This also controls the size of the flame allowing you to get the most time out of your candle.”

2. Make your wardrobe work for you

The scene set in David’s wardrobe made us weak at the knees. Not because of the sleek mahogany-looking timber finish. Not because of the sexy LED strip lighting, or rows of thousand-dollar suits. But because of how utterly, overwhelmingly organised it was.

“Jackets, jean shirts, shirts and then it goes from jumpers, [cardigans] to t-shirts,” says David, talking through how his hanging space has been sorted. His underwear is folded and displayed in Marie Kondo-style in a drawer. As are his socks. In another drawer, t-shirts have been colour-coordinated, folded and laid on an angle “so I can see what’s under them.” Genius.

“So those are my outfits for the rest of the week,” he continues casually, pointing to a selection of shirts, pants and coats hanging on a separate rack elsewhere in the room. Excuse me?! Just like you may lay out your outfit for the next day to save time in the morning, David selects his outfits for the week. Yes. Yes. Yes.

3. Make things easy to find in your fridge

Okay, this wasn’t strictly covered in the Netflix documentary, but after discovering David’s penchant towards the totally organised, we decided to do some further digging. Speaking with Ryan Seacrest back in 2008 on his KISS-FM morning talk show, Victoria Beckham shared that David was definitely the tidy one in the relationship. “Even our fridge is colour-coded,” she shared.

Earlier in 2006, the famous footballer had also revealed in an interview with ITV that he has an obsessive-compulsive disorder where he likes things to be in straight lines and pairs. “I’ll put my Pepsi cans in the fridge and if there’s one too many then I’ll put it in another cupboard somewhere…everything has to be perfect,” he said.

It reminded us of another scene in the Netflix documentary where David asked Victoria whether she knew where a specific spice was meant to be kept in their kitchen, before giving us the tiniest glimpse into what we can only imagine would be the most immaculately organised — and most Instagrammable — spice storage system we’ve seen. But alas, we’ll just have to imagine that for now.

The post 3 organisational tricks we can take from David Beckham’s documentary appeared first on Homes To Love.

Having an organised home means no more hunting around for your keys/wallet/glasses each morning, rifling desperately through drawers to find a pair of matching socks or skidding on a Matchbox car that was helpfully left in the hallway. Instead, our stress levels dissipate and we get more time to do the things that we love – exercise, cooking, reading, movie marathons on the couch… you get the gist. Sounds heavenly, right?

To help you on your way, here are 31 clever decluttering hacks for every room in your home. Use it as a checklist if you will.

How to declutter your kitchen

1 Hang onto those cardboard tubes when you finish your paper towels, cling wrap or toilet paper rolls, and use them to store extra (reusable) plastic bags tidily in a drawer. Similarly, you can recycle wet wipe canisters for this same purpose.

2 Free up bench space by attaching a magnetic strip under overhead kitchen cabinets to hold spice jars with metallic lids.

3 Store frying pans, baking sheets, pot lids and cutting boards on their sides, using a filing rack or organiser.

4 Reduce paper clutter by taking photos of takeaway menus or flyers from local businesses. Likewise, download user manuals, credit card agreements and health insurance policies, and save in a folder on your phone or computer.

5 Who has time to rearrange the pantry or cupboards every time they want to reach something at the back? Invest in some lazy susans for instant access to your items in just a spin. They’re also handy in the bathroom or laundry.

How to declutter your living and dining rooms

6 Invest in double-duty furniture with hidden storage options in your living room. Think ottomans where you can hide throws and cushions, coffee tables with slide-out drawers for magazines, colouring books or puzzles, bench seats with shelving underneath or tall bookshelves with inbuilt cabinets for surplus vases and candles.

7 If space allows, set up a dining cart or station close to your dining table, much like they do in restaurants and cafes. Cutlery, placemats, napkins, glasses and condiments can all be stored within a small cupboard or trolley on wheels to save you making multiple trips to the kitchen every time you sit down to eat.

8 Limit yourself to one small “dumping tray” or “junk bowl”, where you keep odds and ends that don’t have an obvious place elsewhere. Think errant buttons, receipts, business cards, loose change, trolley tokens, maybe a pen or two. Choose something decorative, so you’re more likely to keep the mess to a minimum.

How to declutter your kids’ room

9 Not enough space for a bookshelf? Use picture ledges as floating shelves to display your kids books.

10 Help little people find – and more importantly, put away! – their belongings, by assigning each child a different colour. Then you can either buy them a storage tub, toothbrush, towel and so on in that colour, or use coloured dots or thread to “label” their belongings.

11 Save your bare feet from the excruciating pain of stepping on a Lego brick with clever storage solutions. Think a toolbox with pull-out drawers, storage tubs with colour-coded labels, compartmentalised craft organisers or a play mat and storage sack in one.

12 Over-the-door shoe hangers can be repurposed for kids’ belongings like soft toys, craft supplies, Barbies, action figures, cars and more. Reserve the higher pockets for any items that you’d like to keep out of little arms’ reach.

13 Hang your kids’ paintings rather than cluttering up your fridge. Set up a simple string and peg display system on an empty wall or along a window frame and rotate them regularly. Old artworks can then be reused to wrap gifts.

How to declutter your bedroom

14 Buy a pack of shower curtain rings – they’re surprisingly useful! Loop onto a hanger or piece of dowel to hang belts, scarves, ties, handbags, hair elastics, baseball caps, necklaces and more!

15 Instead of hanging onto unnecessary or bulky items for nostalgic reasons – for example, your mum bought it for you, or it reminds you of your childhood – take a photo of the keepsake and display the pic in an album or a frame.

16 Attach floating shelves to a timber bedhead to hold miscellaneous belongings like reading glasses, books, a clock or framed photos.

17 Cull your linen closet down to two sets of summer sheets and two sets of flannelette sheets (if needed) per bed, plus two full sets of towels for every person in your home. That’s seriously all you need – one set in use, one in the wash. Go one better and store each set of sheets in its matching pillow case, so you have complete sets at the ready when you need them.

18 Use a cork or pegboard to hang your earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces.

How to declutter your wardrobe

19 Store your clutches in a kitchen organiser rack no matter how big your clothing wardrobe. Meanwhile, a spice rack is the perfect little spot for nail polishes, lipsticks or essential oils.

20 Tip your underwear drawer out onto the bed and discard any odd socks, worn-out bras or undies that have lost their elastic. Put everything that’s left back in the drawer, using dividers to keep items within their categories.

21 Try this Oprah-approved trick: hang all the clothes in your wardrobe with the hangers facing inwards. When you wear an item, hang it the opposite way when you return it. Every six months, do an inventory of the items that haven’t been worn, and sell or donate them.

22 Sort your shoes into pairs and store in clear boxes stacked vertically on the floor of your wardrobe or on open shelves.

How to declutter your bathroom

23 Get creative with magazine holders! Secure to the inside of bathroom cabinets to store hairdryers, curlers and straighteners, under kitchen shelves to hold cookbooks, chopping boards or oven mitts, or suspend sideways as a shelf for TV remotes, keys and wallets.

24 Install some shelving over your bathroom door to store everyday items for easy top-ups. Think spare toilet rolls, cleaning products, cakes of soap and towels.

25 Store kids’ bath toys in hanging fruit baskets suspended from your shower rod or frame.

26 Don’t have an inbuilt bathroom cabinet? Repurpose a dresser or drawers to keep extra towels and products on hand, or look for other storage solutions like a ladder, stacked crates or a kitchen trolley on wheels.

How to declutter your general household

27 Before you start sorting your stuff, find out where you can donate items locally, be it a charity collection centre, women’s shelter, or local hospital. Also request to join your local buy, swap, sell Facebook groups.

28 Work at a pace that suits you. Come up with a deadline – say, in time for summer or before you move house in six weeks’ time – then break it down into manageable chunks. Aim to clear one room each week or one cupboard or drawer each day.

29 Swap between easy and hard tasks to stay motivated. Easy tasks might include reorganising your bookcase or decluttering your handbag, while harder tasks are often large areas like garages, wardrobes or cabinets full of sentimental items.

30 Get familiar with “the box method”. Place three boxes/baskets/laundry tubs and a garbage bin or bag in each of the main areas of your home, and label the boxes “put away”, “donate/sell” and “storage”. Add to them on a regular basis and then deal with the contents as needed.

31 Try the “5 Things a Day” rule. Every day, pick up five items that are bugging you and find a permanent home for them.

The post 31 genius decluttering hacks for every room of your home appeared first on Homes To Love.

We can blame the pandemic and our hunter-gatherer ancestors, or our neuroses, but a growing number of us are using the pantry as a storage unit for our hoarding tendencies, but with food. Think: packs of pasta pushed further into the abyss by new tins of tomatoes, and enough anchovies to start a school. When spring clean time arrives, we toss the things we forgot to remember – the sauerkraut we never used, the wholemeal flour packed with pests, the paprika from 2012.

Food waste is a huge problem, and one really clever way to reduce it is to buy less, and store the right things, for shorter amounts of time, in the pantry. See the pantry as a place to pop the one or few spices you really use, the small packet of oats, the few things we use weekly, not rarely. If the time comes and you want to bake a cake, or so something you don’t do frequently, shop for the occasion. Reduce pantry moths, stop eating rancid food, and avoid the clean up of all clean ups when the ferment explodes through everything, by storing less, using the fridge (a little) more, and knowing what is in the pantry at all times.

Here are five things you should never store in the pantry, and where you should keep them instead.

1. CAN YOU STORE NUTS IN THE PANTRY?

Walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, pine nuts and, actually, all nuts should not be stored in your pantry. Nuts are packed with unsaturated fats, and that fat will very quickly go rancid if not stored in the fridge, preferably in an airtight container. And yes, this includes nut butters and even peanut butter after opening. A sprig of fresh rosemary will help keep your nuts fresh for longer.

Because peanut butter has few preservatives, it can easily degrade. If you go through it quickly – perhaps weekly – the pantry is an acceptable place to store it. To keep it in top shape make sure you use a clean utensil every time you scoop it from the jar. No double dipping!

We know nuts are incredibly good for you, they’re packed with antioxidants and fibre and have been shown to lower cholesterol and inflammation. But they will very quickly become bad for you if they’re not fresh. Shopping in bulk bins is a dangerous game with nuts – those often-opened lids make nuts susceptible to oxygen, which turns them rancid much more quickly. Buy nuts in a sealed bag, and check the packed date (not the best before date, which is an estimate only and depends a lot on how they’ve been transported, packed, and where they will be stored at your place).

2. WHERE SHOULD COFFEE BEANS BE STORED?

Coffee is the non-negotiable grocery item, the ritual that brings us back to life each morning and the only path to productivity for many (this writer included). But to be truly good, worth more than the caffeine hit it also is, quality coffee needs to be very fresh. If you buy pre-ground coffee, you can go ahead and store it in an airtight container in the pantry. But it has to be seriously airtight, those gorgeous oils need to be kept away from oxygen and moisture. Hot tip: check the roast date on all coffee you buy, it should be within the last 30 days. Buy a small bag often, always checking the roast date. And ignore the best before date – see above point about nuts.

But coffee beans are another story. You can freeze whole beans for up to a month, but don’t take them in and out of the freezer in that time and definitely don’t let them defrost at all before they’re put away (say when you’re topping up your grinder). If you buy a lot of beans at once time, decant them into smaller snap-lock bags so when you do need to use them, you can take up one bag and allow them to thaw before using. Then grind and use those beans as soon as you can, and definitely within two weeks.

3. CAN YOU STORE FLOUR IN THE FREEZER OR FRIDGE?

You can store flour in a cool, dark place in your kitchen, such as the pantry. Keep it airtight and away from light and oxygen to keep it fresh – yes, as a food stuff it can go rancid. If you’re tired of flour weevils and pantry moths appearing – or maybe worse, their larvae – store flour in the fridge. The eggs of these critters are in the flour before you buy it, so don’t buy flour in bulk to avoid giving them time to hatch. Even better, store it in the freezer to kill the eggs altogether and then either return the flour to an airtight container or store it in the fridge.

4. DO CONDIMENTS GO OFF IN THE PANTRY?

Ultra-processed foods like white sliced bread, most packet biscuits, many types of food-type substances we buy in supermarkets, can be stored in the pantry. Because frankly it’s so artificial that it doesn’t go off in the same way that real food does.

The internet is often abuzz with debates around which condiments can be stored in the pantry and what must be refrigerated. The answer is not straightforward, and depends a lot on how much salt and sugar items contain and whether they have been heat treated, a process that removes most if not all bacteria – both good and bad. Some tomato sauce brands would do fine stored in the pantry – check the sugar content – while the salt and sugar reduced brands would be safer in the fridge.

• Honey. Miracle substance that it is, honey doesn’t go off. They have even found honey in tombs from ancient Egypt. Buy the most natural, bee friendly honey you can find to ensure it lasts. It may darken and crystallise a little, but it’s still safe to eat.

• Butter. Likewise – shock – butter can be kept in the pantry, unlike other dairy products. Salted butter keeps better, and it’s safer when concealed from heat, light and air – use a proper butter dish to be totally sure about keeping butter in the pantry.

• Mayonnaise on the other hand, especially the homemade variety, must be stored in the fridge. Store eggs themselves in the fridge as well – not the pantry – and keep them in their original carton to allow them to last longer. Cartons (instead of those plastic trays) reduce water loss and protect the eggs from absorbing other flavours within the fridge.

• Maple syrup. Highly processed maple syrup can be stored in the pantry. There is so much sugar and it’s been heat treated to remove all bacteria, so it can be kept at room temperature. Not so real maple syrup, which is a natural product with no preservatives (hint: it’s more delicious, more nourishing, generally better). Once opened, proper maple syrup needs to be kept in the fridge instead of the pantry so it doesn’t develop a film of mould.

• Fish sauce. If fish sauce spills in your pantry, that smell is almost impossible to eradicate. But also, proper fish sauce is fermented and so should be stored in the fridge. The best quality fish sauce brands (such as this fish sauce that Australian chef and Thai food expert David Thompson recommends) are fermented, preservative-free and salted and packed with good and nutritious things, and must be kept in the fridge.

• Dijon mustard won’t necessarily spoil at room temperature, but some experts say the flavour profile will change over time. Much better to keep it in the fridge once opened.

5. CAN YOU KEEP CLEANING PRODUCTS IN THE PANTRY?

Yes, you are supposed to keep your cleaning products in a cool, clean, dry place away from animals and children, but that doesn’t mean we should be using the pantry for the job. Not all cleaning products are toxic or harmful to humans and animals, but that doesn’t mean you want your eucalyptus solution flavouring your Weetbix. And if you have any toxic substances in your cleaning collection, the risk of spillage, permeation into food products or accidents are just too high.

The post An argument-settling list of things never to store in the pantry appeared first on Homes To Love.

Not only does a new year inspire you to overhaul your lifestyle and daily habits, it is also a time when we start to get back into routine and prepare our homes for another busy year.

Make 2022 your year of getting organised (and staying that way) with these stylish home and office buys – essential for an orderly life.

The first step to staying organised is investing in a good diary. Our pick for 2022 is this chic leather look Daily Planner, $55, from An Organised Life

We all have those bits and pieces that can’t seem to find a home. Clear the clutter (or at least hide it away) in one of these versatile and oh-so-stylish PUDDA Baskets, $14.99, from IKEA

Not a list person? You’ll soon become one with Daily Roller, $134, from George & Willy

Whether it’s daily reminders, messages to your family or important dates – keep track of life in style with this DIY letter board, $13, from Kmart

Keep track of your social life and be inspired daily with the 2022 Large Family Wall Calendar: Plants, $8.25, from Kikki.K

Charge your mobile or MP3 player without the cord clutter with this Cable management box, $14.99, from IKEA

Keep invitations, letters, records, photos and lists strung up in style with the SKÅDIS peg board (plus accessories!), $19, from IKEA

Forever searching for a phone charging cord? Create a shared ‘charging zone’ in your home with a 4-rail Charging Dock, on sale for $149, from Alldock

Keep your bills and paperwork organised with this simple yet stylish KVISSLE letter tray, $44, from IKEA

The post 9 things you need to stay organised in 2022 appeared first on Homes To Love.