A Professional Organizers Guide To Practical Decanting Methods

What Is Decanting

That pal of ours Mr. Webster, defines decanting as “…pouring liquid from one container into another.” But this is no science class boo! So, let’s break it down as it relates to your home. 

At Elegant Simplicity, we define decanting (at home) as the process of removing items from their original packaging + setting (or pouring) them into functional jars, containers and/or baskets.

Here’s a couple of examples you may already “…decant” without even knowing it around your home:

• Pour bulk spices into glass jars

• Take dryer sheets out the box + place them into a specific container

• Empty olive oil into a glass canister + place it on the kitchen counter

There is a TON of decanting opportunities around your home but a question we ask ourselves at Elegant Simplicity is — what’s the purpose or intention behind the action? If we can’t justify the why around a particular function then it’s not something we’d recommend to our clients.

5 Major Benefits Of Decanting

And that leads us to the benefits of decanting. 

Decanting Keeps Food Fresh

Bags of chips need clips, bags of cereal (inside of boxes) need clips, bags of pastas need clips, kids snacks need clips — heck just about everything that isn’t named a canned good — needs a clip in the kitchen. And that means you’ve got lots of clips to store + to keep track of…Or lots of stale food *wink*

While some products come with resealable capabilities, an air-tight container keeps your food fresh longer as it reduces the food’s ability to oxidize. 

Shelf life isn’t the only reason for decanting some of your food though because air-tight containers also are a deterrent for pests, odd food odors mixing together + are excellent at keeping moisture in the air out.

Decanting Helps Remove Physical Clutter

There’s no question that part of the beauty in decanting is the uniformity but not just aesthetically speaking. 

Decanting items increases your ability to maximize the space you have. Even if space as a whole isn’t a challenge in your home, you’re often still limited to a cabinet, a shelf, an area of the countertop to utilize for what you need.

So, if + when it makes sense to decant laundry detergent or specialty cleaning products do so. 

By ridding your home of the original packing you not only gain back space but reduce the physical clutter.

Gives You Insight Into What To Buy

Almost all of us have at one point in our lives reached for something in the pantry, under the bath vanity or in the cleaning closet only to realize that it was nearly empty or completely empty. 

An added benefit of decanting the right way is whether it’s hand soap, olive oil, your kitchen spices or bath salts by removing the packaging it comes in you can at a glance identify what you need to buy more of so you’re never too low (or completely out of) laundry detergent boo.

Frictionless Usability

Huh? Yeah, that’s right — decanting can make life at home feel frictionless. Imagine this, it’s Christmas time + around these parts, we’re suckers for a good Christmas cookie. No seriously, you never leave a cookie out if John’s around LOL! 

Alright, enough digressing…you’re cooking + the recipe calls for 15 cups of flour, a tablespoon of baking soda + several scoops of chocolate chips. The only problem is the flour bag is going to get torn by the little tyke when they’re grabbing it off the baking shelf + poof there goes half the bag of flour, the baking soda jar has too small of an opening so you can’t get the tablespoon inside of it + the chocolate chips are half crushed because the bag was under all the other baking ingredients.

Decanting those items into jars + containers that stack but are specifically sized for how much you need of each makes this experience enjoyable, not frustrating. Easy to clean up, not a disaster. And you spend more time kissing, laughing + loving on your people than worrying about the things causing you stress.

Decanting Can Be Beautiful

Certainly not the most important but one added benefit of decanting is that it looks good. 

And if that didn’t matter to you, then you wouldn’t be reading this *wink*. You take pride in your home + this is another instance of self care. From organized drawers + cabinets to small vignettes of canisters on countertops, decanting adds an element of luxury to your home. 

Regardless of the benefits of decanting, functionality should always precede aesthetic so if something specific about decanting doesn’t make sense for you — you shouldn’t do it.