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Decanting has been a method used by professional organizers long before it was made popular on social media. You’ve probably seen — or possibly envied — aesthetically arranged snack-filled jars on pantry shelves in celebrity homes. Filling your home with clear containers and pretty labels isn’t only possible for those who hire experts like The Home Edit, though. Anyone can have a more organized home by decanting — and I’ll let you in on all the insider secrets.

What is decanting?

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, that’s OK. And if you think the word “decanting” involves wine, you’re not entirely wrong. Just as you can pour wine from its original bottle into a glass decanter for a fancier presentation (among other reasons), you can do the same with other things around the house. Essentially, decanting means transferring the contents of one container into another.

The benefits of decanting

Decanting saves space: This is especially true with items that you buy in bulk, such as packs of paper towels and boxes of protein bars. Removing things from their packaging automatically minimizes the space they take up.

It can save time: Transferring things to clear containers makes them easier to find or grab quickly. As a personal example, I regularly use cotton swabs and rounds. However, instead of digging for them in their awkwardly shaped packages that I’ve stuffed into a drawer or basket, I decant as many as can fit into a set of matching jars on an accessible shelf.

Decanting saves money: Since decanting makes it easier to see what you have, you’re less likely to overbuy by accident. A quick scan of supply levels will tell you what you need to restock before shopping. In the case of decanting food, airtight containers preserve ingredients.

Items that should be decanted

You should consider decanting if you only use a portion of the contents at a time. For example, I tend to scoop only a cup or two of pasta to make dinner for myself, so storing the remaining pasta in an airtight container is practical.

Regardless of household size, there are some things you likely never use up all at once, especially if you buy in bulk:

I’m also a big fan of removing individually wrapped snacks from their original packaging and placing them in open bins (no airtight lids needed here as they’re already contained). When it comes to spices, I highly recommend decanting oversized bottles into smaller jars.

Here are some other spaces and items in which you can use this technique:

(Better Homes and Gardens is a magazine and website devoted to ideas and improvement projects for your home and garden, plus recipes and entertaining ideas. Online at www.bhg.com.)

©2026 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.