If there’s one source of clutter nearly all of us can relate to—it’s food storage container clutter! It’s one of life’s great mysteries—how do our food storage containers multiply in the cupboard while we aren’t looking, and at the exact same time, the lids vanish into thin air?! While we may not be able to solve this particular mystery, we can declutter our food storage containers and create some order in the cupboard. Here are my favorite tips:
Sort + Match. Pull your storage containers out of storage and match the lids to the containers. You may be surprised to find that you aren’t missing as many lids as you think.
Eliminate. After you have your containers matched with the lids, let go of any containers that are stained, missing a top, or are otherwise past their prime.
Store. This next tip may surprise you…I recommend that you store your regularly used food storage containers with the lids on. It’s true that this approach takes up more space, but if you have food going bad in your refrigerator you probably have more food storage containers than you need anyway! When you have fewer food storage containers and start to run low in the cupboard, take it as a sign that it’s time to clear out your refrigerator.
Say goodbye to hunting and searching. When you store your containers with the lids on, you never have to search for a lid when it comes time to clean up after dinner. Instead, simply match lids with containers when they both come out of the dishwasher. Viola! Problem solved…and you may have just solved one of life’s great mysteries, too.
Create a food storage mini zone. Store your food containers in close proximity to your plastic storage bags, foil, wraps, and chip clips! Everything you need to store leftovers will be together, saving you time and the frustration that comes with clutter!
How do you organize and store your food storage containers?
Happy organizing!
My solution was to get rid of all the mismatched containers and buy new ones that would store easily. We now have only two sizes of square containers. One is shallow and the other is deep. They both use the same size lid, so it’s always easy to find a lid, because all the lids fit all the containers. They nest together so when they aren’t in use they take up as little cabinet space as possible.
That’s what we did too. We got rid of all the old mismatched containers and bought all new. We have 3 sizes–one big, medium and small. They all stack into each other. I actually keep the lids stacked up in a different area and it all works!
Don’t your containers start to ”smell” if you store them with the lids on tight? I find it unsanitary (possibly only in my mind!) to store them this way, even if I am sure they are 100% dry when I put them away. How do you prevent this? Mine always seem to pick up some kind of stuffy odor.
A trick I have used for years when storing clean containers with their lids on is to tear off small pieces of paper towels and put inside the container. The paper towel pieces help absorb any mustiness or food odors.
As you mentioned when you run out of containers in your cupboard, it is time to clear out the refrigerator of leftovers. Could it also mean it is time to take a break from cooking and order some Chinese food for the great containers??
Thanks for all of your great ideas. They really help!!!
i put the lids on and stack.. squares at the back, circles at the front. It a lot easier if they are nesting containers!
I am storing with the lids, too. Also, I only buy square or rectangular containers now (as my round ones wear out), as they fit so much better in the fridge!
I’m with Ellen on this one. I always store my containers with the lids off just in case they are not dry after coming out of the dishwasher. I might try airing them out on a dish towel before storing them. I like Claire’s idea, squares in the back and circles in the front. Great tips!
I don’t have any problem with odors in my containers…but I don’t have many containers, so they don’t sit around in the cupboard for very long. But…I’m curious, wouldn’t stacked containers be prone to not drying out, too?
And wow — I forgot my favorite tip: to use clear containers! That is a total life saver…less food forgotten in the refrigerator. So the ideal container is square, clear, and has a universal lid that works with all the other containers in the cabinet! I think we’ve figured it out ladies!
Aby
Great tips! I’ve been thinking about buying a set of glass storage containers so that they are easier to dry out. The lids would still be plastic though, that’s one downfall of that plan. I thought I could just keep a few Gladware containers on hand if I need to send leftovers home with guests. You’re right though Aby, so many of our leftovers that I put in these containers go to waste so maybe less containers would help!
Hi Aby, I don’t stack my open containers, I’m lucky to have a huge drawer in my kitchen that I toss everything into so if anything is still a bit damp it will dry out but it is not at all organized! I can’t wait to start your clutter control workshop this morning. Off I go to read my lesson!
We’ve really elimnated lid searching by only buying ONE size of containers. I find it works great – it’s a nice medium size and if something is so small that putting it that container would be silly, I just throw it out (or eat it..;) I use multiple if the amount of leftovers require it. It was my husbands idea to just have one size and at first I was resistant, but it’s great, super mindless, super fast.
I stack my containers (rectangles) by size without the lids on. I then put all the lids on a small basket arranged vertically by size as well. Saves space, and easy to look for the right lid.
Last time I matched my lids to containers I had 3-4 extra square containers. So I used those in my junk drawer to replace the check book boxes that were dividing up the space – the shallow containers fit in the drawer perfectly and they are just the right dimension to hold pens!
After reading this i am completely revamping my kitchen and using the large tub my containers came in to store. I have aleay kept my lids on, but this was because i recycle so many that they were always different.