How to Organize Empty Food Storage Containers and Lids
Empty the drawer or cabinet where you normally keep your containers., Recycle any containers you can't or don't use., Remove anything that's not a food storage container and either discard it or store it somewhere else., Get a matched set., Choose a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Empty the drawer or cabinet where you normally keep your containers.
Sweep, vacuum, or wipe out the crumbs and put down fresh shelf paper or drawer lining, if you wish.
Take a good look at your containers while they're spread out on a counter or table. , Discarding is always a good first step toward organizing because it means you will have fewer left over to organize and store, and because items you can't or don't use aren't in the way of the ones you do.
One of these things is not like the others.
Sort through your set and recycle any lids or containers that don't have mates.
Put them together, if it helps, so you can see exactly where something comes up short.
Recycle any containers that are broken, split, stained, smelly, or melted beyond the point of usability.
Recycle anything you don't use.
If it's too small for your regular portions, too big for the lunch box or the shelf in the fridge, let it go.
Decide how many containers you really need, and how many containers you need in any given size.
Chances are, your supply of food containers never runs down to zero.
If you have a stack of ten identical boxes, do you ever see the bottom two or three? Your answer might be yes if your family of five packs lunches in them each day; otherwise you may not want to keep all ten. , Measuring cups, mixing bowls, and drinking glasses (even the plastic ones) should all go in some other, appropriate place.
Put them with other items that function similarly., If your budget and space permit, consider getting containers that are all the same type, with multiples of commonly used sizes.
Often a matched set will stack more compactly and more easily than assorted, unmatched containers.
If you can, try out how the containers stack in the store before you buy them.
Do they nest snugly, or do they sit up with lots of space in between? If you do replace your containers as part of the organizing process, be sure to get rid of the old, unmatched ones. , A large drawer works well, if you have one.
Regardless of which area you choose, dedicate a specific area and make sure the space is ample for the contents., For the containers, nest them in stacks that are as tall as your space.
Start with the largest on the bottom and work upwards to the smallest.
Make multiple stacks as necessary, keeping round containers with round, square with square, and so on., Make one or two stacks of lids at the side of the space.
If you can place them vertically, as you would with papers in a filing cabinet.
Place them in order at least roughly by size.
Freezer bags (like Ziploc or Glad) are also an easy way to keep lids together and in order.
Another really effective way to store them is in a rectangular basket screwed on the back of the cabinet door.
This way, they stay vertical and won't get in the way of the containers., If you like to use miniature containers for leftover dabs or for single-serving portions of toppings or trail mix in a lunch box, put them all in one larger container., If a particular container is the one you always use to store flour in the pantry or cheese in the fridge, you might never need to store it with your other containers.
Let it have its normal place in the pantry even if you're out of flour., If you start sticking "just one thing" in edgewise, it will all be chaos again soon.
Get your family's help, too.
If others do the dishes, explain the new organization system and ask that they replace items in the stacks you have arranged. -
Step 2: Recycle any containers you can't or don't use.
-
Step 3: Remove anything that's not a food storage container and either discard it or store it somewhere else.
-
Step 4: Get a matched set.
-
Step 5: Choose a suitable drawer or cabinet.
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Step 6: Nest and stack.
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Step 7: File the lids.
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Step 8: Corral the small stuff.
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Step 9: Give containers with long-term jobs permanent homes elsewhere.
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Step 10: Make a habit of re-stacking containers back where they go every time you put away dishes.
Detailed Guide
Sweep, vacuum, or wipe out the crumbs and put down fresh shelf paper or drawer lining, if you wish.
Take a good look at your containers while they're spread out on a counter or table. , Discarding is always a good first step toward organizing because it means you will have fewer left over to organize and store, and because items you can't or don't use aren't in the way of the ones you do.
One of these things is not like the others.
Sort through your set and recycle any lids or containers that don't have mates.
Put them together, if it helps, so you can see exactly where something comes up short.
Recycle any containers that are broken, split, stained, smelly, or melted beyond the point of usability.
Recycle anything you don't use.
If it's too small for your regular portions, too big for the lunch box or the shelf in the fridge, let it go.
Decide how many containers you really need, and how many containers you need in any given size.
Chances are, your supply of food containers never runs down to zero.
If you have a stack of ten identical boxes, do you ever see the bottom two or three? Your answer might be yes if your family of five packs lunches in them each day; otherwise you may not want to keep all ten. , Measuring cups, mixing bowls, and drinking glasses (even the plastic ones) should all go in some other, appropriate place.
Put them with other items that function similarly., If your budget and space permit, consider getting containers that are all the same type, with multiples of commonly used sizes.
Often a matched set will stack more compactly and more easily than assorted, unmatched containers.
If you can, try out how the containers stack in the store before you buy them.
Do they nest snugly, or do they sit up with lots of space in between? If you do replace your containers as part of the organizing process, be sure to get rid of the old, unmatched ones. , A large drawer works well, if you have one.
Regardless of which area you choose, dedicate a specific area and make sure the space is ample for the contents., For the containers, nest them in stacks that are as tall as your space.
Start with the largest on the bottom and work upwards to the smallest.
Make multiple stacks as necessary, keeping round containers with round, square with square, and so on., Make one or two stacks of lids at the side of the space.
If you can place them vertically, as you would with papers in a filing cabinet.
Place them in order at least roughly by size.
Freezer bags (like Ziploc or Glad) are also an easy way to keep lids together and in order.
Another really effective way to store them is in a rectangular basket screwed on the back of the cabinet door.
This way, they stay vertical and won't get in the way of the containers., If you like to use miniature containers for leftover dabs or for single-serving portions of toppings or trail mix in a lunch box, put them all in one larger container., If a particular container is the one you always use to store flour in the pantry or cheese in the fridge, you might never need to store it with your other containers.
Let it have its normal place in the pantry even if you're out of flour., If you start sticking "just one thing" in edgewise, it will all be chaos again soon.
Get your family's help, too.
If others do the dishes, explain the new organization system and ask that they replace items in the stacks you have arranged.
About the Author
Shirley Wilson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical pet care knowledge.
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