How to Organize Plastic Food Containers and Lids?

Answer 1

For those of us who have been overwhelmed by an avalanche of cascading lids and Tupperware upon opening the most dreaded cabinet in our kitchens, this is a guide to prevent future disasters from occurring. For you who have not, this is an article carrying intentions that you never find yourself buried under a pile of food storage. A cleaner Tupperware cabinet will free up space in your limited kitchen shelving, and make finding a lid for this and a dish for that much less of a hassle.

Step one: empty that drawer! Start by removing every Tupperware you have, and placing them on the counter. Make sure you have plenty of room for sorting, stacking, re-sorting, and organizing of your collection. Sweep, dust, or vacuum out the cupboard housing your food storage. Examine your Tupperwares for dust and clean as needed. If desired, line the cupboard with a fresh sheet of drawer liner.

Step two: weed out what you can. Look at all that Tupperware. Like clothing, odds are you don’t need all of it. While organizing saves some space in its own right, removing unused containers will save you much, much more. Take these, along with any cracked or broken Tupperware and recycle them.

Step three: remove anything that’s not a food container. Mixing bowls, measuring cups, and drinking cups (even those plastic ones) need to find homes of their own. These obnoxious items clutter the space intended for your Tupperware, and consume all too valuable space.

Step four: Stack the containers. Stack the remaining Tupperware in an efficient fashion that makes the most of your limited space. This generally means stacking as high as you can, and stacking smaller containers inside of larger ones. Make multiple stacks if necessary, keeping round with round, square with square, and so on.

Step five: store the lids. You have two options for the lids: Stack them, or file them in a large Tupperware. If you choose to stack, start with the largest lids and stack your way up to the smaller ones to allow a sturdier base. The square with square and round with round rules apply here as well.

Step six: corral the little guys. In a large container, store your miniature Tupperware. This keeps the small stuff from rolling around and cluttering your cupboard or drawer’s area and makes it easier to find something small when the situation warrants it.

Congratulations! You now have a manageable, clean, organized Tupperware storage unit. Be sure to maintain it, or it won’t belong before you find yourself buried under another (or your first) food storage avalanche.