Open your kitchen cabinet, and we're sure we'll find jars and plastic containers. Jars are fantastic for storing ingredients, but we have to admit that plastic containers are especially useful in the kitchen.
Plastic containers have a role in our kitchen life: it's perfect for holding ingredients, food, and even wayward tools and utensils. It comes in many shapes, sizes, and even colors. Plus, it doesn't break when dropped (perfect for households with kids and klutzy hands) and easily replaceable if it is broken.
However, we also know that you have empty ones just waiting to be used and filled. It's these containers that can become super cluttered and disorganized. We always end up with lost lids, mismatched containers, and even old and musty ones.
If you're on the road to organizing your kitchen and are faced with a drawer or cabinet full of containers, here are the tips you need to clear out some storage space:
1 Remove clutter aka those without lids.
One of the first rules of organizing is to take everything out, so take everything out of the cabinet or drawer so you can start fresh, with empty storage space.
With everything out, start by matching all of the containers with their lids. Pair these up, so you don't lose track of those with lids and those without lids. Any containers without a lid are containers that have little use in your kitchen. Set these aside (or find alternative uses for it or immediately throw these out if you're brave!).
2 Throw out lids that don't fit on any container.
Just like containers without a lid may not have a use in your kitchen anymore, even more so will a lid without a matching container! These lids will create clutter, and these are best thrown out.
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3 Discard broken lids and containers.
While sorting through and matching containers with its lids, you probably encountered a few that were broken. Any container that is broken is also best thrown out or used elsewhere in the home. This is because it's best not to use broken containers for food. Any liquid ingrdient will leak and broken containers invite moisture in which encourages mold to grow and may even be big enough for insects to crawl into.
4 Decide what to keep and what to throw out.
If you have sorted through your containers and only have containers that are fit to store, you may have another dilemma: too many containers! If you discover that you actually have more than you could possibly need or want, you can decide to keep the best ones and either throw out the ones you no longer need or have these reappropriated for other uses in other parts of the house.
You can even "gift" these to other organizing friends who are still in the stages of organizing their kitchens.
5 Stack them up.
Here's where it gets tricky: how do you store these empty containers? If you have containers that are all of the same size, shape, and even brand, you may find that it's easy to store. That's because these containers and lids will easily stack.
You also need to decide if you will store your containers with the lids on each one or to separate the lids from the containers themselves. If you store the containers with the lids on, these are easily stacked and easy to grab and use. However, this method won't save you space.
The smarter, a more space-efficient way of storing plastic containers is by separating the container from the lid. This is because you can easily stack and even nest smaller containers in bigger containers. You can designate and repurpose a container without its lid as the lid container so all the lids you need are all in one place. You'll save lots of space! The downside of this storage method is searching through the lids and the containers to find the right one that matches the one you will use.
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