It's Day 8 of The 30 Day Home Refresh. Today, we’re going to tackle the task you’ve been putting off for years - organizing the Tupperware. We know it might seem overwhelming but you’ll be so happy when it’s finished. We have some great tips for you to organize your food storage containers. In many kitchens, the Tupperware cabinet is a bit of an avalanche waiting to happen and usually requires a lot of digging around to find a matching container and lid. Think of how much time you could save in your day to day life if it was organized and easily accessible.
Note: I use the word Tupperware like I do Kleenex, Band-Aid, Formica, etc. But what I mean is any and all of your food storage containers.
Step #1: Pull out all of your Tupperware from the cabinet, make sure you have everything, otherwise you’ll find yourself needing to re-do things, so remember to check the dishwasher and sink for containers too before you get started. While you’ve got everything out of the cabinet, give the cabinet a good cleaning, after all you won’t be emptying this cabinet again for a long time.
Step #2: Stack containers and lids by type, don’t worry about matching tops and bottoms yet. Put all of the large round lids together, all of the small round lids together, all of the square containers together, etc. This will make it easier to find top and bottom pairs in the next step.
Step #3: Begin matching containers to lids. Start with the like piles you’ve created, for instance, the large round lids and the large round containers. As you match, inspect for quality and recycle the pieces that are cracked, warped, melted, or stained. Place lids on their containers and put the matches aside. Once you’ve matched everything, recycle all of the pieces that don’t have a match. Really, toss them, you don’t need spare lids, we promise. If you have young kids, this might be a great sorting/matching activity to get them involved in.
Step #4: Now you can put your pared-down collection away. Separate all of the lids from their containers. Stack the same size containers together and then create additional stacks based on container size. Group like lids with like lids and grab a few baskets (or use your biggest containers) to stack all of the lids on end.
Take a look through the images below for a few other storage ideas for your containers and lids.
Add an undershelf basket in your cabinet for food storage lids. Place the containers underneath their corresponding lids.
This pull out organizer is perfect if you keep your containers in a lower cabinet. The pull out function means that you aren't reaching blindly into the depths of the cabinet to find something and the metal rails keep both containers and lids in place when the drawer slides back and forth. This one is available in a few different sizes to fit your cabinet: https://rev-a-shelf.com/
Create your own pullout cabinet by using a wire storage sorter on each of your cabinet shelves. This one is from The Container Store: https://bit.ly/2WZvKun
Keep your lids tidy and organized with a lid organizer. You can also use a plate rack to keep the lids organized.
If you keep your Tupperware in a drawer, add this pegboard system to the bottom to keep things from sliding around and getting mixed up.
The key with any organization project is putting the items back in their original place as you use them. Smart organization techniques on the front end make it easier to maintain down the road. What's your biggest kitchen organization challenge?