Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
We are seniors and my dear husband has agreed to put up the clean dishes. Good yes? But, haha isn't there always a but. When putting up plastic storage containers he just throws them in the area without putting the lids on. Some of the lids I'll never find again. Where do they go? (Like the socks, yes.)
Some of the newer plastic containers we can buy now have the lid snap on the bottom. A good idea, but boy are they expensive. How do all you gals keep track of the lids. It's always something isn't it.
By Nancy from Lewisville, TX
I stack the containers (all the same type together) and stack the rectangular lids vertically, secured between the rectangular containers and the cabinet wall. For the small, circular lids, I stack them together and store them in an old, thin icemaker box that fits just right in the cabinet next to all the containers. The larger boxes are stored similarly in a lower cabinet.
Picture: There aren't many boxes in the cabinet since I made and stored soup today. As you see, the lid box is labeled - for my husband!
I store mine in the pantry where cans of food is stored with lids on each one. They stack very easy, good luck.
I store my lids in a separate containter next to the stacked "bottoms". This way everything is together. I don't ever store the lids ON the container because sometimes it takes longer for the little ridges & places like that to dry on the contairner or the lid.
Also, about once every other month or so, I go through and make sure I have a lid for every bottom and a bottom for every lid. Any leftovers get trashed. The majority of my containers are butter tubs, yogurt tubs, cream cheese and sour cream tubs. These are the ones I use for leftovers in the fridge.
But I do have others that I have bought for specific reasons. I have some nice square ones with tight fitting lids. I use those for freezing soups, chili in the winter. After the winter season and the soups and chili have all been eaten, I wash them up and store them in a separate part of the kitchen till the next winter.
And finally I have a lot of the Lock & Lock storage containers. Those are used every day to store things in on hte counter. In these I keep flour, sugar, tea bags, coffee bags, noodles bread crumbs, cereals, marshmallows, coffee creamer, stuffing mix, brown sugar, rice, mashed potato mix, hot cereal mixes, hot drink mixes, chips, instant soup mixes, all sorts of things. I also use them to store dog and cat treats. And I found one that will hold a full bag of cat food. Still looking for one for the dog food.
I use a plastic bin with the basket weave side's to stack my lid's. I put the smallest in front and they graduate to the largest in the back.
My son puts the dishes away for me, but we solved this "tupperware" problem by him leaving it on the counter, and I do it. Less fuss in the long run.
I stack/nest my assorted pieces on a shelf and put the lids in a box alongside. It is the stacking that my son can't handle, and often the plastic stuff is wet, so it dries off on the counter, and then I deal with it.
I have a huge bowl that I keep all my lids in. I keep the bowl in my oven. It's close, but out-of-the-way.
Like Susan, my plastic containers go in a big bowl. However, nothing plastic goes into my oven - I might forget to take it out, lol! My DH and I compromised very well on the dishes thing: he does most of the cooking and chases me out when I try to help. (I should point out, I'm very visually impaired, but ironically enough, I burn myself less than he does.)
When it comes time to wash and put away the dishes, I chase him out, lol! If I wash and put away things myself, at least I can find them again.
I use two bins to keep lids. One for circle lids the other for square lids. I keep these bins on an open shelf. It seems to work for me as I have LOTS of tupperware.
I went to the dollar store and bought 2 baskets. One for larger containers and 1 for small containers. I store the containers and lids in the same storage bin. I stack the containers and place the lids standing up beside the appopriate containers. I use ziploc containers and lock and lock containers so this system is very useful for me as I have many.
My kitchen door goes out into our garage. Right at the door, I've placed 2 - 2 drawer filing cabinets. One cabinet has lids, round and square and the other cabinet has round containers and square containers. Very handy and everything in it's place.
Donita from Loveland, CO.
I'm having a tough time trying to control storage containers that I use for food. Now I have to have three bags and boxes to put them in and this has to cease.
Anyone have suggestions? This is in my small kitchen and has given me frustration each time I have to look at this mess.I have a very small kitchen about 5x6. I have absolutely no place to put my plastic lids. I don't have room for a file cabinet; I barely have room to walk around. Please help me with any suggestions you might have.
Thank you.
By Jill from Sioux City, IA
You can find tiered hanging fruit basket for cheap at most places and it can be hung out of the way, maybe in a corner. You could line the tiers with fabric scraps or ribbons or artificial flowers etc if you dont like the look of the just the lids in the basket. I used to use one in my bathroom for towels and sundries.
I like those cute little napkin holders you can buy or you can cover a cereal box with pretty paper, or contact paper and cut it in half and then use that, or you could get a cute basket at the thrift shop.
It kind of depends on how many you have.
Blessings, Robyn
Another solution is bagging them. And hanging up the bag inside a cabinet door or ?. Not really easy to access, but it can work.
I use a basket to keep all tops in. You can leave on the counter put it in a cabinet or even hang from the bottom of your cabinet if it has a handle.
Here's an idea that might work: Get some of the tacky rubber stuff for hanging things up (one brand name is FunTack) and put a small ball on each lid & stick it to the inside of a cabinet door. When you use the lid, leave the ball of tacky rubber on the door for when you store the lid again.
I have all kinds of things stuck on the backs of my cabinet doors with either FunTack or magnets - such as small juice powder packets, sweetener packets, charts of substitutions, a chart of pan sizes and how much they hold, directions for cooking rice and pastas, etc. This keeps everything handy & easy to find.
I also use some in the bathroom on the back of the medicine cabinet door (for the kind that swings out, not sliders) and linen cupboard, for sample packets of pills, shampoo, a first aid chart, etc.
I have too many plastic containers and a very small cupboard. Every time I organize it, it still ends up in a mess. I need advice on what to do.
By Mariya
I've got the same problem. I always stack them inside each other. Make a few different stacks, largest on the bottom.
Put a box in beside them and stack the lids together on their ends.
If you still have a space problem, try separating the containers you use the most, keep those in your kitchen cupboard, and store the rest in another storage location.
I buy my soup container (1 cup) at a cash and carry shop. I get 50 for 4.18 and the lids for 2.86. They stack well, are see through, and come in a tube I can hang from inside a broom closet or store under the bed. They can be used for so many other things, and when something is all the same size, it makes it much easier.
If this isn't a good idea, then find some pretty crates or baskets from thrift stores or the dollar stores. If you have cupboards with tops (not all the way to the ceiling), you can set the ones you don't use much up there. I would put them in bags so they stay clean, and with the grabbers you can easily get them down without a step stool.
I hope these help.
PBP
I use plastic large shoebox type containers in my pantry to store my containers. One holds all square containers and lids, the other holds rectangular storage pieces and lids, and the last holds round storage containers and lids. I also have a large shelf that has a large plastic container that has large odd pieces of plastic storage containers.