If you have the space, a drawer is the best way to organize tupperware containers and lids. Here are four quick steps to organized tupperware!
Is your tupperware collection in desperate need of organizing? All of those plastic containers and matching lids can be a nuisance to organize!
I recently decluttered and organized my plastic food containers and want to share the solution that works best for us: a tupperware drawer. (I totally think drawers are the easiest way to keep your containers neat and tidy).
I’ll give you a tour of my drawer today as well as four easy steps you can follow to declutter and organize your own container collection.
Looking for more kitchen organizing ideas? Take a look at these blog posts:
- Organizing Tupperware In 20 Minutes Flat
- How To Organize Kitchen Drawers
- How To Organize Spices (And The Best Glass Spice Jars!)
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What’s The Best Way To Organize Tupperware? A Drawer Or A Kitchen Cabinet?
The best way to organize your containers ultimately comes down to what kind of storage space you have available in your kitchen. In my opinion, a deep drawer is a great way to keep all of those containers and corresponding lids neat and tidy.
If you have the space, I recommend creating a tupperware drawer because it gives you easy access to your containers (as opposed to having one giant stack of them in a cabinet).
But if you don’t have many drawers in your kitchen, that’s okay! Kitchen cabinets (both lower cabinets and upper cabinets) can both be great spots to store your plastic containers with a little organizing.
In our last house, our small kitchen only had a couple of shallow drawers so I created a tupperware cupboard instead. The lower cabinet was the best option for our kitchen and giving all of those pesky containers a designated space was a game-changer!
Today we’re talking specifically about how to organize your plastic and glass containers (and their matching lids) inside a kitchen drawer.
Choose a drawer in your kitchen that’s deep so there’s enough space for all of your containers. It’s a good idea to choose a drawer with a convenient location if possible–I chose a drawer in our kitchen island because that is a great spot to pack up leftovers after dinner and to make lunches for work. And since our tupperware drawer is in the island, our food containers are always easy to grab!
How to Organize food storage containers In A Drawer
1. Gather All Of Your Containers
The first thing you want to do is gather up ALL of your plastic food storage containers. Gather them all up into one spot on your kitchen counter so you can assess what you have and purge the excess before you start organizing anything.
Make sure you check all of your kitchen cabinets for stray containers. Your future self with thank you for getting them all organized and in one spot!
2. Sort & Categorize Your Containers
Sort everything into stacks of different sizes and find the matching lids for each container. If you come across any lidless containers, it’s a great idea to go ahead and purge them. The same goes for any lids you find that don’t have matching bottoms.
A lot of people struggle to get rid of perfectly good containers, but if they don’t have lids I give you full permission to let them go! You’ll be much better off in the long run if you have a complete set of plastic tupperware–matching lids and all.
This is also an opportunity to assess your container collection.
- Do you have a hodgepodge of containers from different brands?
- Do you have a million different sizes?
- Do you have container sizes you rarely or never use?
- Are there specific containers you just don’t like for some reason and therefore rarely use?
- Are there any that aren’t in good condition?
Take a few minutes to consider what containers are worth keeping and if any can be purged.
Quick Tip: I think it really helps keep things manageable when you simplify your containers to just a few sizes and one brand if possible. For example, I exclusively use the Rubbermaid Brilliance food storage containers. They are amazing containers and great quality, plus they stack so nicely! You’ll also save space by avoiding round containers–square and rectangle containers will maximize your drawer space.
3. Clean Your Drawer & Add A Liner
Before you begin filling up your tupperware drawer, take a minute to make sure it’s clean. If there are lots of crumbs, use a handheld vacuum or vacuum attachment to clean up crumbs. Then wipe the whole thing down with a microfiber cloth and an all-purpose cleaning spray.
I also really love adding a drawer liner to my kitchen drawers. This step is optional, but it helps protect your nice drawer from any moisture or spills. Plus, a colorful drawer liner is just plain fun!
Learn how to add easy DIY drawer liners to your drawers here.
4. Organize Your Drawer
Now that you have a clean slate, it’s time to fill up your drawer! It will take some trial and error to find a layout that works best for your plastic storage containers and space available.
I like to start with the larger containers and then fill in around them with your smaller containers.
It’s also helpful to keep in mind which containers you reach for on a daily basis. We have one mid-sized container that we use all the time for leftovers and to pack lunches so I like to place that size toward the front of the drawer for easy access.
There are a lot of smart ways to store tupperware lids and containers using things like tupperware organizers, drawer dividers, tension rods, magazine holders, and dollar store baskets. But I always say the best way to organize any space is to keep it simple.
Containers typically stack up nicely on their own and don’t really require any special organizers. We do have a few small containers that we use for dressings and dips for lunch bags mostly, and I just stack those tiny ones inside one of our larger containers.
Organizing tupperware lids is a common struggle. People have gotten creative with many clever ways to organize lids and you’ll see a ton of interesting ideas if you look on Pinterest.
Here are some options to consider:
- Stack them up neatly underneath a stack of the corresponding containers
- File the lids in a row in your drawer (what I do)
- Store each container with its lid on (this takes up a lot of space)
- You can use drawer dividers, a magazine rack or a special tupperware organizer to store lids nice and neat.
Can you imagine not having a tupperware avalanche every time you go to grab a container? You’ll have your tupperware issues solved in no time with these four quick steps.
If you’d like to share a photo of the end result with me in an Instagram direct message, I’d love to see your organized tupperware cabinet or drawer. Good luck and happy organizing!
Looking for more kitchen organizing ideas? Take a look at these blog posts:
- Creating An Evening Kitchen Shutdown Routine (So Your Kitchen Is Always Clean!)
- Making Cleanup Fast With An Organized Kitchen Sink & DIY Soap Dispenser
- 12 Genius Habits That Save Time In The Kitchen
Have a fantastic day!
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