Each week we are posting a one-minute-ish quick video tip on something useful and practical that you can apply right away! Here is our sixth video about The great debate over food storage containers – lid on or off? (Click here to watch on YouTube if you can’t see the embedded player.)
Transcript:
Hey, it’s Lorie Marrero and today’s Clutter Video Tip is about the surprisingly controversial food storage containers. The controversy is about whether to store your containers and your lids separately or together. And I really believe it’s a little bit of both. I think that nesting is the most efficient way in general to store something, like these are nested together, and then I like to keep the lids separate over here in a little simple shoebox that I can flip through and find the right lid. But sometimes if I have a really large container that has a large lid, I’ll just store it right underneath so that it stays out of the way.
So when you go to organize your food storage containers, the first thing you want to do is match up each container with its own lid. And then you’ll end up with what we call “orphans.” Some lids without containers, some containers without lids. You want to batch all those orphans up together into a plastic bag or a box, put a date on it, and store it on a lower shelf somewhere and keep it for just a couple of weeks to make sure you get everything out of rotation from your refrigerator or your dishwasher and make sure that you really don’t need those. Then after that, you can donate the orphans or recycle them.
And by the way, the major manufacturers of food storage containers have made it a little easier for us with a little code number or letter on the bottom of the lids and the containers that you can match up and confirm that you’ve got the right one.
So where do you stand on this controversy? Go attack your food storage containers, and if you need any help, you can get some from our expert team on-line at clutterdiet.com.
So see you next time, and may you always feel happy and grateful for having more than enough.
You may have been looking for tips on organizing tupperware or food storage containers and lids.
You do it the “right” way (some separately & some together). I say that because that’s how I do it too. 🙂
We do the same thing. “Nest” the containers and store all the lids in a larger container. We rarely have an “orphaned” container and if we do, we try to find a use for it – if not we recycle it if we can. It works great and saves money (not having to replace containers all the time due to lost lids).
My son was watching this video over my shoulder. He is an organization nut. He said that we already do it that way, and walked away. Now, he pays close attention to the clutter tips I get from you, so I think he was assured that we were doing it right since we were already doing it the way you suggested. Aren’t you glad you received the approval of a 10 year-old?
Why waste so much time an energy? We use only 3 sizes of containers & lids. I got the “disposable” kind so they’re not expensive. That way if a lid gets ruined or a container is too stained, I get rid of it and I know I have more matching ones. Plus, when packing up leftovers there are only 3 choices for size and it goes so much faster!
I nest the containers per size and store the lids right next to them. Easy!
Hi Lindsay– agreed, it can always be simpler! Many people are like me with mixes of sizes that are our “favorite” containers that we got for wedding gifts long ago, have added to since…some disposable to give to others when needed… it’s working fine so no need to throw them out. If I felt like it was wasting a lot of time & energy, believe me, it would be gone! Thanks for commenting!
– Lorie