Tame your Tupperware!

tupperware

Who among us has never searched desperately for a lid to a food storage container after you have already put leftovers in it? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Nearly every client's kitchen I have gone into has had an issue with their Tupperware (okay, I know it's not really Tupperware because Tupperware is a brand, but that is how I always refer to my "food storage containers"  and it's a lot easier this way, so from here on out we are going with Tupperware or containers. okay?)

Alright, back to organizing your Tupperware.  Like I said, this seems to be a nearly universal problem.  Unless you are getting rid of all of your existing containers and going to be all sleek (like buying just one fancy brand where the lid fits on all of the sizes and they stack neatly) you may want to keep reading.

My advice on organizing your Tupperware is much like organizing anything else. Let's run through my 5 Organizing Steps:

1. Like with like: Take all your containers out and sort them.   All the round ones together, all the square ones and all the rectangular ones.  Now make sure every container has a lid.

2. Declutter: all of those random, cracked, stained, stinky containers need to go.  The exception to this step is if you have an extra lid that fits another container hold onto it. Put it in a separate place for a bit.  Lids tend to crack or get lost and then you can just go to your  stock to replace it.

variera lid organizer

3. Put it Back:  Now, for this step it's important that you are realistic about both the space you have to store these containers and the amount of containers you have. Don't try to fit 100 of them into a drawer meant for cutlery. Either pare down the amount you have or find a new home for them in the kitchen.  I am lucky enough to have pull-out shelve/drawer things, so that's what I use.  When you put the Tupperware back  stack all the round ones together from largest to smallest (without the lids), same for the other shapes.  Then I store the lids next to them.  I love using a pot-lid organizer for this.  I just switched to the Variera from IKEA because you have some flexibility with the spacing, but really, any lid organizer will do.

4. Label it: this is usually my 4th step, but it doesn't really apply here.  Unless you really want to, there is no need to label it.  It's Tupperware, you know what it is.

5. Live with it: Make sure this really works for you.  Not every organizing system works for everyone.  If it's not working for you try to figure out what isn't working.  If you can't, take a picture and send it to me.  I'll try to help you out! Don't be afraid to change it up!

Control the Kitchen Clutter

DIY Paper Clutter Tamer!

Why does paper clutter gravitate towards the kitchen? I know its not just in my home, I see it with my clients all the time.  Either there is some weird gravitational force that pulls all the junk mail, flyers and random papers into the kitchen and spreads them out onto the counters OR we just don't have a great system to deal with them.  I'm going to go with the latter!

A few years ago I bought this great transparent folder that sticks onto the wall. It is from the Martha Stewart collection that was available at Staples/Bureau en Gros. I immediately put it on the inside of a kitchen cupboard door.  I had instant success! It is a great place for us to keep the random papers that we need handy.  No more paper mess on the counters. .  yay!!! Then the overflow happened. The folder got so full that I wasn't able to close the cupboard door.  There was way too much in there and I could no longer find what I needed.  This clearly wasn't working for us anymore.  As a Professional Organizer I am all about adapting systems to changing needs and lifestyle, so I clearly needed another solution.  For a while that meant I was piling papers on top of our microwave. This drove my husband crazy because every time I needed to find a paper I would take the whole pile down, sift through it and leave the papers on the counter.  When my husband would go to clean the kitchen he would ask "what do you want me to do with these papers?".  I would usually respond by snapping at him to leave them be and I would deal with them later, then inevitably get upset when he didn't clean the kitchen properly because he left the papers all over the counter! 

I obviously needed a solution to this; I needed another folder on the wall.  One would be for reference papers I needed to keep handy in the kitchen (i.e. my secondary home office!) and another would be for all the paperwork whose temporary home would be in the kitchen and would need to be filed later. 

I searched for another of those great wall folders, but sadly the product line was discontinued.  Time for a little DIY organizing action!

I bought some transparent plastic folders (Staples Poly Vertical Filing Jackets) and Command Picture Hanging Strips (two strips that kind of click together, like Velcro) and went to work.  I found an out of the way spot in the kitchen where I wouldn't see the folder when I walked in.  I attached the strips to the back of the folder and stuck it to the wall. Now I can use the folder for temporary filing and then take it off the wall when it's full to file it in my actual office in the basement.  Problem solved!