Stop Cramming Your Kitchen Drawers: There's A Better Way To Store Plastic Lids

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Even in a large kitchen with plenty of cabinet space, plastic container lids can still be a big problem. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and as a result, they rarely stack together neatly. They'll decrease your kitchen's storage capacity if left untamed, and will waste your time, too, since you'll have to dig through your drawer for the specific lids you need when you're preparing or putting away a meal. Thankfully, a simple store-bought container lid organizer can usually put a stop to these sorts of problems. These products come in a range of different sizes, and often have adjustable dividers that fit into their bases. What really makes them such effective space-savers is the fact that they store your lids vertically, rather than in stacks.

You can order a plastic lid organizer online for a reasonable price from retailers like Walmart and Amazon. A product like the Lifewit Kitchen Expandable Lids Holder, for example, currently costs just under $18, and extends up to 17.3 inches in length. Most plastic lid organizers can fit in deep drawers as well as standard cabinets, and are only as tall as your lids are wide. Many have built-in handles along the sides, and some offerings, such as the SWOMMOLY Expandable Food Storage Lid Organizer, even come with labels that make it easier to reference what kinds of lids belong in which section of the tray. A good lid holder can ultimately start you on the path toward finding a smarter way to organize your deep cabinets.

Before you purchase a plastic lid holder for your kitchen, decide on where you're going to put the organizer and measure the space to ensure the product will fit. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to sort through your lid collection and get rid of anything that's broken, doesn't have a matching container, or is otherwise unusable. By decluttering first, you'll make it easier to find specific lids later. Once that's done, sort the lids you're keeping into categories. You could group them together by size and arrange them from largest to smallest in the organizer, so that it's easier to reference what's available at a quick glance. You could also separate them by color; this may look a bit more aesthetically pleasing. Arranging by use case wouldn't be a bad option, either.

If your organizer doesn't already come with labels for categorizing lids, you can order some without spending more than a few bucks. A roll of YuRi US Waterproof Label Stickers, for example, currently costs just $1.73 on Amazon. These labels could also be handy if you're going to use old mason jars to organize your kitchen cabinets too. If you have extra space in your lid holder and want to cut down on cabinet clutter even further, you could use one or two of the sections for small cutting boards or pot lids. After getting your lids in order, you may want to look into some creative ways to use baskets to organize your kitchen next.