Revolutionize Plastic Lid Storage With This Office Supply Staple

Aside from deciding whether to use your microwave or air fryer to reheat leftovers, keeping your cabinets organized is one of the top annoyances of maintaining a functional kitchen. This is especially true when it comes to the plastic containers almost all of us have in abundance, not only to store said leftovers but also to prep weekly portable meals for work or school. While the actual containers usually stack neatly inside each other for easy storage, the lids pose a bigger problem. In fact, keeping them organized and under control is part of almost every comprehensive kitchen decluttering guide available.

The bright side of this is that there are lots of options when it comes to finding the best clever and inexpensive container lid organization hack for your specific situation. Some lean organizational tools are made specifically to corral container lids in your kitchen, which makes sense, as many of these products are designed to match kitchen decor and be easy to clean.

However, it's easy to see that the majority of these solutions look almost exactly like the office file organizers of yore — and there's no rule against opting for them instead. Mounted file holders are especially useful in this case, as they're easy enough to install inside a cabinet door or on the wall near where you normally prepare food. You can also usually find them in a variety of colors and metallic finishes to blend in with your decor, if you plan to mount the holder somewhere visible.

When choosing the right file holder for your container lids, it's important to remember that they may not be as resistant to grime and staining as products specifically made to go in the kitchen. With this in mind, it's best to stick to plastic options without tiny holes or fine mesh, especially if you plan to mount it in high-moisture areas, such as in the cabinet under your kitchen sink or close to the stove where it'll be exposed to steam. Plastic will hold up better than metal (which may rust), and is easier to wipe clean if it gets grimy.

However, if you plan to install your new organizer inside a cabinet that holds the corresponding plastic containers or on the inside of your pantry door, metal versions are less likely to be exposed to moisture and attract dirt or begin to rust. It's also important to choose a file holder the right size to hold all of your lids. In fact, if you only have a few, you might be able to store your plastic container lid collection in a simple napkin holder instead of fishing around for them in a larger space.

If your collection is especially large, however, you might want to consider getting more than one file holder. Mount them side by side, or with one over the other and divide your lids between them, perhaps designating one holder for large lids and one for small.