Declutter Day 17

Food Storage

What is that instinct that compels us to keep all of the spaghetti jars and cool whip containers?

“They’re perfectly good containers.”

We’ve all said that.

One of my Hello Organize jobs was to help a lady who came in from out of town to clean out her relative’s house after they passed - time was limited and we were on a mission. After going through kitchen/pantry/laundry room with so, so, so many jars and take-out containers that were “perfectly good,” I came home motivated to toss them all out of my own kitchen & pantry. Hey, cabinets are limited, valuable kitchen real estate.

It’s the container concept for your cabinets (and your closets, and your house): there’s ony so much room in a container, so when it’s full, nothing else can go in. Your cabinets (and closets, and house) are a container: there’s only so much room, so when it’s full, nothing else can go in. it’s not negotiable. (Container concept from Dana at A Slob Comes Clean.)

And yet, it will inevitably collect again because (say it with me), “they are perfectly good containers!”

So here we go to reclaim that cabinet real estate!

The only perfectly good containers we keep are the lunch meat containers. Perfect for carrying a sandwich to work.

And I keep a stash of Glad containers for holidays and family dinners to divvy up the leftovers to send home with the kiddos. Especially when there's Mac & Cheese.

And they fit in a bin in the cupboard and don't get lost in the way back. 

Awhile back we got rid of all the mismatched plastic tupperware and rubbermaid and invested in some pyrex glass dishes. As long as it fits in this section and the lids can fit in this tub, they can stay. 

Here's the stainless cup and tervis cup rule: if it can fit in here, it can stay. If one comes home from somewhere, something has to go. There's a lazy susan in there so I can find the lids and coffee cup tops. 

Hey, remember on Day 11 when we got rid of medicine bottles? Check it out: this cabinet is still mostly empty!