Clutterbusters!! Fort Worth

I love to cook.  Truthfully, I don’t “really” love to cook.  I actually really love to eat good food and so I’ve learned to be a good cook.  I’ve found, in order to be a good cook (and therefore eat good food), it’s important to have a well-stocked pantry and have a variety of spices on hand and easy to find.  I’ve also found, having lived in a number of different homes and having helped clients organize their homes and organize their kitchens, that there are a number of different options for organizing spices.

This past week, I help a client in Fort Worth organize her spices.  She had a very large kitchen but the flow of things just wasn’t working for her.  One of the biggest issues she had with her kitchen, and one that caused her not to cook as much as she liked, was the spice rack.  There were several things wrong with the spice rack -

1.   It was a floor to ceiling spice rack with NO DOORS one of the first things you see when you walk in the kitchen

2.  It was overstuffed with not only spices but other items as well

3.  The spices were not arranged in any particular order so it made finding the spice you needed difficult

4.  There were expired spices

Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of the spice rack so you’ll just have to use your imagination.  The picture above is similar to what she had, except that it was taller, wider and a little bit deeper.  After being a professional organizer for 7 years, I don’t take pictures as much as I did when I first started.  Now that I’m blogging about organizing, I’m starting to think I need to whip out my camera a little more often.

The first thing we did to tackle the spice rack was to remove all of the spices.  As I removed the spices, I looked to see if they had expired.  If they had, they went straight into the trash can.  If the spices looked old or didn’t have a smell, the went straight into the trashcan.  Luckily, there were a lot of spices that went into the trashcan so that was helpful in clearing up some extra space.  The spices that didn’t get tossed were placed on the counter.

Next, we talked about how we thought the spices should be organized.  There were the large spice bottles that you get from Costco and Sam’s club.  There were quite a few “BBQ” and meat type spices.  There were baking spices.  There were your “normal” spices.  Since the spice rack was open and visible to all who entered the kitchen, we wanted to make sure the way we arranged and organized the spices was visually pleasing to the eye.  We wanted to make sure the way we organized the spices made sense and that the client would be able to find what she needed when she was cooking.  We also wanted to make sure the system we set up was easy for her to maintain.

We decided to have different sections for the different types of spices and to put the spices in alphabetical order to make it easier to find them.  We grouped all the large spice bottles together and if there were any duplicates then those went on the very top shelf.  Next, we put all of the “normal” spices in alphabetical order and put them on the shelves just under the large spice bottles.  If there were duplicates, we put one behind the other (since the shelves were deep enough to fit 2-3 spice bottles).  We left a little room on each shelf so that she had room to group.  Next, we put the BBQ and meat spices.  After that came the backing spices.

In the end, she had a spice rack that was visually pleasing to the eye, contained only spices that were still good and usable, were organized in a way that made sense to her and was easy for her to find what she needed when she needed.

One thing to note, the majority of people’s spice racks DO NOT look like the picture above.  Most people, have a hodge-podge of different spices from different manufacturers in a variety of different shapes and sizes.  Although it would be nice to have a spice rack where all the spices were in matching jars, I find that it requires more work than most people have the time or energy for.  Trust me, I’m one of those people!!  For years I wanted my spices to look like the ones they show in the magazines.  I had matching spice bottles and each one was neatly labeled.  Then, I’d have to buy another spice for a particular recipe and so I had to make sure that I kept extra spice bottles on hand.  Or, I’d be almost out of a particular spice and would have a backup on hand and be faced with the dilemma of what to do with it until I needed it (I couldn’t pour it into the other bottle because then it would be too full.  I couldn’t put it on the spice rack with the others because it didn’t match.  I couldn’t put it in its own new matching spice bottle because what if I needed that for another spice).  And, of course, there was the issue of having to transfer the spice from one bottle to another.  In the end, I came to the realization that it was more trouble than it was worth.  Yes, I wanted to open my pantry door and look at a beautiful, uniform looking spice rack BUT no one else ever saw it.  This was a prime example of when “good was good enough”.

Last week I worked with a client in Fort Worth, TX helping her to organize her pantry.  Her pantry, at one point, had been very organized but, over time, it had gotten out of control.

In order to organize her pantry, we took everything out of the pantry and sorted the items into various categories.   I like to sort things as I’m bringing them out of the pantry in order to save time.  The pantry items were sorted into the following categories:

• Plastic Wraps and Bags
• Paper Goods
• Pastas/Rice/Potatoes
• Soups
• Breakfast items
• Baking Goods
• Snacks
• Canned Goods
• Condiments/Extras

Each person’s pantry contents will vary but most pantries contain the above categories.

Also, as I’m pulling things out of the pantry and categorizing them, I like to look at the expiration date to make sure the item is still good.  By using the expiration date, you give yourself permission to let go of items more easily.  Usually, by the time most people decide to organize their pantry, they end up throwing out a lot of expired items.  Again, I like to do this as I’m sorting and pulling things out so that I can make the most of my time.  Another option would be to sort everything first and then go through each item afterwards and find the expiration date.

Once the items had been sorted and all expired items (including those items she no longer wanted or needed) have been purged, we then had a better idea of how much space was needed to store the various categories.  Ideally, I like to put one category on each shelf, but not all pantries are large enough to do that.  Luckily, with this particular pantry, we were able to do that (for the most part).  Regardless, you want to make sure that items you use more often are located at eye level or easily accessible and items you don’t use as often (such as baking goods) are stored either up high or down low.

In addition, once all the items are grouped together, you can determine if additional organizing supplies are needed.  I like to use bins (such as clear, shoe-boxed sized containers or square/rectangular bins) to hold smaller items such as snacks, crackers, etc.  I also like to take bulk items that are individually wrapped out of the boxes they come in.  This makes it easier to grab things and easier to see how much of a particular item you have.

Once we determined where everything was going to be stored, we put everything back into the pantry – nice and neat.

In the end, she ended up with a much parred down pantry (we threw 6 bags of trash away) that only contained items she could still use, eat and easily find.  (Please note:  The picture shown above was not the actual pantry I organized this past week but another pantry I had organized.  I didn’t take before/after pictures of the pantry I organized this past week).

In the spring of 2002, we relocated from Houston, TX to North Carolina. Shortly after we arrived in North Carolina, I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter. I wasn’t much of a TV person, but I quickly discovered HGTV and loved watching all the shows on decorating and organizing. My favorite show was Mission Organization. I had always thought of myself as a fairly organized person and loved working with people. I had spent the last 8 years working as a chemist in a laboratory and knew the importance of following systems and procedures in order to obtain consistent results. The fact that I could actually have a career that combined my love of working with people and my organization skills was fascinating. And so began my path to becoming a professional organizer.

It has been almost 10 years since I started my journey and I love being a professional organizer now more than ever. I have worked with hundreds of different clients in a variety of different settings and the work I do never gets old or boring. Every project is different, every client is different and I love the satisfaction I feel once a job is completed. Along the way, I’ve read a ton of books, searched thousands of articles online and have taken a lot of teleclasses. Of all the information I’ve come across, I have 3 favorite organizing books that I refer to time and time again. They are:

1. Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern

I read this book about a year or so after I started working as a professional organizer and I was so relieved that the ideas and systems Morgenstern described in her book were the ones I had already been implementing with my clients. Her book is basic, easy to understand and clearly written. I recommend it to all the new organizers who join the Clutterbusters!! team as it provides a good, solid foundation for organizing.

2. Getting Things DONE by David Allen

I work with a lot of clients on paper management and have found the ideas and techniques described by Allen to be useful and effective. Although, the book goes into a lot of detail and contains more “lists” than I tend to use myself or with clients, it provides a good framework for managing your paperwork and your to-do lists.

3. Conquering Chronic Disorganization by Judith Kolberg

I work with a lot of clients who are chronically disorganized, are hoarders or who have ADD /ADHD. This book is well written, easy to read and gives alternative ideas and suggestions for dealing with clients who are organizationally challenged. Kolberg provides short stories about clients she has worked with and the different techniques she has used to get them organized.

Although there are a lot of books on organizing out there today, I’ve found the combination of the 3 I’ve mentioned to be the most useful for myself and my professional organizing business.

Last week I helped a couple in Plano, TX prepare to move out of the home they’ve lived in for 30 years. Moving is never fun, even if you are excited to get to your new home, and requires a lot of time and preparation. The longer you’ve lived in your home, the more time it will take to organize and prepare for your move. Over the years, I’ve moved about a dozen times (twice last year alone) and have helped many people with their moves as well. Below are some tips to have a more organized move:

Plan

As soon as you know you are going to move, start making a plan. There are many resources online that give you a timeline for when things should be done. I recommend looking at those resources and tailoring them to your specific needs. I always like to have a checklist and a notebook specifically for organizing moving information. The checklist usually contains items that need to be addressed before a move – contacting utility companies (shut off and turning on), change of address info, etc. The notebook, with pockets, is nice for keeping any paperwork/contracts/business cards associate with the move and for keeping notes and lists. A calendar is also necessary so you can schedule specific days to accomplish various tasks.

Purge

There is no sense packing up items you know you don’t want, need or use. Now is the time to purge those items before they make their way into your new home. If you don’t do it now, you may never get around to doing it. Take the time to go through each room and get rid of items. Be sure to have plenty of trash bags and boxes. Whenever I’m organizing a client, I like to use two different colors of trash bags – one for trash and the other for donation. It makes things go a lot faster and you don’t have to worry about accidentally throwing away items you wanted to donate.

Pack

Once the details of the move have been worked out and you’ve gone through and purged anything you don’t want to move, now it is time to start thinking about the packing. If you are packing yourself, you want to make sure you have plenty of supplies on-hand so the packing part will go smoothly. Supplies you will want to have on hand:

o Moving boxes of various sizes

o Packing tape

o Packing paper

o Markers and labels

o Trash bags

I prefer to use moving boxes, which can be purchased at a local home improvement store or storage facility, and good, heavy duty packing tape. The moving box boxes come in various sizes and you’ll want to have some of each size on hand. The small boxes are good for packing books, heavier items, bathroom items, delicate items, etc. The medium size boxes are good for kitchen items, kid’s toys, decorative items, etc. The large boxes are good for lightweight or bulky items such as pillows and bedding.

As soon as you can, start packing up items that you aren’t going to need before the actual move. Be sure to label the boxes (in several locations) with the Room name and contents. If possible, put “like items” together in a box and don’t mix items from different rooms. This will make it easier for you when you unpack. The more organized the boxes are packed, the quicker and easier it will be to unpack. Oftentimes, whenever I’m helping a client unpack and get settled into their new home, I can always tell which boxes were packed first and which boxes were packed at the end when they ran out of time and were feeling rushed. If possible, you want to allow yourself enough time to properly pack all the boxes.

Post

If you are having family or friends helping with the packing and moving, it is a good idea to post the names of the rooms at the old residence and at the new one as well. This will ensure the labels on the boxes are consistent and will also help with the unloading of items into the proper location. You’ll want to make sure the right boxes are put in the right location so that when it comes time to unpack, you will have everything you need in the right spot.

There are many things to consider when you are moving but if you follow the 4-P’s, you’ll have a more organized move.

For more information about Clutterbusters!! services, please visit our website at www.clutterbusters.com.

I work with a lot of small business owners who work from home. In order for their home office to function properly, it is important that their home office is organized and well stocked. A well-organized home office is functional, efficient and free from clutter. One of the areas which tend to become cluttered and disorganized over time is the office supplies. Whenever I work with a small business owner or an individual in their home office, we typically will focus on two main areas – organizing their paperwork and organizing their office space. In order to organize office supplies, you need to first gather up all the office supplies. It is not uncommon, especially for those who have a home office, to have office supplies in more than one area of the home. Once you have gathered all the supplies together, you want to separate and group the supplies by type. Supplies/categories you typically find in a home office are:

• Tape

• Staples/Stapler

• Glue

• Rubber Bands

• Push pins

• Paper Clips/Binder Clips

• Paper (Printer, specialty, photo)

• Labels

• Pens, markers, pencils

• Scissors

• Sticky notes, note pads

• Calculators

• Hole punchers

• Postage

• Envelopes

• File Folders

Once the items are separated and you’ve grouped “like items together”, you will have a better feel for how much space is needed to store the various groups of office supplies. If possible, having shelves in a closet in the home office is ideal as you can easily see what you have. If you currently are using a spare bedroom as a home office and the closet does not have shelves, you can always add inexpensive shelving to the closet. I have used inexpensive bookcases (usually the shorter ones unless the closet is able to accommodate a taller one), plastic shelving from a home improvement store, wall mounted shelving, storage cubes, milk crates, etc. Also, I like to use the clear, shoebox sized plastic containers to store the smaller items – remembering to keep like items together in the same box. I like to use either  bootbox sized containers or magazine holders to store specialty paper and labels. Sometimes, if there isn’t enough of “one item” then I will mix items but I always make sure they are similar (for example, I may put tape and glue together since they both hold things together). Be sure to label the containers so you know what is inside.  Even if the container is clear, it makes it easier and faster to identify what items are in each container – not only for you but for anyone else who uses the office space.

Don’t have a closet to store items? Get creative! I don’t have a closet in my home office area so I have installed shelving along one wall of the office space to hold books, training material and surplus office supplies. The supplies are stored in decorative boxes and baskets. It looks neat and tidy. For smaller items, like staples and binder clips, I have a small drawer in my file cabinet with a drawer divider to keep items separated.  You could also use bookcases, a hutch, wicker baskets, etc.  Just make sure whatever you use is easy and convenient to get to and fits in with the rest of the rooms decor.

Remember to keep a small supply of items you use on a regular basis on your desk or workspace. The rest of the items (your surplus) should be stored further away. If your office supplies are organized, you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it and you won’t end up buying things you already have.  Being organized saves you time and money. Who doesn’t like that?

Keep in mind; if you find you have way more office supplies than you’ll ever be able to use in one lifetime, donate the extras.  Schools and pre-schools are always looking for extra supplies.

The bathroom is usually one of the smallest rooms in most people’s homes but can quickly and easily  become cluttered and disorganized.  Not many people want to start (or end) their day looking at countertops piled full of grooming products, drawers stuffed with expired makeup and cabinets overflowing with toiletries.  But for many, taking the time to purge and organize their bathroom can be daunting.  Whenever I’m organizing a space, I usually like to start with what is on the countertops and anything that is visible.  From there, I move onto the inside of cabinets and larger storage spaces and save the drawers, which usually contain much smaller items, for last.  Keeping that in mind, here are some tips and ideas for organizing your bathroom:

• Toss old products

Usually the items on top of the countertops are the items that you use most often but that is not always the case.  Go through the products you currently have sitting on top of your bathroom counter/sink and determine which products you actually use and like.  Toss any products which are expired (using the expiration date on the product gives you permission to toss items since items become less effective over time), which don’t look good, or which didn’t quite work out for you.  Now go through the cabinets under the bathroom sink and the bathroom drawers and do the same.  Keep in mind that eye makeup should be tossed 6 months after it has been opened; foundation 1 year and lipstick after 2 years.  I find it easier to purge items if I group them together (hair products, nail products, lotions, etc.).  By doing this, you can visually determine how many items you realistically need in each category – Do you really need 15 bottles of body lotion?  Now is the time to make those hard decisions and purge as much as you can.

• Use clear containers for storing cotton balls and cotton swabs

It’s easier to see when you are running low on something if you store it in a clear container.  Cotton balls and swabs, which tend to get used on a daily basis, can be displayed nicely in a clear container and you’ll never have to wonder when your about to run out.

• Use a tray or basket to corral items on top of the counter

It doesn’t take much for the top of a bathroom counter to look cluttered and disorganized.  If there are items you absolutely want to keep on top of your bathroom counter, utilize a tray or a small basket to corral the items.  It will keep your bathroom counters looking nice and neat while still keeping those items close within reach.

• Keep surplus supplies in a closet or in a cabinet

Everyone likes to have backup supplies readily available, especially in the bathroom.  Backup or surplus bathroom supplies can be stored in a closet or in a cabinet.  Because I have limited space in my bathroom, I keep my surplus supplies in plastic drawers inside of my closet.  The drawers are labeled with the type of item – soaps/lotions, travel, extras and cotton balls/cotton swabs.  If you have a closet with shelves, surplus bathroom items can be stored in plastic bins or containers.

• Utilize bins, baskets or small drawers to store items

Whenever possible, I like to use bins, baskets or small drawers in the cabinets underneath the bathroom sink.  They help to keep items not only readily available and easily accessible but keep the area looking nice and neat.  Again, I like to organize the products underneath the bathroom sink by grouping like items together in separate bins, baskets or drawers.  For example, all my hair products go in one bin, my nail products in another and my lotions in yet another.  If I need something, I know where to find it and when I’m done with something, I know where to put it.

• Use drawer dividers

I’m a huge fan of drawer dividers when it comes to organizing.  This is especially true if you have drawers in your bathroom.  I prefer the drawer organizers which are small boxes that can be configured to fit not only what you are trying to store but can be configured to fit the drawer itself.  There are many different drawer organizers to choose from – anything from bamboo to wood to plastic to mesh.  Personally, I prefer to use the mesh drawer organizers in the bathroom because I find it easier to clean the bottom of the drawer than to clean inside the actual drawer organizer.  Again, it’s best to dedicate one organizer per category – lip gloss in one, blush in another, makeup brushes in another, etc.  The whole purpose of using a drawer organizer is to keep items separated and to have to only look in one compartment if you need something.

• Keep items that you use frequently readily available and easily accessible.

After  you’ve gone through and purged everything you can in your bathroom and grouped like items together (in either bins, baskets, drawers or trays), now is the perfect time to thoroughly  wipe down all the bathroom counters, sinks, drawers and cabinets before putting the items back where they belong.

Now you can enjoy your clean, neat and freshly organized bathroom.  You’ll be amazed at how much easier and quicker it is to get ready in the morning.  Plus, you won’t feel as stressed or disorganized.

Receipts – those tiny little pieces of paper that you get with each and every financial transaction you make. They take up space in our purses, our wallets, our glove boxes, our computer bags, our pockets, our desks, our kitchen counters…. As a professional organizer, I have people tell me all the time that they don’t know what papers to keep, how long to keep them or how to store them. So today I wanted to focus on organizing receipts.

What Receipts to Keep? How long to keep the receipt?

If you are a business owner or if you claim certain expenses on your taxes, you will need to keep the receipt in order to substantiate the claim. If the receipt is not needed for tax purposes, then receipts for minor purchases (such as groceries, gas, movie rentals, etc.) can be tossed after a month. The only reason you would hold onto the receipt for a month is if you want to verify the charges against your bank/credit card statement. If you paid cash for the small item, the receipt can be tossed within a week. Receipts for clothing purchases (or other items that might be returned) can be kept for a month or the length of the return policy (anywhere from 30-90 days). Receipts for major purchases (appliances, electronics) should be kept for as long as you own the item or until the warranty expires.

How to organize or store receipts?

I find the easiest way to organize receipts is by labeling either a file folder or large envelope with the month (and the year if keeping for tax purposes). If you are a business owner or someone who tracks your expenses utilizing software (such as QuickBooks or Quicken), I find it is convenient to have a consistent spot to gather receipts which need “to be entered” and then filing the receipts in the appropriate folder once the information has been entered in the software program.

If the receipt is for a major purchase like an appliance, I usually staple the receipt to the owner’s manual and then store all of my owner’s manuals together in either a file cabinet or a portable file box. The reason I do it that way is because if anything happens to the item, you have a consistent spot to look for the owner’s manual/warranty and if you need to call the manufacturer, they almost always ask you when you purchased the item. I know some people like to store their owner’s manuals close to the item they purchased (i.e. washing machine manual in laundry room) but unless you have extra storage space, I find that it scatters information throughout the house and tends to add to the clutter.

If the receipt was for a major purchase that pertains to a home repair, I like to have a separate folder labeled “Home Repairs Receipts”.

Whenever I get a chance, whether it is while waiting in line at the bank or sitting in car lane picking up my kids, I go through my purse and my wallet and purge any receipts I’ve accumulated and don’t need. It’s amazing how quickly they can stack up and get out of control.

Organized Junk Drawer

Ah, the junk drawer.   It seems as if everyone has at least one junk drawer in their home (sometimes 2 or 3 or 4…).  It’s the drawer where you throw things in that you don’t know what to do with or where you throw things that don’t necessarily have another home.  For me, as a professional organizer, it seems like a bit of an oxymoron to have an “organized junk drawer” but just because you call it a “junk drawer” doesn’t mean it has to look like junk.  Here are my steps for whipping that junk drawer into shape:

1. Take everything out of the drawer and sort/categorize the contents.  I usually don’t like to just dump everything out (although you can) but rather pull things out and sort as I go.  The key is to group like items together (i.e. all the pens together, all the tools together, all the toys together, etc.)
2. Toss out any trash (or anything that has been broken for a while that hasn’t been fixed, odds and ends, etc.)
3. Take items that belong somewhere else to where they belong
4. Figure out what types of items you want to keep in the drawer.  For me, I have a drawer in my kitchen pantry area where I keep pens, pencils, tools, lighters, take-out menus, etc. (see photo).   We usually need these items on a regular basis and the drawer is right under the counter where we keep our keys and cell phones charged.
5. Utilize drawer dividers to keep items separated and neat.  There are a TON of drawer dividers that can be purchased or utilized to organize your junk drawer. You want to make sure that what you get fits in the drawer (take measurements BEFORE you head to the store) and that what you get has the right size compartments for what you are storing.  If you are storing a lot of little things then a drawer organizer with small compartments is best.  If you are storing a variety of different sized things, then a drawer organize with multiple sized compartments is best.  If you have an odd shaped drawer or can’t find a single drawer organizer to fit what you need, you can purchase individual drawer organizers and configure them the way that you want.  You can utilize things you already have in the house as drawer dividers – check book boxes, food storage containers, jewelry boxes, etc.  Try to use something that is square or rectangular shaped though in order to make the most use of the space (round or odd shaped containers tend to waste space and are awkward to use).  The key is to use something to keep items separated.
6. Place the contents back in the drawer.

1. Establish a file folder labeled Taxes 2011 (or current year). This folder will be used to store tax related documents such as donation receipts and the forms you receive in the mail in January/February that you need to prepare your taxes. This will give you a convenient and consistent location to store information you need to prepare your taxes – now and throughout the year.

2. If you make a lot of charitable donations, such as clothing or household items, and you’re not sure how to establish a value for the items, you can use a software program called “Its Deductible” or go online to the Salvation Army website and look at their valuation guide.

3. Keep only those receipts which are needed for tax purposes. The receipts can be stored in either an accordion style folder or envelopes. I find it easiest to separate them by month. If you use an accordion file folder system for receipts, you can purchase one with the tabs already labeled with the months on the tabs. Store this in a location that is easily accessible so that when you need to deposit your receipts you can do so directly in the file. If you chose to use envelopes to keep receipts in, write the month and the year on the front and keep the current month’s envelope in a location where you can quickly access it. If you need to break down your expenses by category, you may want to consider doing so once per month, perhaps at the end of the month, before filing away that envelope and getting out a new one for the next month. This will take much less time than having to categorize an entire year’s worth of receipts. If you don’t need to categorize the receipts (such as if you are just interested in calculating the amount of sales tax paid for the year), then a small box or large envelope can also be used.

4. After you’ve completed your tax return, be sure to keep a copy of the return along with all of the supporting documentation. Since you already have a folder labeled “Taxes 2011”, you can use that folder to store the info. If you have an accountant that prepares your return, most likely you will receive a copy back from he/she and you can just keep your tax return in that and file it away with your other tax records.

5. Keep a rotating tax file. Since most people don’t have the space to store 6 years’ worth of taxes (and they aren’t the type of files you need to get to on a regular basis) I recommend purchasing a filing box made of plastic that has rails in it to hold hanging file folders. This box becomes your “Tax Records” box that you can store in an out-of-the-way location (such as the top of a closet, attic or basement), yet you will still be able to put your hands on it when the time comes.

Creating the system:

Step 1: Outfit your box with six box-bottom hanging file folders labeled Years 1 through 6 (rather than by the year itself) to avoid having to re-label annually.

Step 2: Keep last year’s tax records and related receipts in the Year 1 folder, the previous year’s records in Year 2 and so on.

Step 3: When you are ready to file the current year’s tax records, toss/shred the contents of the “Year 6″ folder and move each set of records back one folder and then put the current years taxes in Year 1.

Rarely have I walked into someone’s kitchen and found their collection of plastic food storage containers in an orderly state. It is probably the biggest complaint I get from my organizing clients when we get to the kitchen – how to manage all that plastic!!

Here are my 6 steps for getting the mountains of food storage containers under control:

1. Purge – Pull out all of your containers and make sure that each and every one has a lid. Toss any extra lids or bottoms. There’s no sense in holding onto one or the other if it is missing its mate. While you are at it, toss any containers that you don’t use, those that have a strange odor and those that are badly damaged or discolored.

2. Now that you are only dealing with complete sets (and containers you want to keep), separate the lids from the bottoms.

3. Group “like” shapes and sizes together.

4. Nest “like” bottoms together. They will take up less space if they are nested together without the lids.

5. Store the lids separately. I like to use a large plastic container to store my lids.

6. Determine the best location to store the plastic food containers. If you use them a lot, store them somewhere convenient and easy to get to (a cabinet or large drawer). Also, store them close to where you would use them. If you don’t use them a lot, store them somewhere less accessible. Make sure the space to pick can easily accommodate what you are storing.

Remember:

• Square or rectangular containers stack well together and don’t waste space like round or oval containers.

• In the future, try to purchase only a few different sizes of containers. It will make it much easier to maintain and handle.

• Be realistic about what you use.