13 Ways To Repurpose A File Organizer To Declutter And Tidy Your Kitchen

You're probably used to encountering file organizers, trays, and racks in thrift stores and other secondhand venues. They can be made of multiple materials, from inexpensive cardboard to more durable wire mesh and heavy plastic. With this variation, they are endlessly adaptable to all sorts of household uses outside your home office, including storage and organization in the kitchen. These pieces are a great hack for organizing your space, holding everything from fruit and veggies to those storage container lids that seem to keep going missing.

File organizers can usually be found at a steal secondhand. You can also purchase inexpensive new ones from places like Dollar Tree. While many homeowners use them in their original condition, you can also customize them to fit your décor with paint, fabric, and adhesive paper for a coordinated look. Many plastic and wire models are also easy to clean, making them perfect for use in the kitchen. 

A perfect way to use a file organizer in your kitchen is to declutter messy cabinets. Attach a mesh file organizer (plastic or metal) to the inside of the cabinet door with Command strips, then add essential supplies for easy access without rummaging in a messy cupboard or drawer. This works especially well for rolled materials like aluminum foil and parchment paper as well as boxes of freezer and trash bags. 

Another great way to repurpose a file holder in your home is by using a multiple-file rack as an inexpensive way to organize your pots and pans in a cabinet. It can accommodate large baking sheets, cooling racks, platters, and frying pans. For the latter, keep them on their sides with the handles extended to the front, which makes them much easier to grab than when stacked together.

If you lack room in your crisper for carrots and celery, store them in an upright file holder. Or turn a couple of organizers on their side and use them as shelf risers for smaller objects that you can stack, like jars of jelly, single-serve items, and other small condiments. This makes it easy to take them out when you need to restock and monitor what you have. You can also store smaller snacks like cheese sticks, packages of cheese, and containers of yogurt. 

Keep your dishwashing materials out of sight and easy to reach by using a file organizer under your sink to stash cleaning products like rags, bottles of spray, brushes, and sponges. This hack protects the cabinet from drips and stains, and it also makes it easy to pull out the holder when you're cleaning and put it away when you're done. Mesh designs are best for items like cloths as they have better ventilation and give them room to breathe.

Use some upright file organizers in your freezer to hold packages of meat and other flat items vertical. Not only does this make food easier to find in the freezer and less likely to get forgotten, but you can also mark the file holders with labels, expiration dates, and other info. You can also use them to organize gallon-sized Ziplock bags filled with things like frozen tomato sauce or chicken stock.

Use a couple of metal organizers on your counter or in a pantry cabinet to store fruits and vegetables. These holders are more space-efficient than a basket or bin due their shape, and they make it easier to monitor when you're running out of an item and need to restock. The mesh also allows air flow to prevent moisture build-up inside the container.  

Place a file holder in your cabinets for the perfect spot to corral lids for pots, pans, and storage dishware and keep them from getting lost. For an affordable file organizer hack, hang one on a wall or inside a cabinet, or slide one onto the shelf next to the items they correspond with. You can even sort your dishware by size to make them easier to find.

For easy storage of small items like spices and shakers, grab some screws or Command strips and attach a file holder on its side to the underside of your cabinets. You can even stack them together in a corner to create a larger unit that helps free up counter space below. These slender shelves are also great for holding K-cups grouped together above a coffee bar.

File folders make excellent plate racks that can help to keep your cupboards more organized and space-savvy. You can also use them to store party supplies like paper plates, cups, flatware, and tablecloths all in one place. For larger trays and platters, use a file rack with many slots that open on either side. You can also use them to hold napkins, folded neatly and organized alongside their matching rings.

File organizers are a great way to hold a small stack of cookbooks to display at the ready in your kitchen. Keep them organized neatly on a shelf, counter, or above the fridge. If you want to store your books on the counter, closed plastic holders, turned with their highest side outward, are great for keeping their covers and pages protected from splatters and spills.

Help keep reusable water bottles neatly stowed and easy to access. With many sporting awkward lids, attachments, and handles, these containers can be hard to store in a space-efficient and attractive way. Depending on its size, a file holder can easily store up to three bottles. Since they're inexpensive, you can use multiple organizers to store an entire household's collection in one convenient place.

Use a thicker file or magazine holder to keep your cans organized in a cupboard or pantry. Stacking them on their sides helps take advantage of valuable vertical space on a shelf, allowing you to store more in less space. Thinner file holders ideal for storing smaller cans like pet food or tuna. These are also great for holding bags of snacks and other goods upright and compactly.  

If you need to organize cutting boards and mats so that they aren't constantly falling over, toss a single file holder on your counter to help. Or enlist a multiple-slot rack to hold larger boards vertically. This can help keep them cleaner and easier to grab without hunting through a cabinet or drawer for them. It's also a great chance to leave out your prettier wooden boards as a part of your décor.