The Dollar Tree Hack That Keeps Reusable Straws Organized In Kitchen Cabinets

If you're working toward a greener lifestyle, you might have jumped on the reusable straw bandwagon. Using reusable straws, whether made from bamboo, metal, glass, or silicone, can benefit the environment. It's estimated that 500 million single-use straws are used every day — that's a lot of plastic that ends up in landfills and floating in the ocean. Making environmentally friendly choices often requires a bit of extra planning and effort, and replacing disposable straws with reusable ones is no exception. They need to be cleaned, of course, which can add a few extra steps to your daily dishwashing routine. That's an expected step when switching to any type of reusable kitchen item, though. 

One thing you may not have considered before making the switch is how you will store all your reusable straws after they've been cleaned. There is a way you can keep them from ending up scattered all over your silverware or catch-all drawer. This hack involves mounting the plastic Home Collection three-compartment clear container from Dollar Tree to the inside of a cabinet or pantry door. Your straws get stored neatly in the compartments.

While there are many genius Dollar Tree kitchen storage hacks, this one is so easy to implement. Plus, it will save you from having to shuffle through your kitchen drawers to find a straw. Of course, every genius hack has its drawbacks, especially if you have lots of long straws. There are always workarounds, though. So, regardless of the size of the straws you need to store, you can make this storage hack work for you.

Like other Dollar Tree cabinet hacks, this one starts by determining where to hang your container. The three-compartment organizer is small, but it could still get in the way. Choose a cabinet or spot on your pantry door where the container will not prevent the door from closing. It's often best to space the container between shelves to keep it from hitting them. For convenience, it's a good idea to keep your straws near your reusable drink containers, so you can grab both parts quickly. 

When you've picked the perfect spot, clean it using rubbing alcohol to remove any grease or residue. Then, peel and stick two Command strips, one to go behind each of the dividers on the organizer, onto the back of the container. Press the unit onto the inner door surface for about 30 seconds. Now, you can place your straws in it, sorted by material, size, or another feature. Before putting the straws in, you can line the bottoms of the compartments with paper towels or small pieces of a microfiber cloth.

Since these Dollar Tree containers are only 4 inches tall, this hack is not a great solution for straws made for large tumblers. When you open and close the cabinet, it's possible that long straws will fall out of the plastic unit. Straws that extend a few inches over the rim of the container should stay in, as long as the cabinet is closed gently. If you want to modify this hack for long tumbler straws, you can use superglue or a hot glue gun to build up the sides of the unit with plastic, cardboard, or any other scrap material you have.