The First Thing You Should Do with a New Pack of Cupcake Liners

published Jul 27, 2021
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Someone holding a container of cupcake liners
Credit: Sarah Crowley

While we tend to focus on cleaning up those larger messes, it’s often the little messes that are the worst. You know, the things that get dirty just in the normal course of using them; the messes that add up over time and don’t have any kind of schedule that ensures we take care of them regularly.

Examples of things that fall into this category include those black scuff marks on the floor from the rubber feet of the step stool, crumbs lodged between oven-slash-counter crevices, and dirty condiment lids that don’t get wiped off before we put them away. Over time, it’s this kind of disorder that easily makes our kitchens feel less than perfectly clean. 

One of the worst offenders in this category is sticky spills in the pantry. They often happen when we don’t realize there’s a drip on the container we’ve used before putting it back. Sitting on the pantry shelf — or on the lazy Susan, as the case may be — the drip eventually makes it down to the bottom of the bottle, spreads under the container, and finally, puddles beneath a few others. It’s not fun to lift up the squeezable honey container or the maple syrup on Sunday morning only to find a gooey mess brewing beneath. 

Credit: Sarah Crowley

Use a Cupcake Liner to Catch Drips from Bottles

The best way to prevent this mess? (Short of wiping down containers/lids after ever single use?) With the help of a simple cupcake liner!

Rest any condiments that tend to get sticky inside cupcake liners. They’ll conveniently catch drips and, more importantly, keep the mess contained. And if the liners get dirty, simply toss them and replace with new ones! Note: The foil ones will last even longer and contain messes even better.

Each time you open a new pack of cupcake liners, it’s time to refresh the old ones. This way, you’ll be able to deal with any pantry messes before it turns into a lunch party for pesky ants.

One other solution: Put a small plate or bowl under your stickiest and messiest containers. The dish will also catch those drips and will definitely be a longer-lasting solution!

How do you deal with sticky or drippy condiments? Tell us in the comments below.