A bucket handle retainer with a substantially flat rectilinear resilient plate. The plate has an upper tip that corresponds to the inside dimension of the internal cavity of the handle holding portion of a standard five gallon bucket. The plate includes a spring biased finger capable of frictionally engaging the inside wall of the handle holding portion. The plate also includes a holding portion capable of being grasped by a user's fingers to insert or remove the plate from the handle holding portion of the bucket. A preferred embodiment includes the handle retainer is injection molded from nylon plastic.