Your fridge, like your pantry, can rapidly become a heated mess. Vegetables that have been buried go limp, leftovers are forgotten, and you buy extras like a jar of mayo since you couldn't see the two you already have. By arranging your fridge in a sensible and practical manner, you can avoid double-buying food and save time hunting for items. This simple and pleasant chore can be completed in a single day, saving you time and money while also bringing sanity to your life—here’s how.
Jump to:
- 1. Examine what you've got
- 2. Create zones
- 3. Make a bin labeled "Eat Me First."
- 4. Keep tall items at the back of the closet
- 5. Organize a Snack Station
- 6. Chopsticks Are Great For Stacking
- 7. Make a Pyramid out of Cans
- 8. Make Friends with the Slacker Susan
- 9. With an Egg Carton, Capture Condiments
- 10. For little produce, use a sponge holder
- 11. Refrigerator Drawers Should Be Lined
- 12. Always have a Dry Eraser Pen on hand.
- 13. Take Care of Leftovers
1. Examine what you've got
The first step in decluttering, like with any organizational job, is to take inventory of what you have. Begin by emptying your refrigerator and setting everything out on a flat area, such as a counter. You may execute this operation shelf by shelf to avoid ruining perishables, or you can do it all at once using a cooler. Toss anything that's gone bad, expired, or you're positive you won't eat (looking at you, Aunt Martha's pickles!). Meat leftovers that are more than three days old, as well as prepared vegetables that are more than five days old, should be thrown out. Scrub the inside well next.
2. Create zones
Like goods should be grouped together and stored in their own refrigerator zones. Sticking to what locations are suitable for various meals is the smartest approach to achieve this. Some areas of the refrigerator seem to be warmer or colder than others. Due to all of our opening and shutting, the refrigerator doors, where most of us keep milk, are really the hottest part of the fridge. Milk and meats should instead be stored at the rear of the bottom shelf, which is the coldest portion of the refrigerator. For things with a longer shelf life, such as juice and condiments, use the refrigerator doors. Generally speaking, the top shelf and doors are the hottest, while the middle and bottom racks are the coldest.
Fruits and vegetables should be stored in bottom drawers with humidity control when it comes to production. Unfortunately, ethylene-producing fruits may lead vegetables to decay rapidly, so designate one drawer for fruits (low humidity) and the other for vegetables to keep products fresh for longer (high humidity). Strawberries, on the other hand, are like a humid climate.
This leaves us with meats, which should preferably be kept in their own drawer. If your refrigerator only has two drawers, one option is to keep the meat in a transparent container. A trashcan is not only convenient to use, but also prevents meat fluids from spilling onto other objects. This container should be kept on the lowest shelf.
3. Make a bin labeled "Eat Me First."
One clever technique to reduce food waste is to keep foods with a shorter shelf life at the front of the refrigerator. Foods that need to be used within the next several days, such as leftovers, yogurts that are about to expire, or overripe fruits, should be stored in a clear plastic bucket labeled "Eat Me First!"
4. Keep tall items at the back of the closet
There are a few techniques that might help you locate stuff more quickly. To begin, put all tall, easily visible items at the back of the fridge, such as a gallon of juice or a Coke bottle. Smaller bottles should be placed in front so they don't get misplaced. So you don't have to rummage for butter or yogurt, gather the goods you use regularly right in front of you.
5. Organize a Snack Station
Store their favorite foods at eye level so youngsters can easily assist themselves and prevent a continual mess from eager tiny hands. Designating certain containers for these delights is an even simpler option. A divider-lined container is ideal for corralling little, easily hidden products such as cheese sticks and yogurt sachets. Snack time will seem even more special now that they have their own allocated area.
6. Chopsticks Are Great For Stacking
We all wish we could have a 48-inch refrigerator, but when you're short on room, you have to be creative. After a party, you often find yourself with bowls of leftovers and little shelf space. Go vertical if this occurs. Grab some chopsticks and position them about an inch apart on top of a covered dish before balancing the second bowl on top. Anyone who opens your refrigerator will think you're a genius for upcycling.
7. Make a Pyramid out of Cans
Cans rapidly consume precious shelf space. Take advantage of vertical space by stacking LaCroix cans (or bottles!) if your family is a LaCroix fan. Using a binder clip to hold your drinks in place is a brilliant idea. To begin, make a foundation by stacking cans vertically on a shelf. After that, attach a binder clip to the shelf that rises from the bottom. To keep the can from rolling away, place the clip close to the outermost can. To make a pyramid, stack cans on top of each other.
8. Make Friends with the Slacker Susan
Place jams, nut butters, ricotta and sour cream tubs on a lazy Susan to save them from the rear corners of your fridge. The tried-and-true turntable isn't only for pantries; it also makes appraising basic staples in the refrigerator a breeze.
9. With an Egg Carton, Capture Condiments
You probably have more condiment bottles than you know what to do with if you're a condiment aficionado (hand raised!). Using an old egg carton, organize your supplies. Place the bottom half of an egg carton on the fridge door's shelf. Invert the squeeze bottles of mustard, mayo, or ketchup and keep them upside down in the container. Bonus: this approach makes it simpler to get every last drop of sauce out of the bottle while also preventing the bottle from squirting water.
10. For little produce, use a sponge holder
When stored in drawers with lush greens or heavy vegetables, little items such as stray jalapenos or a half-used lemon are easily misplaced. Placing these goods in their own conspicuous storage container is a simple approach to keep them from being forgotten. Sticking a sponge holder to the sidewall of the fridge for these little goods is a smart idea we enjoy. Mini condiment packets may also be stored — and used! — in this location. It would be wonderful not to squander anything.
11. Refrigerator Drawers Should Be Lined
How difficult is it to clean refrigerator drawers or shelves? We don't do it nearly enough. However, we all know how fast spills make refrigerators sticky. Cleaning is a breeze with a detachable shelf liner, which may be made of kitchen linens, paper towels, or plastic mats.
12. Always have a Dry Eraser Pen on hand.
If you enjoy leftovers or prefer to decant products like eggs, put expiry dates on storage containers using a dry eraser pen, erasable marker, or painter's tape, and Sharpie. The same may be said about cheese, a jar of sliced fruits, and other such items. In this manner, you'll know what has to be eaten first (or tossed immediately).
If you marvel over those clean, color-coordinated photographs of fridge interiors and pantries on your feed, you'll notice one common theme: all things are labeled, except the fact that they plainly don't order takeaway. Labeling drawers and bins makes it much simpler to locate and store stuff. And when things seem great, it pushes you to maintain them that way.
13. Take Care of Leftovers
If you can't see it, you're less likely to remember to eat it. It's ideal to keep leftovers in transparent, stackable storage containers to reduce food waste (and to save time preparing!). Your leftovers will fit perfectly on the top shelf.
