It’s Time to Get Organized! My Top 10 Fridge Organization Tips and Tricks
It’s officially August. And, you know what that means? The 2023/2024 school year will be here in no time! Juggling school, work, sports, extracurricular activities, events, etc., can be extremely difficult. You try to keep your house organized and clean, but forget it! When you open the fridge to make your family a nice dinner, you realize that the fridge has become a victim of negligence. Moldy leftovers are shoved in the corner, the milk is dripping onto the fridge shelf, the pickle jar isn’t closed all the way… absolutely disgusting! Although a messy, smelly fridge may seem unavoidable, there are ways to minimize- and, maybe even prevent- having your fridge look like a horror scene. All you need are some fridge organization secrets and the right tools for the job. It’s time to say goodbye to the horror scenes of yesterday. And, it’s time to welcome Less mess, less waste, and less on your monthly grocery bill.
Fridge Organization Tip #1: Make EVERYTHING Visible
Photo Credit: @tiffanyish
What the heck does “make everything visible” mean? Essentially, you want to be able to open your fridge and immediately know what you have/how much you have of it. Avoid using containers where you can’t see the inner contents. For example, when you make pasta, put the leftovers in either a clear glass, acrylic, or plastic container. Don’t put the pasta in a covered container that doesn’t allow you to clearly see that there’s pasta inside. This will make you less likely to forget about the leftovers. Which, in turn, means you’re more likely to use them before they go bad. It’ll also help give your fridge a consistent, orderly look if everything is in the same type of container. Making everything visible is an easy fix. But, the difference it’ll make will be drastic.
Some of my personal favorite brands of sealed glass containers:
Fridge Organization Tip #2: Designate
Photo Credit: @tiffanyish
Similar to your dresser drawers, everything in your fridge should have a designated location. Have a designated spot for produce, meat, beverages, leftovers, and so forth. But, don’t just go about the designation process at random. Really take the time to analyze what spot in the fridge makes the most sense for a certain category. Say (for example) you put your meat on the top shelf. Well, it may be organized and all in one location, but what happens if the meat drips down on your produce? Each household’s fridge will probably be organized a little differently. But, that’s okay. The goal is to create a more functional, organized, clean fridge that works with you and your lifestyle- not to create a copycat version of what you see on Pinterest.
Fridge Organization Tip #3: Prewash All Produce
You’re having cereal for breakfast. You open the fridge, pull out the strawberries, wash a few, open the fridge again, and put them back. When you get home from work later on that day, you open the fridge, pull out the veggies to make a salad, wash just enough for the salad… you get the point. This is a super inefficient way to go about things. So much time is wasted opening the fridge, washing only what you need at the moment, opening the fridge, putting it back… no thank you!
What if you didn’t have to wash your produce moments before consumption? What if you didn’t have to skip out on the salad with dinner because you’re too lazy to wash the veggies? Instead, when you get home from the grocery store, you should immediately pull out that colander. Wash all of the fruits and veggies at once. Place them in sealed glass containers, and done! No more time wasted opening and closing the fridge throughout the week. The other bonus? The produce lasts way longer when stored in sealed glass containers than it does in those cheap grocery store ones. It may take some time to get into the habit of prewashing all of your produce, but I guarantee you won’t stop once you start.
Fridge Organization Tip #4: Go Label Crazy
Photo Credit: @Thoughtfully Organized
Fridge organization is a lot harder to keep up with when you have multiple family members living under the same roof. One way to help make sure that everybody is on the same page on where everything should go is by using labels. Label shelves, drawers, containers… label everything. Labels hold everybody accountable by making a designated section clearly marked and known. The other awesome thing about labels? There are lots of different fonts and options to choose from. So, you can be sure that the labels in your fridge will look stylish while serving their purpose. And, who doesn’t want more functional decor? Certainly not me!
Some Cute Labels to Try:
Fridge Organization Tip #5: Old in the Front and New in the Back
Photo Credit: @Hello Nutritarian | Kristen Hong
This may seem like common sense to most of you. Obviously, if the yogurt that you bought last week expires before the new yogurt you just bought, you’re going to want to use up the old stuff before opening the new one. Where this becomes a problem is when you have children or other family members who don’t bother to check expiration dates and open the first package they see. One way to help prevent opening the new package and letting the old package expire is by making sure to put only the old one within reach. Keep the new one hidden in the back where family members (or even you) aren’t likely to look. The more diligent you are to keep up with the “old in the front new in the back system” the less money you’ll see dumped in the trash by food waste.
Struggle to remember expiration dates? Try Out Some of These Helpful, Harmless Labels:
Fridge Organization Tip #6: Use Protective Liner Mats on Shelves and in Drawers
Photo Credit: @Hometalk.com
For a much easier cleanup, use protective liner mats on all of your shelves and in your drawers. When you’re in need of a fridge organization refresh, all you have to do is remove the mats, give them a little wipe, and put them back in. Anything that spills, drips, or crumbles will fall right onto the mat- not the shelf. Not only are the protective liners going to keep your actual fridge shelves and drawers clean, but they’re also going to help prevent things from sliding around. Whether you’re a busy parent looking for an easy cleanup, are worried about your brand-new fridge getting ruined by drips and stains, or would like to save that salsa jar from sliding out and shattering on the floor, protective liner mats are the answer for you.
DIY or Buy?
Photo Credit: @Lynda Roe
Deciding whether to make or buy your protective liners is solely up to you. If you make them, they’ll obviously be a bit more customizable. But, if you buy them, then you don’t have to do any extra labor- you can just lay them on the shelf and call it done.
DIY Fridge Liner Mat Tutorials:
Different Protective Shelf Liner Links:
Fridge Organization Tip #7: Make Use of Turntables
Photo Credit: @marthastewart
One of my family’s weaknesses is dips, salsas, dressings, and condiments. The problem with dips, salsas, dressings, and condiments is that they take up a lot of fridge space. All of the bottles and containers come in an array of different shapes, sizes, and heights. This, in turn, can make it difficult to find an area to store all of them in. Not to mention, you often have so many different dips, salsas, condiments, etc., that some get shoved in the back and forgotten about. Turntables are a great way to fix this problem. You can load the turntable with all of your favorite dips, condiments, salsas, etc., and enjoy having easy access to every single one of them.
Shop for Turntables Below!
Fridge Organization Tip #8: Always Stack Whenever Possible
Photo Credit: @pinterest
Good use of vertical space is the key to fridge organization success. If you’re not making proper use of the height that some of your fridge shelves have, then you’re not going to be able to fit nearly as much food. The whole point of having an organized fridge is to maximize your space while making everything easily accessible. One way to make stacking possible and perhaps a bit easier on yourself is by investing in some stackable fridge bins or containers. When you’re looking for stackable fridge bins in the store or online, try to find bins that will give you the least amount of dead space possible. The most accurate way to figure out how many bins you need for a certain shelf is by measuring the height and width of each individually. You can then use those measurements as your guide for bin purchasing. And, remember when you shop: the more bins, the less dead space, the merrier!
Shop for Stackable Fridge Organizers:
Fridge Organization Tip #9: Keep a Fridge Organization Layout Example on the Side of Your Fridge
The trick to keeping an organized fridge is good communication among household members and constant reminders of which food categories go where. You can spend hours- maybe even days- undergoing the fridge organization process just for your efforts to be thwarted the next day. To prevent this, you need to implement a deflector. When you make your designation plan, write it all out. Physical copies or a document on your computer will both work just fine. But, if you’re using a computer, make sure you can print your plan. Once you’ve finalized your designation plan, print and place it on the side or in front of your refrigerator door. This way, every time food is put back, you and your family members will be reminded of where that food item is supposed to go. I don’t know about you, but the more foolproof the organization plan, the better.
Click Here to Download My Pre-planned Fridge Organization Sheet!!
Fridge Organization Tip #10: Try to Avoid Keeping Things in Its Original Packaging
Photo Credit: @teresalaucar
Transferring things from their original packaging into clear bins, drawers, containers, etc., gives you two benefits. The first is that, despite what you would think, the original packaging does not aid in the longevity of the food item. Instead, it’s designed using psychological sciences to make the food item’s packaging visually attractive to the human eye… which, obviously, entices you to purchase the item. Therefore, if it’s not benefiting the longevity of the food item, why keep it in the original packaging? Take everything out and place it into your own clear bins, drawers, or sealed glass containers. This will help all of your groceries last longer. The second benefit? If you store everything in clear containers, bins, drawers, etc., it gives your fridge a crisp, clean look. No obnoxious colors, shapes, or textures. Everything looks monochromatic, and everything is visible.
Different “Packageless” Fridge Ideas and Inspiration
Photo Credit: @tiffanyish
Photo Credit: @The Chalkboard Mag
Conclusion
Fridge organization doesn’t have to be complicated, burdening, and wasteful. In fact, fridge organization can be relatively easy, fun, and super beneficial if done correctly. I hope that this blog post has given you some helpful advice and tips to motivate and inspire you to get that fridge organized before the summer is over! Fridges play a huge role in your everyday life. And, the first step to getting/keeping it organized and clean is realizing the importance and benefits an organized fridge brings along. More efficiency, less waste, and an overall better experience for all!
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