Refrigerator Organization and Cleanliness
Does it seem like you are running out of space in your refrigerator? Or that your are losing food because you have no idea what you have on hand? Here are some tips I’ve tried and tested.
Having an organized refrigerator will give you a better overview of what you have, what needs to be used, cooked or consumed before it goes bad which subsequently will save you money.
Take everything out
Empty your refrigerator and go through all your food to see what condition it’s in. Is it still edible or not? Has it expired yet? Once that is done, you have the opportunity to clean you refrigerator. Remember that it is recommended to only clean with water and dish soap. Any other products may leave a smell (not necessarily a good one) in your refrigerator.
Once everything is out and clean, group your items. Gather similar items together. This will give you an idea of how much stuff you have and what amount of space should be dedicated to it in your refrigerator. Maybe you will find that you have doubles of some items. If that’s the case, it’s a great time to combine them if you can.
As you can see, this may not be an organization project for a beginner. Having all your items out on your counters will possibly be overwhelming. It doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t do it. No, not at all. Just be mindful that it’s the type of project where it has to get worse in order for it to get better.
Groupings
There are different ways to group your food items. As long as it makes sense to you and the people you live with, that’s all that matters. Here are some ideas if you don’t know where to start.
Breakfast items – It may be convenient for you to keep all the items related to breakfast like jam, maple syrup, etc. together in a spot.
Condiments – Sauces and dressings can be part of one grouping depending on how many you have. If you can make them all fit in one spot, that’s even better.
Beverages – Usually these items are taller such as milk, juice, etc.. By grouping them together you will be better able to assess what kind of space they will need in your refrigerator and also what height you will need.
Snacks – Having snacks all cleaned and portioned is great. You may want to assign a specific area for them to make them accessible for everyone, including young kids so that they can serve themselves.
Meats or Protein – sandwich meat, etc. can be grouped together.
Cheese – All you types of cheeses can be in one section which would give you a better idea of what you have when you need cheese.
Leftovers – This can also be a category if it’s something you usually have in your refrigerator. Don’t forget, leftovers can be frozen and stored in your freezer. If you are interested in freezer organization, have a look at this post on my blog.
Perfect place
All refrigerators are different so consider yours and yours only and what kind of space it has.
- Does it have removable shelves or permanent ones?
- Does it have drawers? If so, how many? Are they deep and/or high?
- Do the inside of the doors all have shelving or do you maybe have an ice maker in one door?
By assessing the space you have, you will be able to see where your items would be best positioned depending on their size as well as the quantity you have for each grouping.
Baskets, bins and containers (Oh my!)
This may seem weird but, consider adding bins or containers for smaller items to contain them in an area. That way they won’t move everywhere and get lost behind another product.
I like using small baskets in my cheese drawer to hold string cheese. That way, I can throw away the box, which is a little bulky, and I see clearly how many pieces I still have on hand. (I can see clearly now the rain is gone ♪) If I would keep the cheese in the box, I would have to peek in the box every time to see how many there were left.
I also love to use bins to contain pre-portioned snacks. It makes snacking easy and convenient because they are already washed and divided. It’s also great when you need to quickly grab a snack and go. If you would like to know how I clean my fruits to make them last longer, have a look at this blog post.
You could also use turntables for larger items if your refrigerator is deep. This would give you easy access for reaching the food items you have in the back of your fridge.
Labels
Labels can sometimes be overwhelming so make sure to be mindful and intentional with them. Not everything needs to be labeled. If you do choose to label items or sections of your refrigerator, try to keep simple and general.
I personally have used a mix of clear fridge labels and handwritten ones. I love the quality of The Home Edit labels. They are sturdy and easily removable and movable. Because my inventory of labels was not as vast as what they offer online, I found an oil-based white ink marker (at Micheal’s) to label the rest of my refrigerator.
Like you can see, the categories are very general which does not limit me to certain items in certain areas of my fridge. This brings me to my next point.
Extra space
You’ve probably seen these amazing pictures of organized refrigerators where everything has it’s place. What I notice about those is that there is hardly any extra space. What if you are gifted a small cake for a special occasion or celebration? I doubt that you’ve planned for a section of your refrigerator designated to cakes. Where will you put it?
My rule is, don’t pack your fridge full to the brim. Give it some room to breath and accommodate for any extra food that may not fit in a specific category even if it’s just temporary. Your refrigerator may not be perfect all the time and that’s not the point either. The point is for you to establish certain areas for specific items in general and leave room for the unexpected.
For instance, if you are hosting a party, your fridge may be filled with food for the event but that will only be temporary and that’s fine. If you’ve received a GoodFood meal kit box, you will need some room to store it in your fridge so you will appreciate having extra room.
Once again, this type of organizational process is a trial and error one. You may switch things around such as shelves and drawers until you find the right configuration for you. I hope this gives you the motivation and confidence to attempt this in your own home because the process and it’s end result can be very rewarding. If so, let me know what you’ve learned.
