Overcrowding or disorganized refrigerators can result in more forgotten items, lower energy efficiency, and a lack of ventilation, all of which can contribute to increased food waste.
A well-organized refrigerator may save you time and money while also reducing food waste. When you’re hungry or preparing a dinner, the last thing you want to do is waste time looking for a certain snack or item. If you improve your refrigerator organizing abilities, you’ll spend less time looking for unidentified leftovers and moldy fruit.
Here are some of the greatest refrigerator organization ideas.
REFRIGERATOR SHOULD BE CLEANED
The first step, similar to organizing other areas of your house, is to empty your refrigerator of all contents so you can throw outdated things and begin cleaning.
You may also utilize this time to put goods in the freezer that are going to spoil. Relocate the goods to a table or counter for the time being. If you’re worried about perishable things spoiling while you’re working, keep them in an ice-filled cooler or work in portions.
Now it’s time to start scrubbing. Remove any spills or sticky spots on shelves and other components of the fridge with an all-purpose cleaner. If you don’t have an all-purpose cleaner, a mixture of hot water, vinegar, baking soda, and a little dish soap would suffice.
Remove the drawers from the cabinet and soak them in hot soapy water before cleaning them down and reinstalling them. If you have enough space, you may also remove the shelves and wash them in the sink. Using a paper towel or a microfiber cleaning cloth, wipe everything down.
Before putting the shelves and drawers back inside, clean them with a disinfectant wipe or a towel soaked in disinfectant spray. Add a deodorizer to the refrigerator if desired.
You may do it the old-fashioned way by putting a box of baking soda in the back of the refrigerator, but you can also buy tiny baking soda packets that adhere to the walls. You may buy a refrigerator deodorizer if you want a more contemporary approach.
Make sure the outside of the refrigerator is also clean and disinfected. If you have a stainless-steel refrigerator, polish it up using a specialist cleaning.
Consider putting liners on your shelves and drawers if you don’t already have them. Because they’re generally fairly easy to clean, they’re ideal for capturing spills from sauce bottles and other disasters. Because you can easily remove the liners and wipe them down or wash them, you won’t have to thoroughly clean your fridge as often.
You may use paper towels or kitchen linens instead of ribbed plastic liners to assist circulate air and avoid mildew.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ORGANIZE YOUR REFRIGERATOR?
You can start putting food back in your fridge now that it’s clean again. The objective is to make your food last longer and be simpler to access, so here are some of the finest methods to arrange your refrigerator. If you share a refrigerator with a roommate, you may need to change your approach slightly, but you may still utilize these organizing methods.
Refrigerator shelf and door organization
The bottom shelves of refrigerators are the coldest, while the middle and higher shelves are the warmest. This is crucial to know since some foods require specific temperatures to keep them fresh for extended periods of time. If you need extra room, see if the shelves can be adjusted or removed. Perishables and snacks should be kept in the refrigerator’s front section.
On the higher shelves, store leftovers, beverages like beer or bottled water, dairy products like yogurt, and ready-to-eat meals like dips and spreads. Fruits, vegetables, and meats are a little tougher to store, but they should be kept on lower shelves and/or in crisper drawers as a general guideline.
Meat requires the coldest temperature, so store it in the bottom of the fridge or in the freezer if possible. Use a container to catch any inadvertent drips and prevent contamination if you can’t put the meat on the lowest shelf. You can set aside one drawer for vegetables and fruits and another for raw meat, however this isn’t ideal.
Eggs and milk, contrary to common perception, should not be kept on the refrigerator door and should be kept at lower temperatures. Milk, eggs, and other cooked-dish items should be stored on the middle or lower shelf.
Most people keep sauces, spreads, and condiments on the door, but you can make it even more organized by classifying each door shelf. You may put sauces on one level, ordinary condiments like mayo and mustard on another, and specialized sauces and dips like pesto and cookie butter on a third shelf.
Another fantastic technique is to group similar objects together or near each other. If you frequently eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, for example, combining the two is a wonderful idea. Another example of putting comparable objects together is herbs or ingredients for smoothies, sauces, and dressings.
Vegetables and fruits
If you can, avoid putting fruits and vegetables in the same drawer. Many fruits generate ethylene, a gas that accelerates the ripening of other fruits and vegetables. Ethylene is produced by apples, mangoes, stone fruits, pears, and kiwis. There are a few exceptions, like as strawberries, which can be stored in the crisper. If you store vegetables in perforated reusable plastic bags in the veggie crisper, they will last longer. You may prewash and precut your vegetables for rapid snacking if you like, but it won’t last as long.
Learning how to operate your humidity controls will extend the life of your produce as well. Perishable foods and fruits that produce ethylene gas should be kept in a low humidity drawer. Kale and spinach, for example, can be stored in a high-humidity drawer. Don’t worry if you have a small kitchen and hence a small refrigerator. Refrigerator deodorizers, in addition to specific food storage containers, may eliminate ethylene gas, allowing your produce to last longer.
Purchase food storage containers.
Purchasing food storage containers may help preserve food while also improving the appearance of your refrigerator. Small snacks may be stored in acrylic baskets on the interior walls, fruits and vegetables can be separated with drawer dividers, and beverages can be stacked in can dispensers to save space.
Mason jars, plastic bags, and glass containers with lids are multipurpose and may be used to store snacks and leftovers, as well as to seal off aromatic items like chopped onions or garlic. To keep bigger objects organized, use transparent bins and trays or a lazy Susan.
Everything should be labeled.
Labeling goods in your refrigerator will help you keep it tidy. You’ll be able to see what you need to buy and which items or leftovers you should eat first. To write what the item is and the date on a zip-top bag, use a marker or tape. On glass containers, you may use printed labels or an erasable pen for a finer appearance.
DECORATE YOUR FRIDGE’S EXTERIOR
Now that you have a well-organized refrigerator, it’s time to customize the outside, which merits your attention as well. Decorate the outside of the fridge with magnets, a tiny blackboard, decals, or pictures.
You might be allowed to decorate your refrigerator with removable wallpaper for a distinctive appearance if you contact your landlord for permission. For extra ideas, get creative or search up décor inspiration online. In no time, your refrigerator will be tidy and attractive to the eye.
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