Is your fridge a mess? Don’t know where to put new items bought from the grocery? In that case, your fridge needs to be arranged from scratch.
It may sound to be a lot of work, but that work will be well worth it. Consider that cooking will be so much easier and you will significantly lower your electricity bills as a result.
Besides, we’ll be helping you to do that with our beginner’s guide here. So, scroll down to know how to organize your food in your fridge, which we promise won’t take long to do.
1) Discard unneeded items
This is the easiest part of cleaning your fridge. You just inspect all the food inside your fridge and freezer, and then remove and dispose of any spoiled and expired food and beverages.
If needed, place perishable food on a nearby countertop so you can access farther items in the fridge. You can also temporarily put easy-to-spoil items in a cooler box in the meantime to extend their life.
Then, clear out the tall or bulky items, throw them away, or consume those that are almost empty. Also, clean each shelf interior quickly to prevent the fridge from using up more energy.
2) Adjust the shelves
Depending on the food you store and plan to cook, you may need to adjust the shelves or take them out to fit each food type without wasting the available space.
Try to place the same items in the same places every time. Also, don’t worry if you receive a large box of cake from a friend in the day, as you can just rearrange the shelves to put it in.
3) Line your shelves and drawers
Overripe fruits and vegetables can leave dirt and marks on the surface they are on. Lining your crisper drawers will effectively minimize the cleaning you have to do and make the fridge look nicer too!
The same is true for packaged food products or snacks stored on different shelf levels and spots. Although you don’t have to put a liner on them, it can keep unexpected spills and mess at bay so you have nothing to lose.
4) Group similar items
As with everything else, we should strive to put together like items. Place chocolate bars, ice cream, and yogurt together. Do the same for salad dressings, ketchup, and mayonnaise.
In fact, the design of your refrigerator should help you do this. You can make use of the organizer drawers and receptacles inside your fridge.
For example, you can put small cheese and butter in the dairy compartment, eggs in the egg rack, fruits and vegetables in the crisper, and meat and fish in the chiller.
Doing this not only organizes them but also keeps them fresh for a longer period. Because they’re stored in the optimal environment before being eaten or cooked.
5) Put snacks and ready-eat meals in the front
The snacks your family loves to eat occasionally, those delicious ready-to-eat meals, and pre-washed fruit should be placed at the front rather than at the back.
Trust us, they will appreciate it more and you won’t have to open the fridge any longer than two seconds, helping you conserve energy and lower your bills.
6) Use space-saving containers
You should put food in reusable plastic containers and stack them one atop of another to save space and organize your fridge.
For cans of soda or apple juice, you can even pick up a special dispenser in which you can put them sideways and stacked together so they take up the least space inside your refrigerator.
7) Keep food fresh
Lastly, with your food being organized in the refrigerator, don’t forget to keep it fresh by eliminating mixed odors. For this, just get a cup of baking soda and leave it inside the fridge.
You can also soak a paper towel or cotton in vanilla extract, place it on a paper plate and store it in the fridge until it dries. Afterward, throw all of them away in the trash bin.