If you're like most people, keeping up with the organization of your refrigerator is one of the last things on your mind. We generally tend to forget about our refrigerator until there is a problem, like we suddenly need to put something in it and there's not enough room. You can actually avoid this problem though, if you organize it well to begin with.
Cleaning
Organizing your refrigerator is also a great time to clean it so you might as well take everything out of it, give it a good wash down, and just start from scratch. Dishwashing liquid is a good cleaner to use and paper towels work well to clean and dry with. Don't forget to take out the shelves and wash them down as well.
Get Rid of the Waste
Next, you'll want to throw away everything that has expired. If you have a compost pile then remember that many things can go in there. Food items that you'll want to avoid composting are dairy, fruits, and meats.
Organizing Your Food
Once you're ready to put things back in the refrigerator you should start by grouping things together. Use one drawer for all of the cheeses, one shelf (preferably inside the refrigerator door) for any condiments that need to be refrigerated, and put all of the vegetables together. If you have several drawers and they're all about the same size then put the items that you use on a more regular basis closer to the top so that you can just reach in and grab them.
If you lack shelf space then simple under shelf baskets and stackable shelves that can be removed are good ideas. These can help keep things separated and therefore easier to get to.
It might be a good idea to combine some things if you can. For instance, if you have three cartons of eggs but they're not all full, empty the eggs into one carton if you can and toss the empty ones. Likewise, merge salad dressing bottles, juices, etc. if you have more than one of the same kind and they've been opened.
Keep Items Handy
Although you might be tempted to put the larger items in the back so that they don't hide the smaller ones, this doesn't always work to your advantage. If you need to use the large item (like a carton of milk that's about to expire) then put it in the front. That way, you'll remember it and it won't go to waste. With that in mind, once you have organized your items you might want to leave a special space up in the very front to highlight items that you need to use soon or that you plan to use for your next meal.
About The Author: Rebecca Patrick-Howard is ThriftyFun's organizing expert. Click here to ask an organizing question.
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Organizing Your Refrigerator
If you're like most people, keeping up with the organization of your refrigerator is one of the last things on your mind. We generally tend to forget about our refrigerator until there is a problem, like we suddenly need to put something in it and there's not enough room. You can actually avoid this problem though, if you organize it well to begin with.
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