How to Organize a Fridge
Refrigerator Organization
A disorganized fridge is costly
Yep, you read that right. A disorganized fridge comes with a cost! Keeping your kitchen refrigerator organized prevents food waste, saves you time, and saves you money. When you’re able to easily see what you have, it’s quick to find what you need and makes managing your food inventory simple. This cuts back on uneaten food expiring and unnecessary duplicate purchases. Are you ready to cut the costs and give your fridge a little tidying love? Read on for how to declutter your fridge:
Take everything out and group similar items together.
Starting with a blank space is the best way to re-imagine and improve your storage. By taking everything out, you’re able to evaluate high-access areas and what will work best for your routines. Grouping similar items together creates food categories and allows you to quickly see if you have duplicates.
2. Wipe down the inside of the fridge.
Now that you’ve emptied the fridge, time to wipe away any spill stains and sticky parts. You may even realize that you need to store certain bottles with a paper towel on the bottom to catch future dripping (trust me, your future self will thank you).
3. Joy-check the food and toss anything expired.
Did you try a new food, but not like it? Instead of letting it linger in the fridge to expiration, try offering it up to a neighbor, friend, or local Buy Nothing Group. Chalk it up to a learning experience - you learned you did not like that food and will not purchase again. If anything has gone bad or is far past the healthy expiration date, discard it to make room for the fresh ingredients.
4. Put items back in the fridge in food zones.
Food zones are the food categories of similar items you created in Step #2. Mimicking a grocery store, make sure that labels and bottles are facing the same direction for consistency. Bins and turntables are great for keeping items visible and neatly grouped! In my own fridge, I have a bin for all the cheese and a turntable for jars.
Helpful fridge products: