Has your fridge seen better days? Our 10 Tips for Keeping a Refrigerator Clean & Organized will help to give it the respect it deserves.
The poor refrigerator. It’s used more regularly than any other appliance in your house, but that door makes it easy to hide away all its secrets. If your refrigerator could use some TLC, read on for our best tips.
10 Tips for Keeping a Refrigerator Clean & Organized
1. Use baskets & bins to store items in: Use shallow containers, trays, or small baskets to organize your fridge. Many can be found at dollar stores that fit perfectly. Keep things like fruits, veggies, snacks, and juice boxes all in their own containers to keep it organized especially with small children. Lay a paper towel in the bottom of each one to catch messes.
2. Label: Help everyone in your home to know what goes in each container by labeling them. At a minimum, add the the name of the contents that are stored in the container. Adding an expiration date may be helpful too. You can use use simple masking tape and a Sharpie, or create a neat and uniform look by using a label maker.
3. Add a Lazy Susan: Add a Lazy Susan (like the OXO Good Grips Turntable) to your fridge to hold items that are frequently used. This will make it easier to access them, while freeing up the doors for drinks and other items.
4. Meat on the bottom: Raw meat should ALWAYS be stored at the lowest point of the refrigerator, even if you feel that the packaging is secure. This way, if it drips, it won’t contaminate the other items in your refrigerator and any mess will be contained to the lowest area.
5. Clean with vinegar and dish soap: One of the best ways to clean that dirt and grime is by using vinegar and dish soap. Mix up a concoction of these two into a spray bottle and have at it! Use ¾ vinegar and ¼ dawn dish soap for the best results. Magic eraser sponges also a great cleaning tool for the fridge.
6. Wipe outside daily: The same way you wipe your counters regularly, do a quick wipe over the front of the refrigerator and handles. It only takes a second and by wiping each day, your fridge will always look in top shape.
7. Clean the insulating seam often: You know that seam that keeps the cold in and heat out of your fridge? Have you ever cleaned it? You should wipe it down at least once a week, and be sure to get INSIDE of it.
9. Use FIFO (first in, first out): Be diligent about checking expiration on products in your refrigerator so that those expiring soon can be kept at the front and used first. Store duplicate items, with a longer expirations, further back in the fridge so they won’t be accidentally opened and used.
10. Purge at the same time each week: Go through your refrigerator often to discard expired condiments or uneaten leftovers. The best way to make sure you do this regularly is to combine it with other regular household events. I like to do clean out our refrigerator right before our trashcans go tot he street for pick up. Some people like to clean it out right before grocery shopping or right after. Pick what works for you and stick to it so that you can avoid a unorganized and smelly refrigerator.
What are your tips for keeping a refrigerator clean and organized? Share your thoughts in the comment area below!
Kendall Ryder says
Wiping the fridge daily is a good idea. Especially if you have little kids, because their sticky and dirty hands dirty up everything! Plus, if you make it a daily habit, like wiping down the counters, it will be easy to do. And, you won’t have a dirty fridge that you only clean once a week or every two weeks!