6 Easy Tricks for Spring Cleaning Your Messy Fridge
Yep. That's my fridge.Ok, be honest. Are you a little bit afraid every time you open your refrigerator?
I won't lie -- I'm pretty terrified at what's lurking inside mine. I'm
way overdue for a good spring cleaning of my fridge -- and I'll honestly
be lucky if some of its contents don't get up and walk right out my
front door.
Every single time I clean my fridge out from top to bottom and wipe down the shelves and get it all sparkly shiny, I vow to never let it pile up with unused food and containers full of leftovers again. But somewhere in between work, spending time with my family, and running countless errands, it always winds up looking like something out of a horror movie.
Don't believe me? Then take a good look at this photo -- because that's my own fridge pictured.
And no, you're eyes aren't fooling you. There's a leftover pizza box from last weekend in there & a bottle of wine that seriously needs to be finished. (I'll get right on that later.) But don't ask me what's in the Ziploc bag sticking out of the deli drawer -- because I have no idea what's in there.
Believe it or not though, when I do clean my fridge, I'm actually pretty good at it. Come to think of it, I think I'll give it a good emptying this weekend for sure.
That being said, Here are 6 tips for how to clean out and organize your refrigerator to avoid it becoming a bottomless pit.
Keep It Simple
Instead of stocking up for weeks of meals when you go to the grocery store, buy what you need for 3-4 days instead. That way you use what's in your refrigerator and have plenty of room when it's time to replenish.
Group Items Together
Keep similar items in groups so they're easy to find. Put condiments on the door, drinks stacked up on one shelf, dairy on another, etc.
When in Doubt, Throw It Out!
If you have a habit of storing leftover food in containers or plastic bags, make sure to write the date of when the food was cooked on them before putting them in the fridge. And if you aren't sure exactly how long ago something was put in there -- throw it out immediately.
Don't Be Stupid -- Use the Drawers
You know the fruit, vegetable, and deli drawers in your fridge? Yeah, those are there for a reason. Use them as a cheat sheet on how to organize your food, and keep it fresher even longer.
Start Over
At least a few times a year, make sure to take each and every single item out of your fridge and wipe it down from top to bottom. Starting over and giving it a thorough cleaning will give you more incentive to keep it organized going forward.
Get a 2nd Fridge
If you're like most people I know, then half your fridge space is taken up by water bottles, soda cans, juice boxes, and booze. Investing in an inexpensive second fridge to keep in your garage or basement solely for the purpose of storing drinks will free up much more room for delicious foods in your main fridge
The 7th of every month is when I go thru my fridge and if I can't find an expiration date on something and I cant remember when I got it I throw it away. I do keep drinks in my fridge but to cut down on space instead of a zillion water bottles I bought a PUR water filter that you fill with water it filters it and then take a tall coffee mug or water bottle and fill it. Its a BIG space saver! I do seperate my dairy, condiments are on the door, juices and milk on bottom door cheeses are in one drawer but my two veggie and fruits drawers arent for veggies (if they arent in plain site I forget about them) my bottom drawers are for candles (keeps them from getting dusty) and batteries (keeps them fresh and last longer).
Quoting Strega:I clean it once a Week when I bring new Groceries in. Can't handle a dirty Fridge.
Get a 2nd fridge, not going to work here!!!
I use the drawers for veggies, fruit.. I need to clean it out and scrub it down again but I usually clean out food once a week
Shoes?
How often do you wash your fly swatter?
- Cafe Amber
on May. 4, 2012 at 6:50 AM