We could say that the heart or the big star of the kitchen is the fridge. It is the family meeting point for breakfast in the morning or for a late midnight snack.
We have been sharing a lot of hacks about how to organize your kitchen, bathroom, decluttering hacks, but we have never talked about how to organize your fridge.
Fridge is one of the places where you might end up wasting both time and money. If your food is not displayed in logical way, it will go out of date before you notice and you’re throwing money out of the window.
A well organized fridge is surely a valuable tool for anyone who wants to make their meals faster and avoid wasting food.
So here our 10 simple hacks for organizing your fridge!
Empty Out Everything
The easiest way is to start from zero.
Empty out everything from your fridge. Check the expiration date of all the products and throw away anything that is expired. Clean the shelves while you’re at it.
One of the best natural cleaner for fridges is a cocktail of apple vinegar, lemon and baking soda. It cleans perfectly without leaving any smell like some of the chemical products. Besides, you will store food inside the fridge and that’s why is good to avoid strong cleaning products.
Store Your Fridge Properly
The best temperature to store your food is between 3 and 5°C.
It is important to know it because firstly because of our health. Secondly, we will avoid wasting food and will save your budget.
According to the statistic we waste around 1.3 billion tons of food a year globally, now that’s something you can fix for yourself very easily.
The temperature in your fridge is different on different shelves and drawers. That’s why you should know what type of products to store in the upper shelves, the lower and the bottom ones.
For example, the warmest place of your fridge is the door and its dividers. It is the best storage for products with natural preservatives like juice, jam and condiments. Bottom shelves, for instance, are the coldest one. Here’s why are perfect for wrapped meats and fish. Placing them there prevent the risk of cross-contamination.
So, here how a properly stored fridge should look like:
- upper shelves- use the upper shelves for leftovers and food that do not need to be cooked;
- middle/ lower shelves- the best place for your diary products;
- bottom shelves- it is the coolest part of the fridge and it is the best to place wrapped raw meats and fish;
- drawers- fresh vegetables and fruits;
- door shelves- products with natural preservatives
Use Clear Containers
When everything is stored in clear containers is much more visible and easy to find.
There are many options for clear containers but of course, it will be better tho use the ones made from the glass then the plastic ones.
Use labels for better organization. You can stick them on the containers, shelves and door. This might help when you do your shopping list.
You will simply scan the shelves and clear containers and that’s it!
Magnetics Containers
Magnetics containers and bottle hangers are great for the ultimate optimization of your fridge space.
One of the best hacks for organizing your fridge. You can use them inside the fridge and hang bottles and cans. Besides, the magnetics containers could be used on the external side of the fridge door where you could store spices for instance.
Fresh Products And Herbs
Be kind to the fresh products in your fridge.
Keep fresh products in the fridge drawers and never put it too close to the backside of the fridge. They are very soft and can easily get frozen if they are touching the back of the fridge.
Always try to keep products like avocado, tomatoes, bananas outside the fridge. Why? These products release gas and could be the reason for the faster perish of the food in your fridge.
Here is a good idea how to keep the lemons and limes fresh for longer. Keep them in a plastic bag or container, in this way it will fill with little water and the citrus could absorb it. How they will stay fresher for longer.
When you buy fresh herbs treat them as flowers- they need water. It would be better to keep fresh herbs in conteiners with a little water on the bottom so they will be fresh for a longer time.
Get Organized With Masons Jars
These jars are great to store salads and berries. You also could use them for your oatmeal breakfast.
Meats And Fish
You already know where exactly is better to keep raw meats and fish according to the temperature.
Do not forget to have these products packed inside the fridge. The bacteria could be easily transformed into the other food if you keep them unpacked.
Leftovers
Very often you could make a wonderful dish with some leftovers in your fridge.
That’s why you have to keep them always in the most visible spot in your fridge and if possible in a clear container. You will know exactly what is inside and use it for your next masterpiece.
Remove Unnecessary Packaging
Boxes are bulky and take a lot of space.
When is possible just get rid of them and add the products.
Combine and Organize Condiments
One of the best condiments organization hacks is to combine them according to the cuisine type.
For example- peanut butter goes with jams, stir-fry ingredients together and so on. You could also use the lazy Susan for your condiments- it is one of the most popular hacks for organizing the fridge.
