We’re all guilty of letting our refrigerators get out of control every once in a while. It’s easy to forget what’s inside or overestimate your fridge space when going on a big grocery shopping spree.
However, there are some easy ways to keep up with your refrigerator, and it all starts with organization. We’ve gathered some tips for you on refrigerator organization below!
Clean Out Your Refrigerator
This sounds like an obvious solution to many refrigerator issues (bad smells, too much clutter, etc.) but it’s surprisingly easy to overlook this simple task. Cleaning out your refrigerator gives you more room to add new refrigerated items, and also makes it easier to keep up with what’s in your refrigerator so you don’t overbuy certain products.
Every week, on the night before trash day, go through all of the food and drink in your refrigerator. Throw away uneaten leftovers, anything past its expiration date, and any condiments or food items that there is not enough of to use. You’ll be surprised how often you’ll discover mustard bottles with less than a squirt left, or veggies you forgot about in the back of the fridge. Wrap anything that is wet or rotten in a small grocery or garbage bag before putting it in your trash can to avoid any mishaps or messes, and you’ll be good to go!
Place New Food and Drink Items at the Back of Your Fridge
When you purchase new groceries, it’s easy to just shove everything to the back of the fridge to make room for the new items. However, doing this means that older items with closer expiration dates may not be visible to you, which runs the risk of them going bad before you eat or drink them.
Instead, take time to pull your older foods and drinks forward and place anything new at the back of your fridge. While this may be time-consuming at times, it could save you from a lot of wasted food and money. In addition, this gives you an opportunity to clear out any expired food or drinks, which can help with space and visibility.
Make Sure to Utilize Your Crisper Drawers and Specialized Compartments
Your refrigerator may have crisper drawers and compartments that can be used for specific items, such as butter or herbs. Many of these compartments also have their own temperature controls, allowing you to keep them for longer periods of time.
Ask your local appliance store or read your refrigerator’s manual to learn how to properly set temperatures and what food or drink items are recommended for certain areas of your refrigerator. Using your crisper drawers or other specialized areas of your refrigerator will save space on your shelves and make it easier to find certain items in the future.
Purchase Organizer Bins Created Especially for Refrigerators
Organizer bins like these are specially designed to fit on most refrigerator shelves. They’re also made of a particular material that can be harder to break and can stand up to colder temperatures without cracking.
Should you choose to use organizer bins in your refrigerator, labeling them can make it a lot easier to keep your shelves organized. The bins linked above even have a special bin with a lid specifically for your eggs, saving you the trouble of having to worry about setting anything on top of a thin egg carton. Just remember that even with organizer bins, you should be careful to move any old food or drink products to the front or top of the bins whenever you add them to your refrigerator!