Tired of having a messy and disorganized fridge? Same here! Read on to discover how to organize a fridge to avoid food wastage and promote healthy eating!
Are you looking to organize your fridge for the first time? I can relate!
In the past, my fridge was mostly empty or filled with junk/processed food. I hardly cooked because I was always busy and I didn’t prioritize my health. Not to mention, I wasn’t a very good cook!
However, one of my personal goals this year is to take care of myself physically and mentally. This includes eating whole foods and making healthy meals.
I know the best way to motivate myself to eat healthily is to fill my home with fresh produce like vegetables and fruits.
If you share the same goal, this means you should organize your fridge too to encourage yourself to eat better!
Just like my under-the-sink cabinet organization, the first thing I did was to Google the subject.
There is a lot of information on this topic including first-hand experience of people organizing their fridges.
But, it was hard for me to resonate with them because their fridges looked PERFECT. I’m talking about fully-stocked color-coordinated fridges, y’all.
Since it’s just my husband and I (and our dog) living in the apartment, there’s NO way we can have a fully-stocked fridge and eat everything within a week.
So, I decided to organize our fridge based on what we eat regularly.
In this post, you’ll find a realistic account of how I organized our fridge along with some tips to help you organize yours too!
I always try to be as real as possible, so I hope this post will help you just as much as it has helped me!
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that are at no additional cost to you, and I may earn a small commission if you purchase any products via my links. I only recommend products that I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are my own. Read the full privacy policy here.
Related:
- How To Organize Your Under Kitchen Sink Storage Like A Pro
- How To Organize A Hall Closet Like A Pro
- Organize A Junk Room Like A Pro (And Kick Your Clutter To The Curb)
How to Organize A Fridge In 9 Simple Steps
1. Start with a blank canvas
Just like all of my other organization projects, I always start with a blank canvas.
In this case, you have to empty the fridge before you start organizing.
I know some of you may find this step gross, but it’s absolutely necessary! After all, you can’t organize something if you don’t know what’s inside.
If you’re worried about food going bad, I suggest putting your perishable items into a cooler with some ice while you work on the next steps.
If you don’t have a cooler, that’s OK! You can work on one shelf at a time.
2. Clean the fridge
The next step is to clean and disinfect every surface on the inside of your fridge.
Chances are you’re going to find some stains, spills, and food remnants if you haven’t organized your fridge in a while. Been there, done that!
It’s very important to clean your fridge so that you won’t get infected by any foodborne illnesses or contamination.
I’m not a fan of chemicals near food, so I prefer using a homemade vinegar spray and paper towels to wipe down all the surfaces.
All you need is some distilled white vinegar mixed with hot water in a spray bottle. The acid from the vinegar will help to break down any gunk or grime!
If possible, take the drawers and shelves out and soak them in hot soapy water before wiping them down and putting them in.
Just remember to dry everything well before you put them back where they belong. And, don’t forget to give the fridge exterior a thorough wipe down too!
Pro tip: Want to avoid unpleasant smells in your fridge? Add two drops of vanilla extract to your homemade cleaning mix!
3. Go through everything in the fridge
Remember all of the food you removed in step #1? It’s time to go through everything you had in the fridge.
Start by discarding expired food and old leftovers. If you haven’t touched those leftovers in a week, they need to go inside a bin!
After that, do a quick stocktake of what’s left. It’s time to evaluate what you eat (or want to eat) weekly!
Since I started to eat healthily, I’ve been stocking our fridge with mostly fresh produce like vegetables and fruits.
Since we don’t have children, I try not to keep too many snacks or processed food like chocolate, candy, and soda.
Besides that, I’m not very adventurous when it comes to cooking. As a result, I stay away from buying novelty or specialty items that I know I won’t use frequently.
Look out for types of food you barely reach out for – this is a sign that you shouldn’t be purchasing them again to avoid food wastage!
4. Create different categories
Once you have a realistic idea of what you consume every week, it’s time to create different categories for your food items.
Doing this will help to speed up your fridge organization later!
Here are some popular categories:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Dairy
- Condiments
- Sauces
- Snacks
- Kids
- Deli
- Meat
6. Measure your fridge and plan your space
Before you go into full organization mode, I recommend measuring your fridge and planning your space first.
Trust me, you’ll save a lot of money if you don’t skip this step!
Fridges come in different sizes, so what may work for me may not work for you. So, measure the width, height, and depth of each drawer and shelf before you shop for your storage solutions.
This is optional, but I also sketched my fridge and planned the space in it in a notebook. I’m a visual person, so seeing it on paper helped me to visualize what the result would look like!
My fridge has four shelves and two crisper drawers. Here’s how I planned the space:
- Upper shelf – Sauces and eggs
- Middle shelves – Fruits, veggies, milk, snacks
- Last shelf – Raw meat, poultry, seafood
- Door – Condiments, sauces, dairy, bottled water, other beverages
- Crisper drawer – Veggies and fruits
7. Use the right storage solutions
The right storage and organization solutions can save space and make your fridge look more attractive!
A lazy Susan is great because it corrals like items together and saves so much space. These are perfect for sauces, condiments, and fresh herbs stored in jars.
I love these clear drawers because they’re stackable and clear, which means you can see what’s inside them at all times. Plus, you don’t have to move anything to take the items out.
Clear bins are also amazing for grouping similar and large items. Make sure to choose bins with handles so that they’re easy to take out from the fridge.
Finally, I can’t live without my airtight glass containers. They store everything from cut fruit and deli meat to leftovers.
8. Start organizing!
Here comes the fun part! It’s time to organize the fridge.
Remember my plan in step #6? Like the saying, “there’s a method behind the madness”, there are reasons why certain things are placed on certain shelves.
Here are some tips you need to know about how to organize a fridge:
- The top shelf and fridge door are the warmest spots in the fridge, so avoid storing your milk and eggs there.
- Since ready-to-eat items have a shorter shelf life, placing them right on top and in front of you will make you go through them quicker.
- Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood on the last shelf so juices don’t drip onto other foods and cause cross-contamination!
- Don’t wash your vegetables and fruits until you’re ready to eat them. Once they’re washed, they are easily infected by bacteria and viruses!
- Don’t chuck both your fruits and vegetables into the same crisper drawer. As a general rule of thumb, you should keep them separate. Otherwise, you can read this handy guide on which items to place in each drawer.
Pro tip: Use water-resistant shelf liners in your crisper drawers. Leafy and root vegetables and fruits can occasionally leave stains or residue when they go soft. Liners help make cleaning up a lot easier and quicker!
9. Use labels
Once you have all of your storage solutions, label them with vinyl stickers. This helps other family members and guests know where everything is supposed to be in your fridge.
I had mine custom made from a local seller, but you can purchase yours from Etsy. This seller has more than 20 fonts available and offers 3 different colors: white, black, and gold.
Alternatively, you can purchase a Cricut and DIY all the labels in your home!
P/S: Having labels also means you don’t have to be the only one putting away the groceries anymore! Your husband and children can help you out with this!
Pro tip: If the number of veggies and fruits you purchase changes weekly, use a “produce” sticker instead. That way you don’t have to worry about having insufficient bins with the right stickers!
Hopefully, these tips on how to organize a fridge will encourage you to eat healthier and avoid food wastage! All the best with your fridge organization!
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