And organized fridge is at the center of an organized kitchen.
Without an organized refrigerator, getting takeout for dinner seems like a much better idea than diving into the deep unknown that lurks in the messy fridge.
Let’s put an end to that problem with these super smart fridge organization tips that Professional Organizers share with their clients!
Fridge Organization Tip #1: Time it Right
Don’t ever try to organize your fridge when it’s full – unless you secretly hate yourself!
Seriously, it’s a huge headache to try to get a refrigerator ship shape when it’s full. It takes longer and it’s just harder to do quickly.
Especially if you’re attempting a re-organization or even a clean out during the hot Summer months.
The best time to organize your fridge is before you go to the grocery store.
It’ll be most empty when you need to restock the fridge.
Bonus for this strategy:
You’ll see what you need, and what you don’t need.
It’ll also be really easy to give the shelves and drawers a quick wipe down.
And this’ll set the stage for all of the delicious food you’re buying.
Fridge Organization Tip #2: Do it on the Regular
Clean out unused leftovers and spoiled food from the fridge at least once a week.
This helps to keep nasty smells and annoying spills to a minimum.
I usually do this the night before our street’s garbage collection day, especially in the Summer so that the garage doesn’t get stinky.
These fridge mats make the task of keeping shelves and drawers neat and tidy.
Just wipe them down on the regular.
Plus they can be cut down to size for a perfect fit!
With an organized fridge, fewer things will spill.
And leaks will be detected sooner, so you’ll be able to keep a handle on keeping the fridge sparkling clean!
Fridge Organization Tip #3: Zone Out
Once the fridge has been decluttered, time to put things in zones.
Put like with like (fruit with other fruit, for example) and designate zones for most everything you buy on a regular basis.
I don’t have one of these in my fridge, but I have considered adding a lazy susan turn table so that finding items is uber easy.
I am a huge fan of OXO Good Grips items and this product wouldn’t disappoint.
The main idea is to keep like things together or keep things that are used together in close proximity.
Think peanut butter and jelly. When the two jars are close to each other in the fridge, they’re easy to grab out without searching.
Fridge Organization Tip #4: Go Vertical
Don’t let space go to waste and make use of the vertical space in your fridge.
For this, you’re going to need some specialized products or a heckuva lot of creativity!
These magnetic strips are so versatile and make it easy to use up the vertical space in the fridge.
There’s still plenty of space to store shorter items beneath, making the strips a super smart refrigerator addition.
I like that more than just bottles can stick to the strip, making it more multipurpose for non-adult beverage drinkers.
I don’t ever foresee putting a can of food in the fridge (who actually puts can’s of tomatoes in the fridge?!?!?!?), but jelly and jam jars seem like they’d be a perfect fit.
These bins are stackable and would be a great way to use the vertical space so that your refrigerator space is used wisely!
They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you are sure to be able to easily find a bin that fits the dimensions of your fridge.
That’s really the essence of fridge organization: finding what fits to optimize the space wisely!
Another aspect to this point is making sure you’re buying containers in a size that’ll fit in your fridge in the first place.
The Costco sized containers of food just won’t fit in some smaller fridges.
You can save yourself from a headache when you take the size and shape of your fridge into consideration before you bring home a huge container that you have to jam into your fridge space.
Fridge Organization Tip #5: Labels Matter
Mimic grocery stores and put labels front and center.
It’s just easier to find things when you can see the label!
No more rummaging through the fridge to see what that jar contains when you can easily read the label.
And overall, it’ll be less visually taxing, so everything will look more organized just with this simple tweak.
A very small thing to optimize your fridge to make it a more inviting space.
And now, over to you!
Keeping your fridge neat and organized is less of a challenge when you know the secrets shared in this post today! Which is your favorite tip? Any A-HA moments?
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