Refrigerator Organization Tips!

Not only is having a nicely organized fridge aesthetically pleasing, it actually can be very practical. We all know the basics- keep a box of baking soda in the back, meat goes on the bottom shelf, condiments in the door, etc. There is much more to organizing your fridge that you can do to help yourself out! Have you ever seen those gorgeous “fridge goals” pictures on Pinterest? If not, do yourself a favor and look it up! Now that we’re all inspired or jealous…. Here are some starters to getting your fridge transformed into your own Pinterest perfect fridge!

Inventory
The first step is going to be to take a look to see what you have. At this point, you need to check the dates on everything and make sure everything is good. We don’t want anything expired taking up space and waiting to give someone food poisoning! On the other hand, make a list of things you need to grab at the store. Also keep in mind how much of what you usually keep stocked in your fridge, this will come in hand for the next step. Once you see what you have, either right down on a piece of paper or just make a mental note of what is going to go together by category (snacks, dairy, meat, beverages, condiments, fruits and veggies).

Containers and Labeling
The next step is the key to the visual aspect of your newly organized fridge! Nothing says you have your life together than labeling everything in your home, right? Now that we know what we have and it is broken down into categories, it’s time to grab some containers. My favorite place for containers is…you guessed it, the container store! Another much more affordable option is the dollar store. Grab a few containers based on the size of your fridge and the number of items in each category that you have. Now it’s time for labels. You can either grab your handy dandy label maker or go on Etsy.com or Amazon and find some really beautiful labels specific to fridge organization. Another tip for labeling within your fridge is for your leftovers, put a piece of tape on your container and write the date on it that you put it in, that way you can see when it is time to toss it!

Order to store your food
In regards to actually storing your food in your fridge, there is actually a guideline we should be following. Top: dairy- all of your milk, cream, yogurt, etc. will go up here. Middle: leftovers, snacks, and other packaged foods will go here. Bottom shelf: raw meat, poultry and fish are going to live here. Bottom drawers: One for veggies and one for fruit. This is to prevent cross-contamination. Based on your family and your preferences, these obviously will be changed around! Some of us will need to make room for baby food and others for beer.

Once everything is back in your fridge, it’s time to snap a picture to post and now make all of your friends jealous! (don’t forget to hashtag The Maids) Having an organized fridge is going to make it so much easier to keep track of what you have and see when you are running low. Say goodbye to the rotten food that was pushed to the back and the condiments that expired in 2018! Say hello to a new part of your home to be proud of!