For most people, organizing a fridge is one of the hardest chores. Spoiled eggs, rotten food, tough stains, and fluctuating temperatures are just a few things to worry about.
Luckily, there are simple ways to keep the fridge clean with minimal effort. If you love a tidy fridge that is easier to clean, follow these hacks to organize its contents.
Separate Veggies and Fruits
It’s recommended to store fruits and veggies in separate compartments because most fruits produce ethylene as they approach maturity. Ethylene is a gas that promotes the ripening of fruits. Since most fruits produce this gas, placing such fruits with ethylene-sensitive vegetables can cause premature ripening in vegetables, resulting in unnecessary spoilage.
Not every fruit produces ethylene, but most do. Similarly, not every vegetable is sensitive to ethylene, but most are. So, if you’re not sure which fruits produce ethylene and which vegetables are sensitive to it, keeping fruits and vegetables separate will keep the food fresher for longer.
Use Shelf Liners for a Better Look
Cleaning a fridge is never an easy task. It can be uncomfortable to bend over to clean tough stains that are left due to spillovers. When you store food and other perishables for a lengthy period, mold, condensation, and mildew can build up.
An easy way to keep your fridge clean is to buy fridge liners. You can put these liners anywhere you want to protect the shelves and the bottoms of fridge drawers. The main purpose of these shelf liners is to absorb spills before they can create a mess.
These shelf liners come in different shapes, designs, and sizes. You can easily take them out of the fridge and clean them quickly.
For best results, buy a shelf liner that is waterproof, mildew-resistant, and washable. Almost all fridge liners are safe to use. As a safety precaution, some are specially crafted with non-toxic, food-grade material.
Use Transparent Leak-Proof Containers
These days, spending extra money on high-quality and nutritious food is a hot trend. However, you can likely save plenty of cash and maintain good eating habits using only a couple of good hacks. For instance, storing food in air-tight food containers will keep food fresh for a long period.
Here is how it helps:
- Air-tight containers prevent the formation of bacteria. These food containers are also ideal for storing dry fruits because the air-tight seal prevents moisture from spoiling the fruit.
- Food containers keep out bugs that could easily make their way through cardboard box packaging.
- Keeping food in containers takes less space than the original wrappers and keeps the fridge well organized.
- Microwavable containers can help prevent heat radiation from reaching the food.
Stack Frozen Food Using Plastic Tubs for the Freezer
For optimal storage and food quality, buy a plastic tub for frozen food. These plastic tubs are a bit larger than a typical storage container. They’re designed to maintain a constant temperature.
Freezing chunks of frozen food in these plastic tubs prevents the growth of microorganisms. Besides freezing food, the large tub is also ideal for organizing the food in your fridge.
Use Rectangular and Square Containers
If you’re already using airtight containers, then buy rectangular and square ones when you need replacements. Safety-wise, there is no difference between a rectangular container and a round container. However, research shows that round food jars take 25% more space than rectangular and square containers. If you have a lot of food to freeze, you’ll appreciate the extra room the boxy containers free up.
Arrange Items According to Expiry Date
If you ever wondered how some very large restaurants keep food fresh, then think about FIFO, the first-in-first-out rule. This method suggests that food should be stocked according to its usage and expiration dates.
Items such as dairy products should take priority since they’re often consumed regularly. Meat and bakery items should be stocked separately as they may take longer to use. Similarly, ground poultry and certain beverages come in last.
As a rule of thumb, store food from top to bottom. Ready-to-eat food should be placed at eye level on the top shelf. Seafood, meat, and juices should be placed below the ready-to-eat items. The lowest shelf should be reserved for poultry and beverages. Fruits and vegetables should go in their respective drawers at the bottom.
Use Add-On Drawers
If there aren’t enough compartments in the fridge, digging through each shelf can be frustrating. Under these circumstances, consider buying attachable fridge drawers. These fridge drawer storage containers are designed to fit most types of refrigerators. They’re easily available online and provide extra room for food.
Some drawers slide onto refrigerator shelves creating an extra drawer without taking any additional space. These fridge drawers are mostly made from heavy-duty plastic and are easy to clean.
Use a Plastic Egg Holder
The egg holder in the refrigerator door may seem the best place to store eggs, but this is the warmest place inside a fridge. Storing them in the egg holder hastens spoilage.
Instead, buy a plastic egg holder and place the eggs in the main portion of the fridge on the middle shelf, ideally toward the back. It will keep eggs fresh and cold.
Once you have stored the eggs, you can close the lid to maintain an optimal temperature. In case of spillage, just take out the spilled egg and clean the plastic holder.
Final Thoughts
There are few household items as necessary as a refrigerator. Keeping it organized will not only save time but will also allow you to develop healthier eating habits. You don’t have to do everything at once. Try a few hacks first, then proceed with others. Eventually, you will realize that organizing a fridge is much easier than you thought.