Fridge organization is a great way to help you and your family know what is available for drinking and eating. With ideas available on social channels such as Pinterest and TikTok, it’s important to understand how to optimize the space in your fridge.
Whether you’re planning to focus on a healthy lifestyle or simply minimize the clutter in your refrigerator, you’ll want to start with organizing the space.
To start, you’ll need to remove the items from your fridge. The first items you’ll want to remove are the out-of-date products that you’ve accumulated over time.
Once these products are removed, you can focus on the things you’d like to tackle in your fridge. For instance, products that you tend to use often can be placed closer to the door.
What Goes In A Fridge?
Your fridge contains all the ingredients you need to make meals for your family. There are snacks that you and your family enjoy as well.
There are items you use on a daily basis like beverages that need to be kept cool, such as milk and different juices.
Not everything belongs in the fridge.
Although you may prefer keeping things cool, you can also be taking up unnecessary space in your refrigerator.
The syrup is one of the common things people think needs to go in the fridge. It’s believed that if the syrup is open, it needs to be placed in the fridge or it’ll get moldy.
The truth is, regardless of where you place your syrup once it’s opened, there’s a chance it can get mold. However, it’s best to leave it in the cupboard because it’s less likely to get mold due to low moisture content.
According to TheSpruceEats.com, there are other items that you might find in your fridge that don’t necessarily belong there. These products include:
- Butter;
- Jams and jellies;
- Ketchup;
- Peanut butter;
- BBQ sauce;
- Potatoes;
- Honey;
- Breads and baked goods;
- Garlic;
- Onions;
- Chocolate;
- Tomatoes; and
- Most oils
Most oils can be refrigerated, but not all of them. Cooking oils belong in the cupboard and must be used within three months. It’s recommended that you do place nut oils like hazelnut and walnut oils in the refrigerator.
Why Is Fridge Organization Important?
Once you know what belongs in the fridge and what items can be removed, you’ll need to focus on cleaning and organizing the space you have left.
Whether you decide to use the shelves and built-in cabinets to organize your products, it’s important to note that you may need a container or two to help with stacking.
These fridge containers are a staple for keeping things organized for the home.
A friend had recommended them to me when I was working on fridge organization.
Another benefit to having your refrigerator organized is that it makes things accessible to your kids as well.
How Should Refrigerators Be Organized?
One of the best ways on how you should organize your fridge is to arrange the shelves to fit your needs.
If you have kids at home, then you’ll want to place snacks and easy-to-grab items in front of the bigger, gallon-sized products in your refrigerator.
Some people prefer lining the shelves with a water-resistant mat. These help with cleaning up spills and leaks.
Although these liners help with maintaining your fridge clean, it’s not necessary and can be skipped if need be.
Then, group similar items together. This will help you and your family know where to find certain objects.
As mentioned before, place snacks in front of other products to make them easier to grab.
Lastly, stack your items to help save space in your fridge. You can use the fridge containers I mentioned earlier to keep things neat.
How Do I Organize My Refrigerator For Healthy Eating?
Working on healthy lifestyle changes can be beneficial to your wellbeing, and it starts with what you digest.
Visibility is everything when it comes to healthy eating. If you see better options available in your home, then you’re less likely to want to reach for the unhealthy ones.
Place healthier options front and center when working on your fridge organization. You can choose glass containers to store food products and meal prep items for the week.
Creating a dedicated leftovers section can make it easy for you to minimize food waste. You can also use this area for quick snack options you’ve prepped in advance.
Learning how to store herbs and vegetables can improve its shelf life.
Use smaller containers to store your fruits and other quick snacks as grab-and-go options for you and your family.
Conclusion
Finding the right products to organize your fridge is as simple as searching on Pinterest and Amazon. You can even stroll through the aisles at Target or visit the retailer’s website.
Regardless of your family’s needs, you’ll want to focus on minimizing the number of products you pick up at the grocery store. This will help with the consumption of what you already have rather than creating food waste.
Thinking of ways you can repurpose items from your pantry is a great way to get creative in the kitchen. Again, the important thing about organizing your kitchen is having access to the things you and your family utilize often.