Fridges are where we store food. Therefore, it’s important that they’re clean and organised. Many people don’t think to plan how they’re going to use their fridge. However, it’s never too late to bring some order into your life. Here’s our top tips for keeping your refrigerator spotlessly clean and in order.
Start With A Deep Clean
Unless you’ve already got a thorough cleaning schedule, the best way to start your fridge organisation is to give it a good, deep clean. Remove all of the contents of the refrigerator first, including any shelves and drawers. Chuck out anything that’s expired or no longer wanted and scrub every corner with soapy water. You can submerge drawers and shelves in a sink of hot water if possible, or simply give them a thorough wipe. Ensure everything is dried off completely before placing it back in the fridge.
You can give the fridge a wipe down with antibacterial cleaning solution, but this isn’t essential if you’ve been thorough with the soapy water and cloth. It may be tempting to use something strong like bleach or ammonia-based cleaners, but it’s best to leave these out of the fridge. You wouldn’t want to contaminate your food with toxic cleaning products.
Give Everything In The Fridge A Space
Consider the contents of your refrigerator. You’ll want to create areas for different groups of food. For example, you’ll need a place for meat, vegetables, dairy products, sauces, drinks and anything else you put in the fridge. Similar products can go together sometimes, but in other cases they need to be kept apart. Don’t put butter next to cheese, as this can cause the butter to go off quickly. On the other hand, most vegetables will be fine when stored together in the fridge.
Make sure that all of your items are stored in a sensible place. Meat should go at the bottom of the refrigerator, vegetables in the crisper (if you have one) and dairy products can go in the door. When you put something in the fridge, make sure it’s in a suitable container and that it’s labelled properly.
Keep On Top Of Fridge Cleaning
Clean your refrigerator regularly by removing the contents and giving it a wipe with a clean cloth. You should also do a deep clean every so often, particularly if there’s been a spillage or food has spoiled in the fridge. Use these times to go through the items in your fridge and dispose of things that are out of date or no longer usable.
You’ll find it much easier to keep on top of the cleaning when your fridge is organised and food is labelled properly. The more work you put into your organisation now, the less work you’ll need to put in in the long-run to keep things tidy.
