Chaos-Free Zone: How to Keep the Fridge Organized
Find out how to store food items by temperature and type so everything stays fresh longer
Laura Gaskill
June 27, 2022
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Whether you’re in a rush to get a lunch made or dinner on the table, an overstuffed fridge can really slow you down. A well-organized fridge, on the other hand, can help food stay fresh longer, reduce waste and make meal prep come together with less effort. Here are some simple strategies to get your fridge in order and keep it that way.
Give Your Fridge a Fresh Start
Before you go on your next trip to the market, take the time to give your fridge a thorough cleaning out. Check all those condiment bottles, the bottom of the crisper drawer and the back of the fridge, and pull out anything that is no longer fresh. Once you’ve done this and wiped down the shelves, drawers and door, it’s time to get organized.
Before you go on your next trip to the market, take the time to give your fridge a thorough cleaning out. Check all those condiment bottles, the bottom of the crisper drawer and the back of the fridge, and pull out anything that is no longer fresh. Once you’ve done this and wiped down the shelves, drawers and door, it’s time to get organized.
Use Bins and Trays to Keep Your Fridge Cleaner (And More User-Friendly)
Removable, washable plastic trays and bins make it easy to clean up when a container springs a leak — just remove the whole tray and toss it in the sink or dishwasher. Bins are great for corralling groups of items that you would like to store together.
Make it Easier to Keep Track of Leftovers
Keep a roll of masking tape and a felt-tip marker near the fridge for marking leftovers with the date, and you can tell at a glance whether something needs to be used up soon or tossed.
Shop for a refrigerator on Houzz
Removable, washable plastic trays and bins make it easy to clean up when a container springs a leak — just remove the whole tray and toss it in the sink or dishwasher. Bins are great for corralling groups of items that you would like to store together.
Make it Easier to Keep Track of Leftovers
Keep a roll of masking tape and a felt-tip marker near the fridge for marking leftovers with the date, and you can tell at a glance whether something needs to be used up soon or tossed.
Shop for a refrigerator on Houzz
Organize by Temperature to Keep Food Fresh Longer
The door and top shelf are the warmest parts of the fridge. The middle shelves maintain the most consistent temperature, and the bottom back stays the coldest. The drawers usually give you some additional control for humidity, which can affect how long fruits and vegetables stay fresh.
The door and top shelf are the warmest parts of the fridge. The middle shelves maintain the most consistent temperature, and the bottom back stays the coldest. The drawers usually give you some additional control for humidity, which can affect how long fruits and vegetables stay fresh.
What to Keep Where
- Upper shelves: Leftovers, snack foods and drinks
- Middle shelves: Eggs, dairy and deli meats
- Bottom shelf: Raw meat and fish
- Higher humidity drawer: Fresh vegetables
- Lower humidity drawer: Fresh fruit
- Door: Butter, soft cheeses, condiments, pasteurized juice and fresh herbs
How to Prep Produce
Washing produce when you get home from the market can be a great time-saver when it comes to making dinner on busy weeknights. However, since water can make fresh produce go bad more quickly, be sure to thoroughly dry all fruit and vegetables before putting them in the fridge.
Washing produce when you get home from the market can be a great time-saver when it comes to making dinner on busy weeknights. However, since water can make fresh produce go bad more quickly, be sure to thoroughly dry all fruit and vegetables before putting them in the fridge.
- Whole, washed peppers, carrots and celery can be returned to the drawer after being thoroughly dried.
- Freshly washed lettuce should be dried as much as possible in a salad spinner and then gently wrapped in paper towels inside a large zip-top plastic bag or food storage container.
- If you plan to chop veggies or fruit in advance, store the cut pieces in airtight food storage containers and plan to use them within a few days.
How to Store Fresh Herbs
Ideally, we would all have pots of fresh herbs within arm’s reach of our kitchen. If you do have an herb garden, aim to snip only as much as you need at one time. If you don’t grow your own herbs, try these methods for keeping those bundles of store-bought herbs fresh for as long as possible.
Ideally, we would all have pots of fresh herbs within arm’s reach of our kitchen. If you do have an herb garden, aim to snip only as much as you need at one time. If you don’t grow your own herbs, try these methods for keeping those bundles of store-bought herbs fresh for as long as possible.
- Fresh basil and cilantro can be treated like a bouquet of fresh flowers: Snip the ends, place in a glass of water and store on your counter. This works well with most other soft, long-stemmed herbs as well (such as parsley).
- Smaller bundles of herbs can be gently tucked inside a plastic bag, along with a layer of dry paper towels. Keep the whole bundle in the fridge door, where it’s warmest.
What Not to Store in the Fridge
If your fridge is overstuffed, it could be that you’ve been storing some items that would be better off on the counter or in a cool, dark pantry.
If your fridge is overstuffed, it could be that you’ve been storing some items that would be better off on the counter or in a cool, dark pantry.
- Bananas, avocados and any fruit that still needs ripening should be left on the counter.
- Tomatoes, melon and delicate, farm-fresh berries taste best when left at room temperature and eaten within a day or two of bringing them home. But if you need them to last longer, go ahead and stash them in the fridge.
- Keep oils, coffee, bread, potatoes, onions and whole heads of garlic in a cool, dark place (such as the pantry).
Make Mini Clear-Outs Part of Your Weekly Routine
While planning what to have for dinner in the week ahead, it’s natural to check for ingredients in the fridge. Use this time to straighten up the shelves and do a quick clearing out of old leftovers and items that are past their prime.
Tell us: What helps you keep your fridge organized? Share your tips and ideas in the Comments.
More on Houzz
How to Clean Your Fridge, Inside and Out
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Shop for food storage containers
While planning what to have for dinner in the week ahead, it’s natural to check for ingredients in the fridge. Use this time to straighten up the shelves and do a quick clearing out of old leftovers and items that are past their prime.
Tell us: What helps you keep your fridge organized? Share your tips and ideas in the Comments.
More on Houzz
How to Clean Your Fridge, Inside and Out
Find a kitchen designer
Shop for food storage containers
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I find that washing highly perishable fruit like berries with a vinegar, water mixture -10 parts water to 1 part vinegar and then storing them in a container lined with a paper towel makes them last much longer.
Having a smaller, separate beverage/snack frig is useful (if you have room for it), as this gets opened the most.
Higher end refrigerators supposedly keep more even temperatures and cool down more quickly--we have one SubZero and one Thermador and both are much better than our prior, less fancy models.
One often reads that coffee should be kept in the frig, but coffee experts often say this is unnecessary. We keep ours in the frig, since we don't know which school of thought is really correct, and the frig doesn't hurt the coffee.
I keep jams, peanut butter, condiments, pickles butter and mayo in the doors in the same places..a rule. Nothing I hate more when on a cooking or prepping spree and someone hasn't put the article back where it belongs..makes it easy to keep track.
I also have a dry erase board on the outside of the fridge door..we get low on something ..put the item on the list..NOW!! One side of board has food items and the other has non-food items..easier than going to find my phone...
2 crisper drawers..one side has soft veggies and the other harder veggies..I have a separate large rubbermaid container for lettuce and cilantro. I line the bottom of the container with a plain linen or cloth tea towel and fold the other 1/2 over lettuce once I have filled it.
French doors and lower freezer. Bottom freezer section I keep meat products on one side and all other stuff on the other side. Nuts and smaller stuff in the pull out top drawer next to the ice..we don't have an ice maker or cold water.
Cold Water supply in fridges in the number one cause of flooding in kitchens.
My mom organized this way also..(we never had any hinge problems either) BUT I don't know about these new fridges..I keep it cold enough to keep the milk cold and I can barely get the peanut butter out of the jar...warmer so I can get the peanut butter out and the milk isn't cold?
The shelves have a small gap at the back which they say don't block as it has to do with air circulation..yet nothing to block this from happening..so the circulation is poor..smaller compressor so it has to work harder to keep things cold..we figured this out when we were with out power for 9 days..
I hate my new fridge..I'm bringing our old fridge in from the garage and putting the new one out in the garage..the old one took way less time on the generator to stay cold..new one..basically had to be it on the generator all the time.
They say new fridges have an expected life time of about 8 years..WHAT?? Old ones lasted 20 years plus..maybe we ought to charge the manufacturers for recycling and landfill fees for their inferior products?