The way your fridge is organized may not seem that important. It’ll just make finding the shredded cheese easier, right? While that is technically true, there are a number of other benefits to organizing your refrigerator.
Storing your food properly in your fridge will keep your foods fresher longer, saving you money on your grocery bills. If you avoid over packing your refrigerator and maintaining a steady temperature you can also boost your refrigerator’s efficiency! So what should the inside of your fridge look like? Read on for six tips for a better organized fridge.
Step 1: Start organizing with a clean slate
Before you really get into organizing your fridge, take a moment to clean it out. Toss expired or bad food and wipe up any spills or messes. If you’re goal is an organized fridge, this should always be your first step.
Step 2: Upper shelves
What should you keep on your upper shelves? This is a great place for leftovers, just don’t forget
to throw them out when they get old! Eggs should go where the temperature is most consistent in your fridge; generally the middle shelf or as close to the middle of the fridge as possible. Keep your eggs in the original cartons, as they’ll last longer.
Step 3: Lower shelves
Raw ingredients like meats should go on the lowest shelf in your fridge. It may also be a good idea to put raw meat in a plastic container to catch any accidental drips and avoid contaminating anything in the drawers beneath the lowest shelf. You’ll also want to keep your milk on the bottom shelf in the very back of the fridge where it is coldest. Same thing goes for yogurt, sour cream and cottage cheese.
Step 4: Fridge Door
This is the warmest part of your fridge so this is where you should keep condiments, which are usually high in vinegar or acidity and can stand a warmer temperature. A lot of people will keep milk or eggs in the door of their refrigerator but they really shouldn’t go there. They need to be in the coldest spots. Your butter and soft cheese can live in the dairy compartment on the door though, since they don’t need to stay as cold.
Step 5: Drawers
The drawers at the bottom of your fridge are made to control humidity to keep the contents fresh for long as possible, making it the perfect spot for your fruits and veggies. Vegetables do best in high humidity, and fruits do best in low humidity or the crisper. Your drawers should be marked so you know the difference. Your deli meats belong in the shallow meat drawer (it’s a little bit colder there than other places in the fridge) or the bottom shelf.
Step 6: Add what you need
You can add plastic turntables to the inside of your fridge to help de-clutter. You may consider adding one for your yogurt and cottage cheese. You can also add extra drawers, for example if you don’t have a meat drawer.
If your refrigerator just isn’t as cold as it should be, don’t wait to have it checked out. Call the professionals at Complete Appliance Repair! And for some added motivation, right now Complete Appliance Repair is offering 5% off any repair. Schedule an appointment for your refrigerator, or any of your appliances, today!