Fridge Organisation Mistakes You Might Be Making
Tidy Life, Tidy Mind…
I am the Monica of my friendship group (in more ways than one) and this love for a clean, tidy space goes as far as my fridge organisation. Personally, nothing makes me more anxious than a fridge that just has everything chucked into it.
Organising your fridge doesn’t have to be a stressful task. However, it’s more than just plastic containers (though this is part of it). There are a few other things to consider and once you get it all into place, opening that door becomes a breeze.
So be sure that you avoid these common fridge organisation mistakes and take back control of it.
Create Zones in Your Fridge.
One thing that I notice from friends and family complaining about their own fridges is that they have no idea where things are. And that is because they usually throw things in and hope for the best. By creating zones within your fridge, you’ll know exactly where to go for what item without even thinking about it.
So make sure your diary products sit together, same with your meats, veggies etc.
Use Plastic Storage.
The first fridge organisation tip leads me nicely onto the next. For me, you cannot go wrong with investing in plastic storage for your fridge. These ones from I-Design were life-changing, they honestly brought so much peace of mind.
I personally love the trays and labels to help organise and categorise all my products. It makes it so much easier to pull, grab and put away when I’m cooking.
SHop Fridge Organisation.
The Correct Order of Stacking Food.
One thing that is always worth remembering is stacking your food in the correct order. This is not only important to fridge organisation, but also to preserve your food for much longer. The recommended order for food is:
Top Shelf: leftovers, takeaways, extras and drinks.
Middle Shelf: dairy products, taller items
Bottom Shelf: meats & fishes
Drawers: veggies and fruits
The Door: condiments and other extras
Whilst it’s worth having your product in this order as much as possible, you can adapt the layout to your lifestyle and individual lifestyle. For example, as we don’t have that much meat in our fridge, the bottom shelf for Dash’s raw dog food, salads and leftovers.
Don’t Place New Food at the Front.
Something my husband does a lot is to put the food in as and when we get in, without looking at the expiry dates. Personally, I like to put my newest food to the back so I can ensure that I’m using the oldest food first.
I also tend to stack meats and meals in order of when I’m going to have them. It makes it so much easier come 6 pm when we get home from work. Even if I forget to look at the meal plan, I know that what I’m pulling from that tub is what I’m meant to be having that evening.
Clean Your Fridge Regularly.
My final tip and the most common fridge organisation mistake people make is not cleaning their fridges regularly. Sure, we all do the massive spring clean of it come March/ April time. But what about a quick wipe down say bi-weekly?
I promise all I do is a very light clean the night before the weekly food shop. Just give all the shelves a quick going over and maybe scrub on any tough stains that might have to appear. It also gives me a chance to have a quick look at those expiry dates, especially on the condiments.