If your goal this spring is to get things cleaned and in order, why not start with the one place you USE multiple times a day – along with your whole family. It may seem crazy that having an organized fridge is important, but trust me on this one, it IS! You can go CRAZY with keeping your fridge organized OR you can add a few some steps to help KEEP it organized.
Clear out
Take a day each week, maybe the day before you go grocery shopping, and clean out the fridge. Now, if you do this weekly, it will not require pulling everything out and cleaning every nook and cranny. I usually go through my fridge either while I’m planning my weekly meals and grocery list OR when I’m in the middle of putting away the groceries – hey, I’m honest. It’s not the best time, but at least I do it. Get rid of anything that’s old, moldy, stinky, or stuff you seriously aren’t going to eat again.
Label
This involves two types of labeling, in our fridge. First, I actually label where things go in my fridge. I’m not crazy, just trying to have a place for things and keep the whole family on board. If that’s not your thing, you don’t have to do it. I use my die cut machine to cut out labels that look beautiful! Second, label the food that you put away that isn’t obvious. You can use washi tape or a chalk ink marker. Label the DATE {super important} and label what is inside the container. Often you don’t realize that stuff is older than you remember! Eww!
Contain
I have invested in good quality glass left-over containers. But, they are mostly the same and look nice in the fridge stacked up and labeled neatly. Use containers to put a pile of cheese sticks or fruit cut up and in baggies to grab and go. It helps so much to get things contained. Don’t have things scattered everywhere. If something spills, it’s in a container instead of all over the fridge and a lot easier to clean up.
Upkeep
Daily you should be keeping things up in the fridge. That sounds like a lot, but it’s like a minute, a couple times a day. If you’re in there at breakfast, check it over and make sure things got put back and are contained. Same thing for lunch and dinner. It takes a minute or less! Trust me, it’s worth it!
The Plan
Teach your family to put things back where they belong. I know, I know – your family won’t do it. But, you have to teach them. It’s about respect and doing what they’re told. Since I’ve done all these things above, my family pretty much puts things back in their place almost every time. If they aren’t sure where to put it, they ask me. That’s not hard – just ask mom where she wants it.
You’ll find that having a clean and organized fridge will actually help you to want to keep other things in your home neat and tidy. Food is important and it’s something we ALL need to make sure we are careful with. You don’t want to be wasteful or have to throw things away. By having your fridge organized, you’ll throw out less food and SAVE money! If you’d like to see my fridge and see all the zones and organizing I’ve done, please have a look inside of my fridge! I’ve got lots more for you anytime you need a good dose of organizing inspiration, too!
Pat says
I totally labeled our fridge…lol! That was the first thing I did when I reorganized our kitchen, and I can’t believe what a difference it makes! It is super easy to see what we have and/or need, and now we are using up our leftovers before they spoil. We have a set of container for leftovers that are labeled with the date made and the contents for at-a-glance viewing. It’s made my life so much easier. Thanks for confirming that I wasn’t crazy for doing it!