So Thursday is here, the sun is out and spring is arriving soon (hopefully).  Not that this is a spring cleaning exercise but I wanted to share with you some things I do to organize my fridge.  My methods are pretty elementary however it’s better than just pushing items to the back of the fridge in hopes someone will move them.

Have you ever wanted to see what exactly is in Zesty’s fridge? Well I thought it would be easier to illustrate using some pictures.

Read below for the tips and feel free to add your tips in the comments.

Organize Your Fridge

1. Place Big Items in the Back

To avoid losing items in your refrigerator, keep the big items in the back so that you can keep up with the smaller items. It’s not fun to pull out a jug of milk only to realize that there is a old bologna in the back of your refrigerator.  Depending on how full you keep your fridge and how much room you have, I like to keep the food to the front of the shelves if possible to avoid losing items and allowing food to expire.

2.  Keep Like Items Together

Another way to organize your refrigerator is to keep like items together. This also helps to avoid losing items. For example, I like to keep kids treats such as apple sauce, yogurt, puddings and drinking boxes together just so that they are easier to find.

3. Put All the Condiments in the Door

It’s annoying to try and pull a large item out of your refrigerator when there are several small containers of condiments in front of that large item.  You end up pulling, moving the little bottles, pulling some more, moving some more…… Next thing you know zesty made a mess all over the floor. This is why it’s best to keep condiments in the door.

4.  Use See Through Containers

There is something horrible about pulling a container from your refrigerator, opening it, and wondering what it is. Or if you know what it is, not knowing when you put it in there. How old are those leftovers anyway? When you organize your refrigerator, use containers that you can see through.

5.  Stack Items Properly

When you get home from the store, keep your refrigerator organized by stacking the items properly. It’s tempting to just chuck the items in the fridge (I do this all time ), grab a cold drink and rest, but you’ll regret it later. Take the time to put like items together and stack them properly.  This will also make it easier to find the items you need, when you need them.

6. Clean it Out Often

I find it valuable to clean out your refrigerator at least once a week or once every two weeks.  Before you go to the grocery store, peek into your fridge and see what you have on hand.  Then throw away anything that’s old (hopefully you do not do this too often). This ensures that you have room for your new groceries and that your refrigerator stays organized.

So there you have it!  Like I said, pretty much just common sense but I really wanted to share this with you as we head into spring cleaning time.  I find it so rewarding to have a clean and organized fridge.  Throwing food out, having food expire or grow mold really makes me upset.  I know it happens and is sometimes unavoidable but keeping a clean fridge and an up-to-date inventory will help reduce the waste.

Have a great Thursday and I will see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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