The feeling of opening an organized fridge is priceless, there’s nothing worse than stumbling into a smelly, messy and stinky fridge when you are looking for something yummy to eat. So we’re going to share 10 guiding principles into keeping your refrigerator clean and happy. Go ahead and feel free to implement in your home, we dare you!
Thou shalt keep it cool: Make sure to set your refrigerator’s temperature to 40°F (5°C) or below.
- Thou shalt label everything you freeze: If it doesn’t come with a label, give it one. For extra credit add dates!
- Thou shalt use clear, airtight containers: Use airtight containers for leftovers and pre-prepped ingredients help prevent odors and spoilage inside the fridge. Bonus points if they’re clear since it will also keep everything visible and organized.
- Thou shalt wipe down weekly: Once a week, wipe down the fridge doors, door seals, edges and handles with a wipe or a damp, soapy rag.
- Honor thy expiration dates: Yes, generally, it’s fine to eat something a few days past its expiration. But make it a habit to regularly check all the jam jars and salad dressings that have lived way beyond their “best by” date.
- Remember the vegetable drawer: You know that saying that goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” Don’t let that be your veggies. If you haven’t checked inside the vegetable drawer in a day or two, check on it and remove anything that seems close to spoiling to preventing from spoiling all the rest or making your fridge smell bad.
- Thou shalt not mix drawers: Please, don’t mix fruits, veggies and meats in the same drawer, this will avoid cross contamination.
- Thou shalt have a meat bin: Dedicate a vegtable drawer and another for raw meat, this will protect your fresh food from any spillage that the meat might release. If possible, keep your meat on the lowest shelf in the fridge.
- Honor the fridge door as a place for condiments: The shelves on the inside of the door are the warmest part of your fridge, so only condiments should go there, not anything that is highly perishable like milk.
- Thou shalt tackle this maintenance routine: Every few months check your fridge is optimized and working just right.