The Basics to Fridge Organization: What You Need to Know Now
If you find yourself constantly dealing with spoiled leftovers and a backed-up freezer, then it’s high time that you learn about the basics of proper fridge organization and usage. This is not something you can do in one fell swoop, and you need to dedicate a weekend or two just to get it right. So what exactly should you know before you start clearing out your fridge?
The article lays out all the necessary steps you need to take to maintain order, proper usage, and efficient energy consumption in your refrigerator. Take note that this guide applies to all kinds of fridges that are in need of cleaning up and organizing. By the end, we hope that you can use your fridge properly, avoid wasting food, and minimize your daily living costs.
Clean out your fridge first
Before even thinking about a clean home refrigerator, you have to look into what’s inside and clear out all of the contents. Then, you need to clean all the surfaces and compartments with a sponge or a damp cloth. You can use vinegar and water or common cleaning solutions made for home appliances. Make sure that you have unplugged your fridge beforehand and given it ample time to properly defrost.
If you want to effectively clear everything out, consider doing so during a weekend when the fridge doesn’t have as much stock inside. That way, you can effectively clean it out and avoid any food spoilage. Once the new stocks arrive, you can integrate a better system for organizing.
Store and label your leftovers in containers
After you’ve cleaned out everything, it’s time for you to introduce a new system for organizing everything that is going inside your fridge. It’s like organizing a library filled with books that get lost on the shelves. By using dedicated containers and labeling everything by date and category, you can make sure nothing goes to waste and prioritize items close to the expiry date.
You also have to consider that not all items need to be labeled or stored in a container. Some fresh produce like vegetables and fruits, for instance, only need to be put in the right compartment.
Consider storing leftovers, precut produce, and fresh meats into separate, labeled containers. Additionally, you don’t want to overstock your fridge either so that cool air circulates freely.
Don’t let food items spoil
Because everything will be labeled and organized, you now have the responsibility to make sure that nothing in the fridge goes to waste, especially those that can gradually rot and grow mold. If left unchecked, rotting food can ruin all your food due to contamination, and you will have to throw everything out. Be wary and prevent being wasteful.
Take note of your freezers and the different compartments
If you don’t want to throw out any wasted food, another key solution is to look into your fridge’s many compartments and dedicated places for specific produce. Since not all fridges are created equal, there are different advantages and disadvantages to each. Study up and pull out your old unit’s manual to know what goes where.
For instance, you may have a standard fridge with a freezer but without a water dispenser. This type of fridge lets you have space for more fruits and vegetables, as you can store deli meats in the freezer. However, you may want cold water conveniently accessible to you, so you also have to store bottled water or fill out an ice tray every time.
This certain situation definitely won’t work for something like a mini-fridge, so review the manual and keep everything where it needs to be at all times.
Conclusion
For any standard fridge, whether at home or in the office, the contents must be kept organized and clean to ensure energy-efficiency and minimize spoilage. If you do your research and use the information in this guide, you can expect to save more money in the long run and prevent the need for frequent fridge tune-ups.
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