How to Organize Your Fridge

Learn how to organize your fridge with our easy step by step approach. These fridge organization tips will keep your food fresher longer and keep your fridge clean and organized.

Did you miss Day One of the Organization Challenge? Check it out here.

Fridge Organization Tips

• Assess What You’ve Got. Start by emptying all the contents of your fridge and laying them out on a flat surface like a counter. Leftovers containing meat that are more than three days old or cooked veggies more than five days old, should get the boot, too.

• Clean. Next, give the interior a good scrubbing. Use a good cleaner that is non-toxic. Take everything out of the fridge and place it on the counter. Then wipe and clean out the entire fridge. I even like to remove the drawers and clean the fridge bins, etc when I am doing a good deep clean on my fridge.

• ​Set Up Zones. Place like items together and store them in their own zones in the fridge. The smartest way to do this is by sticking with what areas are best for certain foods. Milk and meats should be placed in the back of the bottom shelf, the coldest part of the fridge. Use the door for fridge organization. Store items with a longer shelf life like juice and condiments.

• It’s important to note that the top shelf and doors are the warmest and the middle and bottom rack are the coldest. When it comes to produce, store fruits and veggies in the bottom drawers that have humidity control. This leaves us with meats, which ideally would get stored in its own drawer. If your fridge only has two drawers, one solution is to use a clear bin to store meat items.

• ​Create an Eat Me First Bin. One smart way to cut down on food waste is to store items that have a shorter shelf life front and center. This way it is not forgotten about in the back of the fridge where no one checks.

• ​Store Tall Items in the Back. I like to store the tall and bulky items in the back of the fridge so that the prettier items are easy to grab.

• ​Set Up a Snack Station.T o avoid a constant mess from hungry little hands, store their favorite snacks at eye level so kids can easily help themselves.

• ​Use a Lazy Susan. For items that you use frequently you can add a Lazy Susan to one of the shelves for easy access. This will save you from digging around the fridge to find certain items easily.

• ​Line Refrigerator Drawers. With a removable shelf liner—this can be kitchen linens, paper towels, or plastic mats—clean up is a cinch. Simply measure and cut to fit your shelf and then place on the shelf after it is clean. If you have any spills simply remove the liner and wash. This saves time when you have a sticky spill.

• ​Use Labels for a Pretty Looking Fridge and for Easy Fridge Organization. Some like to take it up a notch and add pretty labels to the items in your fridge. I love this idea because it can help your children to know where things belong! Actually reading the labels might be another problem you have to tackle But they sure do look pretty!

• ​Manage Leftovers. It’s best to store leftovers in clear and stackable storage containers. The top shelf is the ideal spot for your leftovers so they are easily seen. I however like to store mine on the bottom shelf just because of how my fridge is laid out.

• Keep On Top of It. Every time you buy more groceries, do a quick clean up and reorganize items that have become disorganized. Throw out old food, wipe down a spill and place items back in correct spot.

• Prep Food Before Putting in the Fridge. Wash, Dry and cut fresh foods (fruits and veggies) if necessary as soon as you return home from the store. This way items are easy and ready to grab for a quick snack. Saves time and helps you eat healthier too!

Fridge Organization Products

These are some of my favorite fridge and freezer products:

1. glass drink dispenser
2. egg holder bins
3. deep fridge bins
4. wide deep fridge bins
5. soda can container
6. onion keeper container
7. fruit and veggie bins (similar to mine which are sold out)
8. beverage dispenser
9. heavy duty vinyl contact liner
10. fruit and veggie wash
11. strawberry huller

ORGANIZATION IDEAS

Check out some of our other organization ideas and projects I have shared here on The Idea Room.

• Favorite Organization Products
• Office Organization
• Family Command Center
• Medicine Cabinet Organization
• Laundry room
• Pantry Organization
• Spices Organization
• Clothing Organization & Storage Labels
• Gluten Free Labels
• Printable Kitchen Organization Labels
• Christmas Decor Organization Labels
• Recipe Binder
• Weekly Meal Planner
• 72 Hour Kits
• Home Organization Course