The best way to save time when planning or preparing meals is to organize your refrigerator. While it may seem faster to put groceries away wherever you see a space, it can actually make things more time consuming. Take a look at these eight tips that will help keep your refrigerator clean and organized.
It is important to minimize the clutter in your refrigerator for organization and sanitation. Having less in your fridge will maximize the appliance\’s ability to keep things cold. Each week, expired foods or condiments and rotting leftovers need to be thrown away. An ideal time to do this is the night before garbage collection.
After clearing away items that need to be discarded, wipe down the areas on the shelves and doors were the old food items once stood. Don\’t forget to wash out empty plastic or glass containers and recycle the ones that you will not reuse.
You can avoid making a weekly chore out of cleaning the fridge by wiping up any spillage or spots right away. Use sanitizing wipes or cleansers and paper towel. By cleaning bottles and storage containers before putting them into the fridge, you can reduce the amount of germs that spread.
Pack left over foods in tightly sealed containers once you are finished with them. This will give bacteria less time to flourish. By using tight seals, less air will be available to spoil your meals.
One of the best ways to organize your fridge is to categorize your food and separate it accordingly. For example, place dairy items, produce, and meat in separate areas.
If you have small items or packages or a similar nature, consider using plastic bins or baskets. This will make these items easier to find, especially when you are in the process of preparing a meal.
Items like ketchup, mustard, fruit spreads, and some beverages can be kept on the refrigerator door since they aren\’t easily spoiled. Use the colder interior shelves for dairy or meats that need to be kept below a certain temperature to preserve freshness.
Having a spare refrigerator in the basement or garage is also a great idea. Bottled drinks can be stored in this extra space to leave room for more food in your main appliance. This way you do not have to wait for your drinks to get cold when one container becomes empty. The extra space will also come in handy when you are entertaining thirsty guests.
Chia Trams is an expert author, professional organizer and image consultant she is also a contributing author for addspacetoyourlife.com .
