If you hate seeing grocery bags cramped up into your refrigerator drawers or the sight of all the condiments laid out on the shelf without order despises you, this guide is what you are looking for! After having numerous breakdowns, seeing the refrigerator become a mess within a week after cleaning, I knew I had to sort something out before I lose my mind!
Thankfully, I found some life changing hacks that have gotten rid of all the frequent clean ups. And since things are in order, I have a lot more room for storage as well. Before we begin with the fridge organization ideas, you need to sort a few things out. Such as:
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- – Get rid of all the expired stuff, or stuff that you haven’t ever used and know that you won’t, anywhere in the near future. Because these items are just taking up your storage space, doing nothing.
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- – Maintain a cleaning chart, which states when the fridge was cleaned and when it’s due next. Generally cleaning it every month is recommended, but if you are unable to do so, it could be 2-3 months max. Cleaning up every month helps keep the mess and odor at bay.
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- – To keep your fridge smelling fresh, purchase a fridge deodorizer. An open packet of Baking Soda works well, but for the best results, you need to fetch Activated carbon. It keeps the weird odor out of the fridge, making it feel fresh.
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- – Engage each shelf or drawer for a specific purpose. Such as one drawer for fruits, one for veggies. One shelf for all condiments, one for all liquids, such as milk, juices, beers etc. This will help declutter things and make them easily approachable.
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- – Maintain order! This might sound a little OCD, but keeping things according to their shapes and sizes helps declutter and make things far more approachable. Especially those small jars and bottles of condiments that always get lost when you are in need of them.
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- – Keep a separate drawer or shelf for daily use items, such as jam, butter, cream, yogurt and the like that are used by you and your family on a daily basis. Setting up a specific drawer for the commoners makes using them easy and avoids the fridge from becoming a mess, every time you take something out of it.
Let’s begin with the DIY fridge ideas;
1. Use Bins to keep things in order
As we have mentioned earlier, dividing each fridge shelf for a specific purpose always comes handy. This fridge organization idea suggests the same but with more order.
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- – Get white colored Bins, all of one size. Make sure they fit into the fridge easily, at least two in a shelf.
- Bins? Yup! Because they are easy to slide in and out. They are also perfect if you are looking to divide shelf space and you can get rid of these, anytime, as well. A temporary yet sturdy fix!
- White because it gives a wider and brighter look to the insides of the fridge.
- Fit two because of this way, you will amp up your storage.
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- – Label each fridge bin with the purpose it is being used for.
- Such as ‘Fruit Loader’ for the fruit bin
- ‘Bread and rolls’ for keeping pita, bread, wraps etc. in one.
- ‘Pickled’ for, if you have a never subsiding love for pickles and have 10 different sorts of veggies, pickled jars in your fridge. The bins have proved to be an amazing asset, which not only has made my fridge look beautifully organized but makes cleaning, loading and unloading things so easy!
2. Swipe-away-the-mess mats
This idea alone has made fridge organization and cleaning, hassle free. No more washing the entire shelf if anything has spilled. Here’s what you will need:
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- – Plastic sheets or placemats that fit well on the shelves of your fridge.
- If you are lucky enough to find the perfectly sized placemats, there’s nothing more you need to do.
- In case you don’t, grab a roll of a thick plastic sheet from a crafts store and get to work.
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- – Measure the sizes of the shelves in your fridge and cut plastic accordingly.
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- Cut precisely and equally because if you cut them smaller or larger than the required size, you won’t be able to attain the neatness we are looking to opt. Yeah, okay I can be a little OCD sometimes!
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- – Next, up, place the mats and done!
Now, if someone spills anything in the fridge, you won’t have to take the shelves out and do the cleaning, instead just wipe it off with a cloth, from over the plastic. For an ultimate cleaning job, dip a cloth in soapy water and wipe the spilled mess right off! This DIY fridge organization idea is easy to put to use and helps keep it as good as new! But here’s something EVEN BETTER!
3. Trash-able plastic mats
This one’s definitely a life saver! Lifesaver because after hours of cleaning, when your husband ‘accidentally’ spills milk in the fridge, because he was busy playing clash of clans with one hand while juggling the milk-jug in the other. At that point, you feel like going all ‘Game of Thrones’ on him and slitting his throat, right off! But then you don’t, with the fear of cleaning that bloody mess up! Instead, you cheer up, from the sheer remembrance of the AH-MAZING trash-able mats, with which you don’t need any cleaning, at all!
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- – All you need are thin, inexpensive plastic sheets or either cling films.
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- Cut the sheet or film according to size and place them on the shelves. That’s it!
If there is a spill, grab the sheet out and throw it away. Replace with a fresh one. And viola a fresh and clean refrigerator, every time!
4. Fridge cum whiteboard
Well, this Fridge organization idea has made life typically easy and has gotten us rid of all the grocery mess-ups! It’s easy and looks so chic! Where most people decorate their refrigerators with magnets and pictures, we decided to turn ours into a Dry-erase whiteboard. Why go through the hassle when you have sticky notes? Well first up, they are small, get easily lost and gives your fridge door an untidy look! Whereas a white-board has made things look organized. We put up what’s in the fridge and what is needed, in a large font right on the fridge door, making it easily readable, without the unwanted mess! Here’s what you will need:
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- – A dry-erase whiteboard sheet available under $10
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- – A magnetic white-board marker available for less $4.
Stick the dry-erase sheet onto your fridge and place the magnetic marker on top. There you have it, a perfectly functioning dry-erase board, to put all your grocery needs on! What are some tips and tricks that you vouch by when it comes to organizing your fridge? Let us know, in the comments box below and a get a chance to be featured on our portal. Happy cleaning!
