Fridge organizing

ElizabethD · March 2011

I read this article and I had NEVER, ever considered baskets! I think it's a cool idea, but she just started it so who knows if it really works.

Do any of you have fridge organizing tips you use?

arg, can't get it to link:

http://www.organizewithsandy.com/2011/03/30/organize-your-refrigerator/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+organizewithsandyblog+%28Organize+With+Sandy+Blog%29

hkiesling · March 2011

Now I'm feeling both ashamed of fridge and motivated to give it a good cleaning. I wonder if there is a local source for plastic baskets.

hkiesling · March 2011

On a side note...do you think the baskets would interfer with how the air circulates? I know that different areas of the fridge are colder than others.

http://www.helpwithcooking.com/food-storage/refrigeration-tips.html

anitalynn · March 2011

hkiesling:
Now I'm feeling both ashamed of fridge and motivated to give it a good cleaning. I wonder if there is a local source for plastic baskets.

Try The Container Store in Edina!

I've considered putting baskets in our new fridge - we don't have a great place for yogurt (single size containers) so I have been thinking about doing a basket. I don't love the bold color baskets though... give me white or clear/lucite!

aimkins · March 2011

anitalynn:

I've considered putting baskets in our new fridge - we don't have a great place for yogurt (single size containers) so I have been thinking about doing a basket. I don't love the bold color baskets though... give me white or clear/lucite!

That's what I was thinking too. I like this idea but we have a small side-by-side refrigerator and I'm not sure how well that would work. If anything, maybe it would work better for us?

anitalynn · March 2011

I was thinking about something like this to store small yogurts. It has holes in the sides, so it will still ventilate.

strength · March 2011

i don't use baskets but i'm very anal about how the fridge is organized. like, really anal. you probably wouldn't believe it. : )

on the bright side, i can tell at a glance if we are low/out of something.

ElizabethD · March 2011

strength:
i don't use baskets but i'm very anal about how the fridge is organized. like, really anal. you probably wouldn't believe it. : )
on the bright side, i can tell at a glance if we are low/out of something.

OK lady, takes some photos and show us!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and anyone find it hard (the rare time they try to clean the fridge) that it's hard to clean a cold surface? Any tips? Maybe I need to just use a hot sponge and not worry about all the energy loss.

anitalynn · March 2011

ElizabethD:

Oh and anyone find it hard (the rare time they try to clean the fridge) that it's hard to clean a cold surface? Any tips? Maybe I need to just use a hot sponge and not worry about all the energy loss.

We take everything off the shelves and take the shelves out individually. Usually just wash them in the bathtub - it's easy that way!

strength · March 2011

ElizabethD:
OK lady, takes some photos and show us!!!!!!!!!!

the main things are the top shelf (water, dairy, juice, mixers), jam, yogurt and salsa rows, egg row and the bread shelf.

there are 2 drawers below the bread shelf for produce, we only use the top of those 2 though as the bottom one is for our roommate.

shelves in the door of the fridge go:

"pickled items" aka stuff we put in bloodies

"cooking items" - curry pastes, fish sauce, thai basil sauce, bearnaise base, etc

"dressings & overflow"

"condiments" mayo, mustard (3 kinds!), ketchup, remoulade, etc

then we have 2 rows of those built in soda can holders which are usually empty because we keep all that stuff in the beer fridge in the basement.

pattymctatty · March 2011

I wish I could be that organized! I usually clean it out once a year but I've been lazy. I do have a metal basket that I throw lunch meat and cheese into, but that's it. That's the only way that'll get me to eat a sandwich - if I put everything in one spot and I can pull it out at the same time.

strength · March 2011

when i wasn't that organized, i ended up tossing out a lot of things that weren't used up. that bothered me so i vowed to figure out a way to make sure i knew what we had so that i could plan my cooking around it.

i do still have to toss things out sometimes but i'd say i throw out about 75% less food now then when we didn't keep the fridge organized.

my cupboards are the same and i DO use bins in the pantry. a cracker bin, a chip bin and semi sweet snacks bin (granola bars, fixins for smores) and i've sort of made a rule that we don't buy more of something unless we use up what is in the bins. of those things, i thing we toss out more half used packs of crackers than anything. overall, i'm happy with the results of staying this organized.

Sue/Mike · March 2011

I love that you are organized enough to actually my an image of your fridge layout. Or did you just have this laying around in case the H tries to unload groceries himself - then he know exactly where you want things? Smile

smoo&brown · April 2011

I also have a hard time with the cold surface. I second taking everything out to wash, but the bottom/sides of the fridge can be tough esp if there's a small leak I didn't notice. For tough stuf, I will saturate as soapy sponge or rag with hot water and leave it on top of the areas to soak it with the door closed. The sponge comes out cold but it usually works. But overall I've never found a good solution. I refuse to use chemicals inside the fridge.

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