Searching for food in your fridge can become a tiring hassle that eventually leads to a messy, unorganized fridge. Not only is it a cluttered confusion, but it’s not something you look forward to when opening your fridge. Yes, it’s easy to throw that block of cheese in the back and go, but actions like these can making your grocery items perisher faster than it should. That leads to trashing your foods and eventually wasting your money. Strategic fridge organization can help foods last longer, give your fridge an appealing look, and make it easier to know where to reach the minute your open your fridge.

It’s essential to know which food groups go where. Think about dairy, meats, fruits, vegetables, and even drinks and condiments; they all have a specific section or shelf to be for better preservation purposes. Before you group your groceries together, use these tips on how to start from scratch and prep your fridge.

Prepping Your Fridge Before Organizing

Preparing your fridge is just as important as placing the food items in the proper places. Getting rid of expired foods and ensuring there is no leftover or scraps left behind makes a huge difference for space and cleanliness.

Declutter and get rid of outdated items.

First things first, declutter. Discard all of the out of date items or foods you probably won’t eat. Don’t forget the items that you likely won’t use, too. While you’re completing this step, wipe down each shelf and drawer with a multipurpose cleaner to also rid of sticky sauces, crumbs, and soda spills.

Adjust your shelves.

With any new and modern appliance, you will find that you have adjustable shelves. Take this time to figure out how you’d like the structure in your fridge to flow. You may want to lower a shelf to make room for drinks. Also, make sure your shelves are in place. Sometimes they can get off track or stuck.

How to Organize Your Fridge by Foods

Consider each group of food and use these tips below to get started on your fridge organization project.

Grab and Go Foods

You know those last minute leftovers you grabbed before you came home from work? When you can’t eat anymore and decide to stow them in fridge, make sure you place them on the top, upper shelf. Ready to eat foods are takeouts, salads, pizza, or anything that you’re ready and is ready to eat. This means no cooking necessary.

Dairy Products

Next is your dairy products. This is your milk, cheese, eggs, butter, and other dairy items. Place these items on the middle shelf. At this level, the temperature is typically the coldest and most consistent.

Meats and Proteins

The lower shelves are made for your meaty, heart healthy raw proteins. This is your your fish, poultry, and raw meats like steak. Placing your meats and proteins on the lower shelf is the safer and healthier option. It helps prevent and reduce the risk cross contamination that can happen due to meat juice dripping on other foods.

Condiments and Drinks

Now, let’s move over to you side doors where you’ll be storing your condiments such as ketchup and mustard, and your drinks. The side doors are more of the warmer areas of the fridge. That said, this is the perfect place to store items that can sustain fluctuation in temperatures.

Fresh Fruit and Veggies

The main goal when it comes to fruit and vegetables is to keep them fresh. In the crisper drawers, found at the very bottom of the fridge, is where you’ll store your favorite fruits and vegetables. From strawberries, oranges, and apples, to green peppers, lettuce, and celery, use the crispers to easily access your healthy snacks.

The drawers typically come in twos. On one side, there will be low humidity; this is ideal for your fruits. On the other hand, the higher humidity is great for those colorful veggies.