• Home
  • About Me
  • Holidays
    • April Fools
    • Birthdays
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentines Day
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Winter
  • Get Organized
    • The Household Organization Diet
    • Cleaning
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Design and Decor
    • Recipes
    • Fun for Kids
  • Home Tour
  • Shop My Favorites
  • Contact Me

Clean and Scentsible

How to Organize the Fridge and Freezer {The Household Organization Diet}

648 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Hey guys! I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to continue on with The HouseholdOrganization Diet.  I’m not losing anyone, am I?  You can do it!!!

Great tips for cleaning and organizing the fridge and freezer!
Today we will be working on how to organize the fridge and freezer.  The main idea when re-organizing your fridge is to maximize your space in order to make your food more accessible and minimize food waste.  I did some major fridge re-organization about two years ago but have made a few changes.  Here is my new and improved fridge!

Lots of tips on how to organize your fridge and freezer!  // via Clean and Scentsible #kitchenorganization
Cleaning Supplies:
  • microfiber cloth
  • Norwex window cloth
  • Bowl of warm water with some dish soap added
To clean out the fridge, I usually just do a couple of shelves at a time so that the food is not out for too long and I don’t have to leave the fridge door open for too long.  Remove food in the section that you are working on.  Remove the shelves and bins and wash in the sink if able.  Wipe the remaining parts on the fridge with your microfiber cloth and warm dish soap water.  Dry with the window cloth.  When you are replacing your food, keep like items together as much as possible.  Make sure you are checking expiry labels and looking for food that may have gone back before replacing it in the fridge.

I love using bins to help organize things.  Bins that run the full depth of the fridge work much better for me than smaller bins as you can pull everything out without having to remove any other items.  It also prevents little items from getting stuck in the back of the fridge and forgotten!  The white bin on the second shelf stores up to two loafs of bread {or a loaf of bread and bagels or buns} as well as tortillas.  No more partially used bread bags stuck in the back of the fridge!

Lots of tips and tricks to organize your fridge and freezer!  // via Clean and Scentsible  #kitchenorganization
The clean bins on the top shelf are from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  They were not cheap but I just picked up one at a time and they always seem to have 20% off coupons.  I love the egg holder as there is a solid top so you can always place items on top if the fridge is really full.  The other thing that I love about it is that it holds 16 eggs so if you have a few left over and then buy another dozen they still all fit.

Lots of tips and tricks to help you organize your fridge and freezer! // via Clean and Scentsible #kitchenorganization
The yogurt bin on the bottom is also from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  Since my husband is a vegetarian, our protein drawer holds mostly veggie ground “meat”, tofu, and other meat alternatives.  The kids and I do eat a lot of chicken but it is usually frozen.  Raw meat is best stored on the lower shelf to prevent any drips on food below.

Lots of tips and tricks to organize your fridge and freezer! // via Clean and Scentsible #kitchenorganization
We store all of our leftovers on the second shelf in these Ikea storage bins.  They have removable dividers to separate food if need be and we can fit four of them in {plus there is still room in front of them}  I also like having the leftovers stored in clear containers so I can see what is in them.  For extra fruits and veggies that do not fit in the crispers, I have an extra crisper unit that fits in this shelf as well{purchased from WalMart}

Lots of tips and tricks to help organize your fridge and freezer!
I like to take my fruit and veggies out of their bags and containers when possible.  I also like the idea of storing lettuce and other cut up vegetables in mason jars like this post from Salad in a Jar.

Lots of tips and tricks to help organize your fridge and freezer! // via Clean and Scentsible
{source}

It would make it so much easier to take salads for lunches as well!

I know that there are MANY opinions on how to store and preserve shelf life for fruits and vegetables and I won’t really get in to that as it is not my area of expertise.  I usually do two produce runs to the grocery store per week {one big shop and one quickie shop} so I do not have to worry too much about it lasting for long periods of time.

  I try to wash the fruit before putting it away in the fridge after grocery shopping .  I use the Norwex Fruit and Veggie wash and also just found this DIY natural fruit and veggie wash that I want to try.  {**Note: Washing fruits can decrease their shelf life; however, for our family, I find that it is more likely to be eaten if it is washed and ready to go and the fruit wash does help with extending shelf life**}

Lots of tips and tricks to help you organize your fridge and freezer! // via Clean and Scentsible #kitchenorganization
I have a basket in the fruit section and also have a couple of berry and grape containers that fit in there as well.  A lot of the fruit can be stored in a fruit bowl outside of the fridge so there is often room in here for extra veggies.

I have a couple of bins in the veggie drawer as well to hold cut up veggies and another one for onions.  Again, cut vegetables will tend to spoil a little quicker but it makes them so much easier to grab and eat that it is worth it for us.

Lots of tips and tricks to help organize your fridge and freezer! // via Clean and Scentsible #kitchenorganization
I store my milk in the door as well as many of the condiments.  I have read that it is best to store the milk in the fridge rather than on the door so it is in a colder section of the fridge but it fits so much better in the door and I have never had a problem with it not being cold.  Maybe this is more of an issue in warmer climates or maybe it is because we go through the milk so fast but, in any case, it works great for us.

Lots of tips and tricks to organize your fridge and freezer!
I also like having the lazy susan in the fridge – it really makes it so much easier to reach those items in the back.  Just give it a quick spin!

Lots of tips and tricks to organize your fridge and freezer! // via Clean and Scentsible #kitchenorganization
I used some vinyl and my Silhouette machine to create all of the labels for the bins…

Lots of tips and tricks to help you organize the fridge and freezer!
….and also have one on the outside of the fridge.

Lots of tips and tricks to help keep your fridge and freezer clean and organized!
To clean the stainless steel, I use the Norwex window cloth and a little bit of water.  It works better than any of the other cleaners that I have tried and is quick and easy to do.

Freezer
For our freezer we have two pull out bins {we also have a deep freeze but that is another post all in itself!}.  The bottom one is the biggest and holds most of the food.  I just added the blue stackable bins – one for frozen veggies…

Lots of tips and tricks to help keep your fridge and freezer organized!
…and one for frozen fruit.

Lots of tips and tricks to help keep you fridge and freezer organized!
These little packaging toppers are a favorite of mine – no more peas and corn all over the bottom of the freezer!

Lots of tips and tricks to help keep your fridge organized!
I received these as a gift but I have seen them at Safeway and Home Sense.
I also saw a DIY version on Pinterest.  Unfortunately it just leads to a photo link but if you happen to know where this is from, please let me know!  It seems fairly self-explanatory though.

Lots of tips and tricks to help organize your fridge and freezer!
{source}

The top pull out shelf mostly just holds the ice, frozen juices, and some ice cream treats.

Lots of tips and tricks to help keep your fridge and freezer organized!
Maintenance
As with all organization projects, the key is always in the maintenance!  I find that the best time to do fridge maintenance is right before I head to the grocery store.  Here are a few things to do before you go:
  • Do a quick clean up of expired or spoiled food.  This also gives you a good idea of what you need to buy at the store.
  • Give shelves and bins a quick wipe down when they are less full.
  • Look for foods that need to be used up in the next couple of days.  You can then plan meals that will use those foods so they don’t go to waste.
  • Try to grocery shop when you know that you will have time to put things away properly {yes, I know that this is not always possible!}
  • Store newer items towards the back so that the old items get used up first.
Lots of tips and tricks to organize your fridge and freezer! // via Clean and Scentsible #kitchenorganization
Hopefully that isn’t fridge overload!!  Any other fridge organizing tips that you have found helpful?  Let us know!

**This post is part of my Household Organization Diet series.  You can join in anytime – just start with these two posts here and here.  If you are looking for past projects, you can find them all on my Pinterest board.**

Happy Organizing!

Subscribe

« My Sunday Sparks {No. 73}
Whooooo Loves You? {Valentine Treat Boxes} »

Comments

  1. Mrs. Mama says

    January 14, 2013 at 2:50 pm

    I love the idea of storing lettuce in the mason jars. It would work very well for our family.

    Reply
  2. Laurie @ The Rookie Wife says

    January 14, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    like the idea of the labels:) might have to make some! I’ll be honest..I spot shop the grocery store once or even twice a week so we never have an excessive amount of food..so it’s easier to organize and keep clean. Also..side by side fridges are SO small! I’m not sure the containers would give more or less space.

    Reply
  3. Greekkisses says

    January 14, 2013 at 5:53 pm

    Well this came at the perfect time. Today is my fridge and freezer clean up day. Gave me some nice ideas. Thanks again for this wonderful Household Diet! It’s working perfectly.

    Reply
  4. slip4 says

    January 14, 2013 at 7:32 pm

    Great ideas! I am looking forward to seeing how you organize your deep freeze. Mine is always a disaster and I have to move piles of things to get to any item.

    Reply
    • Suzanne Lyon says

      November 1, 2020 at 9:29 am

      Did you find a deep freezer organization plan? If so can you post a source or plan and let me know if it really wooks? Thanks

      Reply
  5. Jodi S says

    January 14, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    I am so amazed- what a nice and neat fridge. Mine definitely has order to it already – but could never look like this based on the sole fact that our ENTIRE top shelf is drinks- milk, tea cooler, iced tea, OJ and water.. so impressive

    Reply
  6. thistlewoodfarm says

    January 14, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    What a detailed explanation of how to organize the refrigerator! Thanks so much for the post! I need to organize my refrigerator!

    blessings,
    karianne

    Reply
  7. Al@PolkaDotsandPaisley says

    January 15, 2013 at 12:59 am

    I love the lazy susan idea!

    Reply
  8. A Day in Candiland says

    January 15, 2013 at 2:36 am

    I guess I need to find some pull out bins. Everything hides in the back and I am also short and have to look under the glass shelves to find things. I have to wait till saturday to do this, but I am looking forward to trying out the lazy susan also.

    Reply
  9. Sheena says

    January 15, 2013 at 2:40 am

    I’m so glad I found this. My kitchen is starting to look awesome! So clean 🙂 What are we doing next?

    Reply
  10. Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon says

    January 15, 2013 at 7:17 pm

    oh my..that makes my poor fridge look like it needs an overhaul!! love this and the mason jar storage..clever!!!

    Reply
  11. Tracy Joyner says

    January 15, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    Wow..I’m totally in awe of your organizing skills! My fridge will never look like this 🙂

    TracyAnn from http://www.crochethappy.com and http://asktracyann.crochethappy.com

    Reply
  12. Tonia L says

    January 16, 2013 at 2:29 pm

    You have such great tips! I think that if I ever did get my fridge looking that nice, my family would mess it up in no time! Who knows though, maybe it would inspire them to keep it clean!

    Reply
  13. Mackenzie says

    January 16, 2013 at 7:09 pm

    Seriously GREAT ideas! My husband thanks you for the inspiration to clean my fridge! haha
    Mackenzie 🙂

    Reply
  14. Jaime Lyn says

    January 17, 2013 at 3:03 am

    It is SO smart to use the lazy susan! Who would have thought! I am drooling over your wonderfully organized fridge! You may have just inspired me!!!
    :o)
    Jaime

    Reply
  15. Julia Kendrick says

    January 18, 2013 at 12:30 am

    I am so in love with your organization! Thanks for the inspiration! I need to get a lazy susan now! Julia @ juliakendrick.com

    Reply
  16. daisy says

    January 22, 2013 at 12:58 pm

    Nicely done! It does make things so much easier when you can see and access everything.

    Reply
  17. Diana - FreeStyleMama says

    January 31, 2013 at 3:12 pm

    I’ve never thought to organize my fridge like this. Great ideas!!

    Reply
  18. Selene Galindo says

    January 31, 2013 at 4:56 pm

    Thank you for the tips! I am starting my fridge organization today!!
    Selene from restorationbeauty.com

    Reply
  19. Michael Maloney says

    September 24, 2013 at 9:16 am

    My fridge isn’t very wide – in fact, it’s not large enough for us, but our kitchen isn’t very big and we don’t fancy having a large appliance like that anywhere else. I’ve tried the separate storage compartments, but it didn’t work well for our unit. I like the idea of cutting the screw tops off plastic bottles to make re-sealable spouts for bagged foods. I would label the tops so I can spot the contents easily.

    Reply
  20. Karla Terrell says

    March 11, 2014 at 3:37 am

    I’ve looked at lots of images of frig. Organization over the last couple of days (spring cleaning) and yours is my fav!:) Love it!! Where did you get the white baskets??

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      March 31, 2014 at 6:29 pm

      Ah! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you! The clear bins were from Bed, Bath and Beyond and the white bins were just from the dollar store. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Linda Carr says

    May 16, 2014 at 4:58 pm

    I love so many of your ideas, the mason jars, the sliding trays, the storage bins and the turntable. I have a lot of these already, just never thought of using them in this manner. I also love that you find these things at affordable places where I already shop and not some expensive shops. The economy, the creativity, you’re the best. I love your blog.

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      May 17, 2014 at 2:53 am

      Thanks so much Linda! 🙂

      Reply
  22. beth McCurdy says

    August 23, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    What are the benefits of putting the apples in a separate bin rather than just placing in the drawer? I just found some great storage bins specifically made for the fridge from Costco. They’re great for those small items that are better off in a bin than stacked.

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      August 26, 2014 at 8:01 pm

      The bin actually takes up a bit more space but I found that they were getting bruised less and the kids were able to get to them easier when they were in the bin. Otherwise, the last few just seemed to roll to the back and other things were just stacked on top of them. Depending on space, I don’t always use it. 🙂

      Reply
  23. Veronica DeSena says

    January 9, 2015 at 4:57 am

    Great Tips for organizing. I line my frig draws with paper towels. This makes for easy clean ups of spills and such. I also use disinfecting wipes to do a quick or even deep clean of the frig. It deodorizers and disinfects as well as leaving the glass shelves and inside of frig sparkling clean.

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      January 10, 2015 at 6:34 am

      Great tips! Thanks!

      Reply
  24. Bonnie Dewkett says

    February 7, 2015 at 11:16 pm

    I love storing salad in mason jars! They seem to stay fresher for me and they also take up a smaller footprint. I love how you’ve used plastic bins and a turn table! Love! Do you find labels from a label maker don’t stay on in the cold fridge?

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      February 8, 2015 at 7:47 pm

      The vinyl that I used (the Silhouette brand) has stayed on with no issues and through many, many cleanings! 🙂

      Reply
  25. Daria says

    February 29, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    I use many of the same containers in my fridge. I love the idea of a bin for the leftovers! And the toppers for the frozen veggies are awesome! Thank you for such a thorough article!

    Reply
  26. Annie B says

    September 13, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    Hello, can you please tell me how I can get all the fridge storage you are showing on your top picture, the one that also shows the lazy Susan. I am at the end of my teather. I have tried so hard to keep my kitchen clean and organised, but with my family, even with plastic boxes, things seem to get missed and end up going off and before long it is back to square one. I like the way this picture has organised it, as you can see easily what food is where and I would like to get them all.

    Thankinig you for your time
    Kind regards
    Anne

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      September 17, 2016 at 7:16 pm

      Pretty much all of the acrylic containers can be found at Bath Bed and Beyond. If you have a Home Sense (or Home Goods in the States) around you, they often have them there as well and they are quite a bit cheaper. With kids especially, it does take a little maintenance to keep things organized, but if you keep working on training them and spend an extra minute or so per day quickly re-arranging anything that’s out of place, it gets a lot easier over time!

      Reply
  27. Beth says

    January 6, 2017 at 6:29 am

    I just did my fridge and I’m LOVING having labels in there. I haven’t tried that before although I am a label nut everywhere else! Thank you for a wonderfully inspiring site.

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      January 12, 2017 at 5:08 am

      Awesome!

      Reply
  28. Colleen Blakey says

    November 25, 2017 at 5:21 pm

    I love your ‘Lazy Susan’ idea for fridge storage, and I’m glad to see those clear trays in your fridge, I’ve been using them, because of so many bottles collecting in the shelves and having to pull out things to get to the back, now all I have to do is pull out the drawer and I can see everything 😀

    Thanks for sharing your ideas, they are great, I’m going to find a lazy susan now, so I can add it, to the fridge.
    BTW, I live in North Queensland, Australia, and we do have hot days, so our milk has to be stored on the shelf, not on the door, but we have a 2nd fridge, outside, for the bottles of milk, OJ, water, [& wine :D]

    Reply
    • Jenn Lifford says

      November 25, 2017 at 8:31 pm

      I’d love to have two fridges!! Gotta make room for that wine! lol!

      Reply
  29. M says

    September 14, 2016 at 10:51 pm

    I see one flaw in your refrigerator. Milk should NEVER be stored in the door, that is the warmest part of the refrigerator, it should be on the top shelf near the back of the space.

    Reply
  30. Jenn Lifford says

    September 17, 2016 at 7:11 pm

    I did actually talk about that in the post. I have heard that as well but I have been storing our milk in the door for over 20 years and have never any problems with it not being cold or spoiling. Maybe it would be more of an issue in a warmer climate but our temps our pretty mild and we’re pretty good at not keeping the door open for any long periods of time. For us, there is really no where else in the fridge that works for storage.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 12 Home Organizing Tips | JADERBOMBJADERBOMB says:
    October 13, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    […] Nice and Neat Fridge Via || Clean and Scentsible […]

    Reply
  2. 12 Home Organizing Tips | A1WebsitePro Project Management says:
    October 21, 2013 at 5:00 pm

    […] Nice and Neat Fridge Via || Clean and Scentsible […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Put Your House on a Diet

The Home Organization Diet. Put your home on a diet for a clutter-free, happy, and healthy home!

Meet Jenn

Hi there! I'm Jenn, mommy to two busy {and very cute!} boys and wife to a very tolerant hubby. I love all things crafty and creative and have created this blog to share my ideas and favorite finds. I hope you enjoy your visit! Read More…

Connect with me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Get all our latest posts directly to your inbox

Looking for Something?

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Latest from Instagram

[instagram-feed num=9 cols=9 showheader=false showbutton=false showfollow=false]

Copyright © 2023 · Clean and Scentsible LLC · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy

648 shares