• About
  • Contact
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Collaborate
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafting
  • Seasonal
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Media and Press
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Organized-ish

Organized-ish

Progress > Perfection

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafting
  • Seasonal

How To Completely Clean And Organize Your Refrigerator

September 13, 2023 · In: Maintenance, Organize

Here’s how to realistically clean and organize your refrigerator without buying a ton of containers or arranging your produce in rainbow order.

It seems like common sense that the place where our food goes should be as spotless as the food itself, but the sheer amount of clutter in refrigerators means that your appetite for a cleaning binge goes away as fast as a chocolate bar on an exhausting Friday afternoon.

Let’s be real, though. This task is as important as making grocery lists and keeping your family happy and healthy, but it doesn’t have to take all weekend anymore.

If you’re having trouble visualizing this for your home, here’s a Youtube video of the entire process in my own fridge. First we’ll clean it up, then I’ll show you how to how to organize all your food and drinks so nothing gets lost in the back to grow mold for a month.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on Pinterest Share on Pinterest
  • Share via Email Share via Email

Watch The Tutorial

I’m adding tutorials like this one weekly to my Youtube Channel so be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications there so you don’t miss a thing.

How To Clean Your Refrigerator Step-By-Step

  1. Empty the fridge completely (best to do this before grocery day)
  2. Wipe or wash shelves
  3. Wipe or wash drawers
  4. Wash storage containers
  5. Wipe down interior walls of the fridge
  6. Change water filter if needed
  7. Check food and condiment expiration dates as you refill the refrigerator
My exact refrigerator

7 Best Tips For Organizing Your Refrigerator

  1. Reconfigure shelves so the items you frequently buy fit better. (don’t be afraid to take one out or order another)
  2. Use acrylic or glass containers to categorize items as needed, but don’t use too many. Every food item does not need to be in a container.
  3. Keep drinks on the top shelf; it’s the coldest area.
  4. Add under-shelf bins to use wasted vertical space.
  5. Store raw meat in a shallow container or dish just in case it leaks.
  6. Leave a little space for leftovers, especially right after a grocery restock.
  7. Don’t feel obligated to organize your fridge the same way every week. The items we buy change often so your organization will always vary.
White Baskets | Butter Keeper

Should You Use Containers To Organize Your Fridge?

This is a question I get asked often, and the answer is both yes and no. A few containers are very helpful and allow you to divide and categorize your food and drinks. Containers also help contain spills and messes. But too many containers block airflow, waste storage space, and make it harder to fit large items on shelves.

Expandable Dividers

Opt for a few containers to help separate produce and deli drawers, and a couple on shelves as needed, but let the rest of the fridge breathe. You can also add some hanging bins to maximize the space under shelves without blocking too much airflow.

Similar Produce Bins | Hanging Egg Tray | Fridge Bin Set

And don’t feel like you have to use the containers all the time. I have three produce bins I use sometimes when we have the need for them, but I don’t have them in the fridge all the time. If they aren’t needed, I take them out and store them in the pantry. I don’t try to force myself to use a bin that isn’t helpful.

organized refrigerator tips
Labels made with Cricut machine

How Often Should You Clean A Refrigerator?

There isn’t a “right” timeframe for cleaning your fridge, but it should definitely be done at least once a month. Even if that’s just wiping down the shelves and drawers the day before grocery shopping day. If you want to clean it weekly, that’s great. But once month should be as long as you stretch it to avoid bacteria buildup and near-impossible sticky spots to clean.

organized produce drawer in fridge
Fridge Bin Set

It’s also a good idea to go through the food and rearrange what’s inside weekly. This helps you remember the items that accidentally got pushed tot he back to help prevent them from going bad.

Nothing is worse than having to throw away food, so set aside five minutes just to do a quick run-through of your fridge. I like to do this the day before trash-pickup day just in case I do find something that went bad.

refrigerator deodorizer
Deodorizer
Can Tray | Yogurt Holder

The Refrigerator Love Doesn’t End There

Maybe the reason why you’ve neglected this task for so long is the same reason why you hate forgetting to put on deodorant. If your refrigerator makes you go “Oof!” instead of “Mmm!”, here’s how to freshen it.

The refrigerator is just one part of the entire kitchen, so why not  regain control or make it more functional?

Are your grocery trips just as frenetic as your fridge? If you’re getting lost in the store or forgetting half the things on your list, check out The Busy Person’s Guide to Grocery Shopping.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on Pinterest Share on Pinterest
  • Share via Email Share via Email

By: Lela Burris · In: Maintenance, Organize · Tagged: kitchen, refrigerator

more posts you'll love

10 Ideas To Upgrade Your Pantry Without Renovating
custom pantry designed and organized by Lela BurrisThe Exact Plans For Our Allergen-Safe Pantry Build
clean dishwasher fast and easyHow To Clean Your Dishwasher

Get Blog Posts In Your Inbox

Every Saturday morning I send out a weekly recap of all the new blog posts. Want in?

Reader Interactions

Leave A CommentCancel reply

Next Post >

6 Tips For Organizing Your Car

Primary Sidebar

Meet Lela Burris

Meet Lela Burris
hey-o!

My name is Lela, (say it like LEE-luh) and I'm so glad you stopped by my blog! Whether you're into organizing, home improvement, crafts, or you just think my pets are cute, you'll find all kinds of inspo here.

Tell Me More!

Connect

Get VIP Emails

Search

Shop My Planners

printable planners for home organization

Hang With Me

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Follow Along

@lelaburris

The calendar says it’s fall now…I’m impatien The calendar says it’s fall now…I’m impatiently waiting to start wearing these sweaters again! What’s your favorite thing to wear in the fall?
#closetorganization #closetgoals #closetorganizer #homeorganization
If you cussed at your bathroom cabinet, drawers, o If you cussed at your bathroom cabinet, drawers, or countertop sometime in the last week, here’s your sign to do a quick declutter session. 😁
All you need is ten minutes. Don’t organize, don’t clean, don’t rearrange. Just take out the things you no longer want or need, along with anything that shouldn’t be there.
You’ll be shocked at how much stuff you pull out in ten minutes. 🤯
#organizedishpurgeathon #declutter #decluttering #organizing #bathroomorganization
How often do you swap out your @erincondren planne How often do you swap out your @erincondren planner covers? If you have a bunch stashed away, you can store them on an old coil.
I use coils from used-up notebooks to organize my interchangeable covers by season, category, and size, and I even have a whole coil just for Star Wars covers. 😁
#ecsquad #thegreateccoverchange #erincondrenlifeplanner #craftroomorganization
You don’t need an entire weekend to make progres You don’t need an entire weekend to make progress downsizing your stuff. When you set a 10 minute timer and race against the clock to find as many things to purge as you can, you’ll be shocked at the amount of items you have to get rid of.  #organizedishpurgeathon
#declutter #declutterchallenge #declutteryourlife #organizingtips #organization

Footer

Browse By Category

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafting
  • Seasonal

Get Organized-ish

  • Courses
  • Printable Planners
  • Shop My House
  • Amazon Faves

Blog Info

  • Contact
  • Media and Press
  • Disclosures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Organized-ish LLC © 2023 · Theme by 17th Avenue