Fridge Organization While In Quarantine
I’ve always been pretty good about keeping my fridge nice and organized. Unlike my bathroom vanity or closet, which definitely get a little out of hand sometimes, my fridge gets a thorough clean-out once every two weeks. I’m much more compelled to stay on top of cleaning/organizing my fridge with there being this tangible benefit. The cleaner and more organized I keep my fridge, the less food I’ll waste! It’s that simple! Now that we’re quarantining and avoiding food shopping as much as possible, I’ve become even more focused on making my grocery hauls last. Keep reading for all my tips and tricks on fridge organization while in quarantine!
Today’s blog post is in partnership with County TV & Appliance in Stamford, CT. County TV & Appliance is a family-run business that provides great customer service and amazing prices! I bought my washer & dryer from County and had such a great experience that I went back to them for my entire kitchen appliance package!
Do you ever see those fridges on Instagram or Pinterest and think, well mine will never look that good? I feel you! Stressing about how aesthetically pleasing the inside of your fridge looks is ridiculous! Apart from the cans of sparking water (which give the pictures a fun pop of pink) this is what my fridge looks like more or less on a day to day basis. Now let me show you how easy it is for yours to look the same!
Tip 1: Wash Your Produce
I’ll admit that prior to the Corona Virus outbreak I didn’t do a great job washing my produce. I’d usually just rinse it under some warm water before eating. Yuck! Now when I get home from buying food, especially fresh produce, I put it all directly into large bowls filled with this fruit & veggie wash. I’m no expert here, but I think this stuff is basically like hand soap, but for your produce. I let my produce soak for a couple of minutes before I wash it under running water and drain it using a colander.
By washing your produce you’re forced to spend a bit more time with it. Take a minute and evaluate how fresh it is. Make a mental note so you know whether it needs to be eaten this week or if it can last a little longer.
Tip 2: Repackage When
You Get Home
As for “repackaging” my produce, I only save the store-provided packaging if I can clean it thoroughly (ex. blueberry containers and mushroom containers). I toss/recycle packaging like the bags grapes come in, larger containers, and plastic wrap. By repacking your produce in larger containers you don’t have so many pieces piled on top of each other, which will cause less bruising! You’ll also see any moldy pieces or pieces that are just about to go bad and be able to discard those to avoid spoiling among the rest. I use a variety of clear plastic drawer organizers and ceramic serving dishes (as you can see in the pictures). It’s what I have on hand! If you’re in the market for some organizational bins for your fridge, I’ll link those here!
Tip 3: Make Your Fridge
Work For You
When was the last time you switched up the layout of your fridge? If the answer is never, then now is the perfect time to do so! Just because your fridge comes with a certain number of shelves, doesn’t mean you need to use them all! Move them around, take some out, rearrange the heights to see what works best for you. Remember, the shelves on the doors probably are movable too!
Additionally, you might want to reconsider where you place your food. Example: you’re supposed to keep your milk towards the back of your fridge and not on the doors. Consider putting produce that will spoil sooner right at eye-level and in an easy-to-reach spot that way you won’t forget about it!
Tip 4: Clean Consistently!
This will vary among each household, but as for my fridge cleaning schedule, it happens approximately every 1-2 weeks. I definitely don’t suggest going more than 2 weeks though as things will probably get a bit out of hand at that point. Cleaning my fridge out at the end of each week or the end of every other week allows for a few things:
-Avoiding the inevitable pile up of uneaten left-overs (admit it, we all struggle with this!)
-Clearing out expired items… from spoiled produce to that salad dressing from 2012, these items don’t serve you by being in your fridge, so get rid of them!
-Making room for what DOES serve you. Especially now that I’m keeping my fridge a bit more stocked than usual, can’t waste an inch of it! Additionally, now is the time to remove any items that don’t need to be refrigerated. Example: store your bottled water in your garage or basement to keep it cooler rather than taking up space in your fridge.
Alrighty, those are all my tips for fridge organization while in quarantine! Let me know if you have any other helpful tips that I didn’t touch upon here. Sharing is caring and now especially more than ever that is true! If you’re local and in search of new appliances, I highly recommend County TV & Appliance in Stamford. If you want to learn more about my kitchen appliances from them, check out this blog post here!
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keywords: fridge organization // quarantine // groceries // produce // appliances // county TV & Appliance // local business
