Refrigerator Organization Hacks To Keep Food Fresher Longer

Maximize the longevity of your food with these refrigerator organization hacks. Learn how to keep your fridge organized & efficient.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.

Organizational Hacks For Your Refrigerator Shelves

The top shelf and the refrigerator door are the warmest zones. This is the best place for foods that have already been cooked or don't need cooking. Cooked meats, dinner leftovers, and prepackaged snacks are best kept on the top shelf.

The middle shelf is best for dairy products like eggs, yogurt, butter, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, etc. The middle shelves are also the best place to store your fruits and veggies so they won’t be easily missed.

Meats and milk should go on the lowest shelf. It might be tempting to store your milk in the door, but milk tends to spoil quickly and should be stored on lower shelves with constant cooler temperatures. Placing meats and fish on the bottom shelves will also prevent any juices that have collected from dripping onto and contaminating other foods in your refrigerator.

Start With A Clean Slate

Before you begin reorganizing your refrigerator take some time to go through everything that you already have in your fridge. Toss any old or expired food, take inventory of any duplicate items, toss anything you know you won’t use, and categorize food items into groups. While everything is out of the fridge, take the opportunity to give the shelves and drawers a quick wipe down with a non-toxic, food-safe all-purpose cleaner. 

Refrigerator Organization Tips and Tricks

Remove Excess Packaging

Removing excess packaging will allow you to easily see the whole contents of your fridge at a glance without excess clutter getting in the way. Removing store packaging will also allow you to store items in a way best suited to your refrigerator so you can maximize the space you have while also being able to identify if you have any duplicates of items that can be tossed.

• Remove cups of yogurt from the cardboard box

• Separate cans from plastic rings

• Remove fruit from plastic cartons

• Take cucumbers or peppers out of plastic wrapping

Invest In Clear Refrigerator Organization Containers

Clear containers allow you to see how much of a specific food item remains, so you know when you’re getting low and need to add a certain item to your shopping list. You can also easily see when foods are starting to go bad so you can promptly remove them.

Clear glass containers are recommended. Plastic degrades over time, releasing BPA and other chemicals into your pure, carefully prepared food.

If you’re on a budget, hold on to those glass peanut butter, jelly, mayonnaise, pickles, and olive jars. Saving glass jars and removing labels from previously used food items is a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to store your food.

Adjust The Shelves and Drawers to Fit Your Needs

Take advantage of the fact that most refrigerators come with adjustable shelves. This will allow you to organize the refrigerator in a way that works for you and what you eat.

Rearranging the shelves so that you have the most height in the center will allow you space to store more fruits and veggies at eye level so you can reach for them more consistently. Or if you tend to buy beverages that come in tall bottles, rearrange the shelves on the door to accommodate taller beverages with shorter condiments and the top of the door. 

Don’t Hide Your Perishables

We’ve all done it. Bought a package of salad greens or baby carrots, and stashed them in the crisper drawer just to promptly forget about them, until a few weeks later they become a rotten puddle of brown goo.

By placing your produce front and center you’ll be enticed to reach for these healthy food items more often and avoid wasting food unnecessarily.

Placing perishables into colanders, ceramic crates, and glass fruit bowls will allow you to easily identify when they start to mold and turn bad so you can quickly remove rotten items so they don’t cause the surrounding perishables to start to go bad.

Be sure to properly wash your produce before placing in your fridge.

Suggested Reading: How To Properly Clean Your Produce

Like this post? Share with friends on Pinterest!