27 Brilliant Hacks To Keep Your Fridge Clean And Organized

1. Keep things in place with baskets.

The best part about baskets is how easy they slide out.

2. LABEL the baskets.

Here are some printables.

3. Label the doors.

Like here. But keep that milk out of the door!

4. Line your shelves with easy-to-clean mats.

You can even make them from plastic placemats, like here.

5. Hate cleaning?

Cover your shelves with plastic wrap or cling film, like here. When spills happen, just peel it off and toss it.

6. Keep your milk and other dairy out of the door.

Lauren Conrad says that the temperature fluctuates too much in the door, which may make your milk go bad faster.

7. Mason jars are the longest-lasting way to keep salads.

They’ll stay fresh for 1-2 weeks.

8. Keep raw meat and seafood on the bottom shelf to prevent unwanted drips.

More tips from here.

9. You totally need this bacon saver.

Keep those gross juices from leaking out all over your fridge. Also works great for cold cuts from the deli that are a total pain to rewrap.

10. Turn fridge cleaning into a game for the kids.

One mom enlisted her kids and whoever found the most expired items or produce got a popsicle.

11. Keep a spreadsheet if you want to get OCD about it.

Try using this Personal Perishable Food Item Management Spreadsheet.

12. Or use a dry erase marker on your fridge door.

This is also a great way to label what leftovers are in your fridge or freezer.

13. Never forget something in the back of the fridge again.

Lazy susans or turntables can make your salad dressing easy to find.

Here’s a clever lazy susan option for leftovers.

14. Wine problems?

Your bottles won’t roll around anymore with the help of these.

15. Use a binder clip for beer.

For those days when you don’t finish the entire six pack, which apparently happens to some people. From here.

16. Bins work in the freezer just as well as in the fridge.

From here.

17. Use magazine holders as freezer shelves.

18. Know what doesn’t have to be chilled: potatoes, tomatoes, and onions.

Save some precious real estate with these tips.

19. Color code.

Loving this idea for a red box that holds things that may expire soon.

20. You could even label a box as “EAT ME FIRST!”

21. Upcycle Crystal Light containers to hold cut-up vegetables.

Instant crudité at a moment’s notice.

22. To avoid buying things you already have, take a photo of your fridge before you go grocery shopping.

23. Use six-pack containers to organize the door shelves.

24. Keep a container of activated carbon (from any pet store) to absorb the odors.

Have an issue with fridge odor? Activated carbon works better than baking soda to deodorize and keep your fridge smelling fresh.

25. Keep a roll of masking tape and a sharpie near the fridge so you can label containers with their open date.

Now you know when it’s time to throw out that half-used jar of salsa or can of beans.

26. Get an egg holder.

It’ll protect your delicate eggs and you’ll even be able to stack things on top, if you’re hurting for space. Get it here.

27. If you live with roommates, employ the cardinal rule of communal food: never eat the first or last of anything that isn’t yours.

This will work to keep your fridge clean of passive-aggressive notes like this one.