Tips to keeping the fridge organized?

**Momto2Boyz** · 05-26-2008, 08:45 PM

I try to keep my fridge organized, but with 2 little men pawing around in their daily looking for snacks, I have a hard time.

I just found a full unopened package of balogna (waaaaay past its expiration date) in the back of one of the drawers that had been buried by new stuff, which is what prompted this request for tips!

How do you keep your fridge organized to make sure you use everything up in a timely manner?????

**perSue** · 05-26-2008, 08:54 PM

well, honestly, i clean the fridge - ie, soap & water - about every few months.
with guys they dont "see" spills/messes.

produce goes on the bottom (so it doesnt get a chance to freeze- if too close to the top). everything else goes wherever there's room.

and since it's my job to come up with dinner ideas and cook it, i always take a good gander in the fridge to see what i need to use up.

it's just a habit w/me now.

but that's what I always try to do.

**Iansmommy** · 05-26-2008, 09:11 PM

My fridge gets cleaned out when I bring home groceries. I go through and find anything that is old. Hopefully there isn't too much that will need to be discarded. I organize as I am putting away groceries.

**Ceashels** · 05-27-2008, 11:29 AM

I have plastic trays that I keep small items in that I can pull out to see what is there. This means only the rare item gets pushed to the back and stays there in the void to rot. So there is a try with condiments that don't fit in the door, a tray of dairy products (sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese). It has really helped keep things organized for me as well as cleaner.

**baxjul** · 05-27-2008, 11:32 AM

I clean mine out twice a week on the garbage days. Anything not used or getting old gets tossed on those days.

**Lady_V** · 05-27-2008, 11:39 AM

When I had a full sized fridge, I had a dedicated draw for DD (bottom left) that had her snacks and foods specifically for her... Old Man has his too (bottom right)

The rest of the fridge was Momma's! The condiments were on the doors, dairy on the left, everything else on the right...

Oh how I miss my old fridge... but I don't miss cleaning it

**zakity** · 05-27-2008, 01:11 PM

They have a lower shelf. Lunchmeat goes in a bowl if it is opened (easier to not get pushed in the back).

My boys are older and I put a white board on the fridge with a list of what is available to eat. Maybe you could do that only with pictures and words (and it would help with reading).

**Cbusmom2g** · 05-27-2008, 02:17 PM

I saw this tip in a magazine and plan on doing it next year for lunches for my 5 year old. Make magnets with pictures of what your children can eat for snacks or lunch. The one I saw, broke down main course, dessert, drink and side - Main course was a pb and j sandwich, turkey sandwich, cottage cheese or yogurt, or cheese sandwich. Side was cheese stick, carrots, apple slices, chips, granola bar , etc...and the child picked two. Drink was juice box or milk, and finally dessert was cookies, brownies, cupcake, whatever. If you have the item the magnet goes on the fridge and also if they are eating to much of one item then you can just remove that option. I have a picky eater and she can eat me out of one thing without a second thought. Hopefully this will allow her to feel more involved and I won'tbe left with a ton of stuff she deems not so fit any more.

Sorry that it is kind of off topic.

**Cymbaline** · 05-28-2008, 01:28 PM

Once a week, usually on Friday we make it a point to eat any left overs. During the week we try and go through and cook with any fresh ingredients we have on hand. At the end of the week if it's not used it's frozen if possible or we have a smorgesborge type of dinner. We have come up with some weird stuff in the past but it works.

**lwlynch** · 05-28-2008, 01:37 PM

I prepack alot of the kids stuff. I even go as far as single serving homemade pudding, fruit jello,and sometimes, I have a sectional freezer meal plate that I will put a full leftover meal and leave in fridge. I also have one shelf with little bins in it. One for cheese sticks, apples, yogurt. I find it much less mess and waste if I take control of it. All snacks are on the one item rule. No two of one thing.. Makes them have more variety.
Also found a cool cup you can put veggies in and fill a smaller cup with ranch. then it sits inside the whole thing. I keep a few of those in there too.. crazy I know..

**lwlynch** · 05-28-2008, 01:38 PM

I prepack alot of the kids stuff. I even go as far as single serving homemade pudding, fruit jello,and sometimes, I have a sectional freezer meal plate that I will put a full leftover meal and leave in fridge. I also have one shelf with little bins in it. One for cheese sticks, apples, yogurt. I find it much less mess and waste if I take control of it. All snacks are on the one item rule. No two of one thing.. Makes them have more variety.
Also found a cool cup you can put veggies in and fill a smaller cup with ranch. then it sits inside the whole thing. I keep a few of those in there too.. crazy I know..

**lwlynch** · 05-28-2008, 01:38 PM

I prepack alot of the kids stuff. I even go as far as single serving homemade pudding, fruit jello,and sometimes, I have a sectional freezer meal plate that I will put a full leftover meal and leave in fridge. I also have one shelf with little bins in it. One for cheese sticks, apples, yogurt. I find it much less mess and waste if I take control of it. All snacks are on the one item rule. No two of one thing.. Makes them have more variety.
Also found a cool cup you can put veggies in and fill a smaller cup with ranch. then it sits inside the whole thing. I keep a few of those in there too.. crazy I know..

**maryannsms** · 09-03-2009, 02:50 PM

I clean my fridge every 15 days after having a grocery. Take everything out of the fridge and never leave anything in there. I also prepare a sturdy trash bag for use, throw out all leftovers that are more than two days old. Just for the sake of getting things organized, if I can't remember when I put it in there, I just get rid of it.

I then take out any shelves or drawers that you are able and give the entire refrigerator a thorough cleaning. And before returning any items, I make it sure that the surfaces are dry.

I Put things back into the refrigerator in like groups. Stack plastic containers. Use a plastic container to store small things such as seasoning packets and sauces. I use the doors for bottles and jugs. I make the most of what I have by using the organizers that came with my refrigerator.

**Gotonenerveleft** · 09-04-2009, 10:35 AM

I'm not sure this would work for the fridge but I recently bought plastic dishtubs for my freezer. I was always losing items to freezer burn because they were always hidden behind under all the stuff. I pulled everything out and cleaned then I put like items in the tubs(meat in red ones and veggies in white ones)and put them back on the shelves....they fit perfectly. It's also helped me when I've done the meal planning. With all the meat in one area, I now know just what I have and what I need to get. And it saves me from buying an item I already had but just couldn't see.

So...it might work for you if you found some container shallow enough to fit the shelves. You could put all dairy together...deli stuff....fruit....etc.
HTH

**shoiji** · 09-04-2009, 02:08 PM

I keep vegetables in on drawer and fruit in another drawer. I try to buy just enough for one week. This seems to keep the refrigerator part pretty sparse looking. I try to use up any leftovers the next day. It is very seldom that I throw out anything. How about dedicating a night to leftover night. This may help to use up what is sitting around in your fridge.