How to Organize a Refrigerator Easily and Quickly

All you need to know on how to organize a refrigerator to make meals quick and easy! Learn these simple steps, what tools to use and how to keep things organized for less stress at home.

One thing that makes a dramatic difference in my stress level is when I have my kitchen organized. When I know where things are, and have quick and easy access, life just goes so much smoother!

This post was sponsored by Rubbermaid but the content and opinions expressed are fully my own.

Prepping your veggies to have them ready to use is definitely a big part of making meal time easier, but if you don't have it all organized before hand things can quickly get stressful!

An organized fridge is not only great for your mental health, but it can also help with food waste. If you know where everything is, and if it is easily accessible, you're more likely to use everything before it goes bad.

Once you take the time to deep clean and organize your refrigerator the first time, it will be easy to maintain. And with the right containers to keep these organized and looking good, like the limited edition EasyFindLids™ Designer Series, you will fall in love with your fridge all over again!

So roll up those sleeves, get to work, and enjoy your perfectly clean and organized fridge!

Clean the Refrigerator

Before you organize your fridge you should do a good deep clean.

1. Remove everything from the refrigerator. Use an ice chest or buckets with ice to keep the perishables cold.
2. Clean out any debris such as bits of old produce that may have fallen in the bottom of the crisper drawers.
3. Use your favorite disinfecting cleaner to wipe down all of the surfaces.
4. As you return the food to the refrigerator throw away any expired food and condiments. Additionally, if you have something that is expiring soon that you know you won't use in time, do yourself a favor and toss it now!
5. Lining the shelves and drawers will make it easier for future clean ups. If you don't line everything, do yourself a favor and at least place a few paper towels at the bottom of the fruit and veggie crisper to catch all the little bits that fall off.
6. Deodorize the refrigerator by placing balking soda somewhere out of the way. You can either use the boxes that are designed for this, or put it in a small open dish.

How to Organize your Fridge

Before you start to put everything back in the refrigerator, take the time to sort through it all. After throwing away any old food, it's time to prepare the remaining items and your fridge.

Organization Tips

These space saving fridge organization tips will help you make the most of the space:

• Use stackable storage containers to store fresh food and leftovers.
• Use stackable storage containers like EasyFindLids to prevent losing lids.
• Remove any excess packaging, think boxed items, bulky labels, etc.
• Organize the food into categories like snacks, drinks, deli items, prepackaged foods, etc.
• Some people like to use clear bins for each category to keep everything in its place.
• If you really struggle to fit everything in, use hanging baskets that stick to the walls for small items.
• Place bottled or jarred items on a lazy susan for easy access.
• Keep a running list of your food inventory with expiration dates.

Best Refrigerator Storage Containers

Using fridge organizers is an excellent way to maintain all of your cleaning efforts.

Rubbermaid has so many great options for storing and organizing your food. I love their FreshWorks® containers for storing fresh and unwashed produce, they really do help keep it fresher longer!

The EasyFindLids™ Designer Series is a must have. I fell in love with these beautiful limited-edition Skylight Blue lids designed by Chris Loves Julia.

They add a modern gorgeous look to your everyday food storage which is super fun. Even if you don't get the blue for that contemporary style, here's why I love the EasyFindLids™ system.

1. The lids snap not only to one another, but to the bases as well for easy organization.
2. They feature nesting bases which saves room in your cabinets.
3. One lid fits multiple bases!
4. Use durable storage containers to store ingredients for prepping meals ahead of time and then double use them as serving dishes.
5. All of the bases are microwave-safe without the lid which is great for meal prep or leftovers. They also have vented lids that can be microwaved safely!
6. Tight seals for no spilling!
7. Once filled and in the refrigerator, they stack nicely saving tons of space and keeping things organized.

Fridge Storage Tips

When deciding how to reload the refrigerator there are a few factors to consider. One of the most important to note is that the temperature varies in different sections. The best way to organize a fridge takes this into consideration. You ideally want to keep the most perishable food in the coldest locations.

It is also important to keep the right amount of food in the fridge. If a refrigerator is too empty it will have to work harder to keep the temperature cold, which results in more energy usage.

If it it is too full you will likely deal with food falling out when you're trying to reach something, or simply forgetting what's buried in the back. Not only that, but an overfilled refrigerator can block vents and air flow which is not good for proper chilling. Try to keep your fridge about ⅔ full for ideal results.

Top Shelf

The very top shelf is generally warmer than other parts. Use this area for foods you eat often or that won't be stored for very long.

This is a good place to keep leftovers so they are not forgotten. Use the shallow Rubbermaid EasyFindLids™ containers so they will fit better.

You can also keep drinks, yogurts, and other grab and go snacks up here.

Middle Shelves

The middle of your refrigerator is one of the coldest areas. Keep perishables here, and make sure they are front and center so they are not forgotten.

This is generally also the tallest area which is ideal for taller items like juice or milk. Stack your larger containers here as well.

Lower Shelf

This is the coldest section of the refrigerator. Use this space for your most perishable food.

It's also a great area to keep items that might leak or spill. If they do, at least they are not leaking on any other food.

Drawers

The fruit and vegetable crisper drawers aren't just for organization, they are actually designed to control temperature and humidity to keep everything as fresh as possible.

Vegetables do best with higher humidity so make sure to select the correct drawer. Additionally, strawberries do best in the vegetable drawer.

Fruits will stay fresher with less humidity. Plus, keeping them in their own drawer will ensure the ethylene they emit won't spoil other food.

Door

Another one of the warmest sections is the door. This is the best place to store the more stable foods.

Condiments are ideal for this area. In addition to being less likely to spoil, they generally fit nicely into the narrow shelves.

More Helpful Guides

Now that you know how to organize a fridge, get the rest of your food habits in line!

• Easy Vegan Meal Prep Ideas
• Weekly Vegan Meal Plan with Shopping List
• How to Store Produce
• How to Eat More Veggies
• Eating Healthy Meals on the Go