It's Probably Time to Clean Out the Fridge

How long has it been since you’ve cleaned out your fridge?

Let’s start by saying you’re in a judgment-free zone here. I’ve seen the insides of lots of refrigerators and I can promise you one thing… yours is not likely the worst I’ve ever seen. The goal here is not to end up with something resembling what you see on Pinterest (although I absolutely LOVE Pinterest!), the goal is just to see what’s in your fridge.

I thought this post should start out with a little song to inspire you as we get started on today’s journey…. 

Okay, so maybe that would have been a better choice for the ‘let’s clean out the liquor cabinet’ post 🤷. But what I love most about this song is the fact that this guy started out with a list of all kinds of chores and, while he didn’t get to all of them, he’s celebrating the fact that he did manage to accomplish something. And I think we can all get behind celebrating the little things. And drinking beer… I can get behind that as well.

The idea of celebrating the little things is what usually inspires me to clean out my fridge in the first place. It’s a fairly quick process, doesn’t cost any money and also counts as cleaning, so it’s a win-win-win. Here’s what I love about a project like this:

1. It’s hidden behind a closed door, so there won’t be any judgment from passersby about the work I’ve done.

2. Unlike work-related projects, it doesn’t have to function for anyone but my family, so I can arrange things exactly how I want to.

3. I feel a little bit healthier with every expired item I toss, and it requires no cutting calories in the process.

4. Sometimes cleaning out the fridge means using up foods that are just about out of time on this earth… and sometimes those foods end up being delicious treats that I can consume, which goes against #3 above, but is still worth celebrating.

5. It’s a project everyone in the family notices (note that I didn’t say ‘appreciates’ because the noticing might come from not finding what they were looking for in the exact place it used to be). While I prefer when someone compliments my completion of a project, sometimes it’s enough for it just to be noticed.

6. A clean slate is almost always a good thing.

If you’re like me, you love a list. Here’s a breakdown of how I tackle my fridge cleanout:

1. As mentioned in my last post, before the crap can be put away, it first must all come out. I like to use the emptying process as an opportunity to check the dates on everything. I pull the garbage can over and pitch anything that’s past its expiration date. *Side note: if I throw away anything I use regularly, I take the time to add that item to my shopping list right away. I 100% do not rely on my memory when it comes to this kind of thing. 

2. Once the fridge is completely empty (don’t half-ass this one – empty it completely), I take the time to wipe down the shelves and drawers. It’s so rare that this gets done thoroughly because it’s so much work to do it. You’ve already done the hard part, so take advantage of the opportunity.

3. At this point, your kitchen is likely filled with all kinds of stuff you didn’t even know you had. Congratulations! It’s like you just went to the grocery store and didn’t even have to leave the house! Whatever you do, don’t jump right into putting everything away. You have the perfect opportunity to get a little closer to that Pinterest fridge we talked about earlier, so use it! I move everything around so that it’s sorted by need. Condiments, salad dressings, fruit, snacks, cheeses, meats. That’s not to say your sorting should be in these categories. Think of it in terms of what you use together. It doesn’t have to match the layout of the grocery store… it should be based on how you (and who you cohabitate with) use these items on a daily basis. For example, in our house, there are a few things we consistently pack in our son’s lunch: yogurt and fresh fruit. In most households, storing these things together may not make much sense, but for us, putting them in the same drawer means only having to reach into one space to get both things. Add up those 2 seconds I save every day over a year of lunch packing, and I’ve just taken back 4.8 minutes of my life… I’m nothing if not efficient.

4. Bonus project if you’re up for it. While everything is still out on the counter (and maybe the table and the floor and the chairs), I look for items we rarely use or that may be reaching their expiration date soon and come up with a plan to use them. Some of the recipes we try in our house call for a rare ingredient that we won’t likely use in many dishes. I make it a goal to use that item before the next fridge cleanout so that it doesn’t tragically turn into one of those things that ends up in the trash.

5. Finally, the finish line! It’s time to start putting everything away. With everything sorted, it’s a little easier to determine where things will best fit. Keep in mind a few additional tips:

a. If you have little ones that access certain items in your fridge, be sure to keep those in reach.

b. Be intentional about what gets shoved to the back and what stays in front. If you use it often, keep it front and center, so you don’t have to dig through everything to get it.

c. Keep those close-to-expiration items easily accessible so you don’t forget about those delicious recipes you’re going to try.

d. If your fridge has adjustable shelves, don’t be afraid to move them around. I occasionally put things where they fit rather than where I’d like them to be… sometimes the solution is to adjust the shelves so that things can fit where I really want them.

e. Don’t be afraid to use bins and sorting trays. A refrigerator’s design doesn’t always fit our needs. If you want to store certain items together, but you don’t want to forget about those items in the back, use a bin (I like those cheap plastic shoebox-size bins). This makes it super easy to pull out your entire collection of something (sauces, salad dressings, cheeses, anything really) without anything getting lost in the abyss that is the back of the fridge.

(Shredded and sliced cheese packages fit perfectly in these bins!)

If you’ve elected to mix things up a bit and store items in a new way, try to stick with this system for a few days and see what you like or don’t like about it, then rearrange as needed. The beautiful (and frustrating) thing about reorganizing your refrigerator is that it can look different every time you restock it. Just try to avoid shoving in more than you need making it impossible to see those hidden treasures (that later turn into moldy messes) in the back.

(This is what our fridge often looks like at the end of the week just before we restock at the grocery store - lots of leftovers and some wiggle room for new items.)

Whether your fridge looks like it belongs to a hoarder or as if the Grinch has stolen every last morsel of your holiday feast, there’s always a reason for a good refrigerator cleanout. If it feels like an easy project to tackle, get after it so you can celebrate the accomplishment. If it feels like more than you can handle on your own, ask for help. In my experience, the offer of an adult beverage usually results in a friend’s eagerness to assist with a project… and if that beverage was in the fridge, the consumption of it means you’ve already begun the cleanout process. Cheers to you for taking the first step!