Oh. The. FRIDGE.
Possibly the most active appliance in your kitchen and, consequently, the toughest zone to keep orderly.🤷🏻♀️
The thing about refrigerator organizing is there isn’t a one-size-fits-all fix. Like your home, it’s personal—the groceries you buy, the humans you live with, and the type of fridge all play into the process.
The good news is you CAN find a way that works FOR YOU.
To help you start, I’m breaking down what I would do if I were helping you organize your refrigerator in person. I encourage you to try each part but, ultimately, take what makes sense and is manageable for you and your household. Have something to write in, and please ask questions in the Comments below. Chances are, you’re not alone in your query!
Are you ready?
part 1. KNOW your fridge
1. TYPE
-Top or bottom freezer, French door, side-by-side, or quad door.
-Interior shelves and door bins: Adjustable (Y/N)? Quantity of each?
-Extras (Y/N): water dispenser, ice maker
2. CONTENTS. Write down what’s currently in your fridge plus anything else that’s usually there.
3. CHALLENGE. What’s your specific messy fridge problem? Forgotten leftovers? Too many condiments? Stuff placed anywhere then nowhere to be found? You may have multiple fridge issues…write them all down, then pick the one you most want to resolve.
part 2. ZONE your fridge
Efficient refrigerator organizing comes down to FOOD SCIENCE. Fruit and veggies handle humidity and ethylene production differently. Some foods need to stay cold. Others tolerate temperature fluctuation. Your fridge has different zones to accommodate it all, so knowing what needs what can keep the food you store fresher, safer, and longer.
4. ZONES. Every fridge has these 4 key zones:
a. Coldest = Lower shelf, Back of fridge
b. Consistent temp. = Upper shelves, Deli drawer
c. Humidity control = Crisper drawers
d. Warmest = Door
5. GROUP. Sort your list of foods into the groups below (based on the Zones above):
a. Uncooked = Dairy, Raw meat, Eggs
b. Processed = Leftovers, Deli, Cheese
c. Produce = Fruit, Vegetables
d. Extras = Beverages, Condiments, Spreads
6. MAP. On paper, draw a rough sketch of your fridge interior or find one that closely matches yours from my graphics above. Then map out where each Group goes (i.e. what Zone). Seeing your entire fridge spread out on a counter can be overwhelming. This map serves as your starting point. It’s what I did when we switched refrigerator types (French to Quad) last year (see below), and it’s what I do before a client session to maximize our time together.
When our French door refrigerator failed to sustain safe temperatures last year, I sketched what our new fridge interior would look like, then mapped out where food groups could go based on my old fridge content list. This exercise makes the organizing process smoother and less stressful. Highly recommend doing this if you’re moving and/or upgrading to a new fridge type!
part 3. OWN your fridge
Now you know your refrigerator type and zones, and you’ve got an optimal plan for where to put each food group. Grab your sketch from part 2 and let’s give you back control of your fridge!
7. EMPTY. On your kitchen counter, island, or table, set up 4 designated areas—one for each group discussed in part 2. As you pull items out of your fridge, place them in their correct group and check that it’s still safe to consume.
8. CLEAN. An empty fridge is a no-excuse opportunity to deep clean it. Don’t skip this! It’ll make the entire process so much more satisfying. Trust me.
9. REFRIGERATE. Use your interior fridge sketch to put your food back in the correct fridge zone. Start with the Uncooked group—aka the Coldest zone—and follow the list in order. By design, this gets what needs refrigeration MOST, back IN asap.
10. ORDER. This is where knowing yourself—what’s manageable and makes sense—is key. It’s also where every fridge differs. What’s your jam may not be mine (for real, we have no jam or jelly in our fridge😂) but that doesn’t mean we can’t use the same strategies to organize our different groceries well. See what's currently working for my family (and why), then try out my top 6 tips below:
Adjust. Probably the biggest aha reaction I get from clients is when I move shelves around. If your door bins and interior shelves are adjustable, move them to make what you need fit.
Like-with-Like. As much as possible, keep similar items together in each zone. Shop your home for a “holder” (bowl, bag, box, bin, jar) to help contain like items on shelves.
Turntable. Maximizes space (hello, Side-by-Side) and prevents food from getting lost in the back (top shelf of every Bottom Freezer model).
Bins. Can’t stand produce getting lost in a sea of flimsy plastic bags? Bins help divide and contain fruit and veggies in their respective crisper drawers. This improves airflow and freshness, and you see what you have at a glance. As much as possible, I skip packing my produce in those bags when I shop, so it’s a win for the environment, too!
Drawers. It’s easy to make use of the space refrigerator door bins provide. Stackable drawer bins do the same inside the fridge by taking advantage of vertical space and shelf depth. Ideal for small or odd-shaped items. Our fruit crisper is often full, so we use drawer bins for grapes (delicate, eaten quickly) and citrus (require very low humidity, often do better outside of the crisper).
Silicone. Sturdy, reusable silicone bags replace plastic and keep various foods fresh and orderly. This one’s an investment but if you’re ready to convert, I recommend keeping your eye out for sales (I’ve purchased all of mine at 40% off!).
Whew!
Refrigerator organizing can feel overwhelming. This appliance was designed to keep what we eat safe, but throwing things in willy-nilly doesn’t ensure our food stays edible or help us when we’re hungry. There’s a SCIENCE to safe, efficient fridge organization.
I hope breaking down the process gives you the knowledge and confidence to see and organize your fridge in a new way. Let me know in the Comments if this post was motivating and informative, and tell me…
which refrigerator organizing tip are you most excited to try?
**REMEMBER**
-Refrigerators are personal. Yours doesn’t and won’t look like mine, and that’s a good thing.
-Food goes in and out of the fridge daily. Stay open to regular tweaks and use your map to move things around if things aren’t working.
-Zoning your refrigerated foods optimizes food safety. Doing so decreases foodborne illness, food waste, grocery trips, and the daily frustration of finding what you need…especially when you’re hungry!
-Finding what works and is manageable for you is the ultimate goal. It's a trial-and-error process, and wherever you end up, CELEBRATE it! Mark your achievement with whatever feels like a treat (cake, bubbly, a nap), and let yourself feel good about making progress.
Comment below and please SHARE! We all deserve to love our homes. Transforming your refrigerator could be what gives you more time, energy, and confidence to do so much more.❤️
Always,
P.S. Would you like a deep-dive post on something else? Suggest something to me in the Comments or DM me on Instagram @iplusdpa!
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