There are many refrigerator organization tips to make the food easy to find and reach. The refrigerator will also look tidy and more inviting, and you’ll be able to clean it up better when everything is in the right place. Not only that, but a well-organized fridge prevents uneven cooling zones. Find out how to set your fridge at the recommended temperature for optimal cooling.
Here are some fridge organization ideas to keep those shelves in perfect order.
Make Preparations for the Refrigerator Organization
A good way to start organizing your fridge is to clean it thoroughly. You should turn the refrigerator off and take everything out. Make sure to have a cooler ready to store all food from the refrigerator while you’re cleaning. This is also a good time to make an inventory of all foods and drinks and get rid of items that have expired, spoiled, or that you know you won’t use.
Find the Right Spot for Everything
1. Upper Shelf
The upper shelf is ideal for storing ready to eat foods, drinks, and leftovers. This is where they will stay fresh and remain easily visible. In essence, here's where you should store items that won't stay in the fridge for long and those that don't need more intense refrigeration.
2. The Doors
The doors are the warmest part of the refrigerator, which means they're the best fit for the least perishable items. These include condiments like sauces and dressings, but also some delicacies like olives and dried or marinated packaged food. Contrary to common practice, the fridge door isn't the ideal place to store milk or eggs because those are prone to spoiling and need lower temperatures to keep good. Eggs require consistent temperatures to stay fresh, so the middle shelf is the best place for them. Store milk on a lower shelf, ideally placed toward the back.
3. Drawers
The drawers are perfect for storing fruits and vegetables, especially if your fridge has humidity control for this section. Many refrigerators have two bottom drawers so that fruits and veggies can be kept separately.
4. Lower Shelves
Lower shelves are ideal for storage of raw food items such as meat, dairy products such as milk and yogurt, and other perishables, which should be kept in these colder areas. If some of the upper shelf items don't fit where they belong, you could store them below. Generally, the most perishable items should be on the bottom and, if possible, closer to the back of the refrigerator.
Use Fridge Accessories
- Containers like transparent glass sets and silicone food bags are excellent for keeping the food fresh and making it easy to locate. You can place the containers on a lazy susan for convenience and use clips or hang baskets to make the most of the space inside the fridge.
- Bins and additional drawers can make a difference when separating different items and keeping similar ones together. As a DIY hack, you can use file organizers to stack things like yogurts, pouches, and snacks in smaller packaging. Empty egg cartons can also become great holders for sauce bottles.
- You can line every flat surface with waterproof, washable fridge mats to help keep perishables fresh and make cleaning much more manageable. For the same effect, place the fruits and vegetables on a paper towel lining.
- Refrigerator air filters are a great way to help keep food scents in check. This might not be directly linked with the organization, but a neatly stocked fridge should be free of odours as well.
Make an Exhibit of Your Fridge
10 Responses
sounds good!
Hi Carol,
Thank You so much for visiting our site and reading these articles. We are glad you find them useful and that you enjoyed them!
– Whirlpool Team
Not a lot of height in the lower shelfs to fit the milk. I do store it on the door. I put the eggs in section 4 so much easier but the seems helpful. Thanks for the info.
Hi Burton,
Thank You so much for visiting our site and reading this article. We are glad you find them useful and that you enjoyed them!
– Whirlpool Team
Thank you for the tips, they helped with the new fridge
Hi Mark,
Thank You so much for visiting our site and reading this article. We are glad you find them useful and that you enjoyed them!
– Whirlpool Team
We can’t use our water dispenser because the water drips out of it until the tube is drained out. We have tried all the suggested fixes, and dispensing gallons of water to bleed any air in the line with no luck. We have changed out water filter 3 times now since we got the fridge and there is never any change in the dripping. So we just leave it on ice cubes and yell at anyone that tries to get water as then we have to put a cup there to catch all the water until it is done draining. I love this fridge but the dripping water is a big pain.
Hello Cindy,
Thank you for visiting our Appliance Answers website. To better assist you, can you please reply providing your refrigerator model number?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
Whirlpool Customer Care Team
The suggestions were good. Still getting used to the new fridge
Hello Patricia,
Thank you for visiting our Appliance Answers website and leaving your feedback.
Enjoy your new fridge!
Whirlpool Customer Care Team