My Best Tips for an Organized Fridge-Your Organized Life

I was so thrilled about my pantry re-organization I thought my fridge deserved some love! I told my son I was going to call this post “Fun with Fridges!” (A pun on Dr. Sheldon Cooper’s “Fun with Flags” on The Big Bang Theory.) My son is 16 so he just smiled and rolled his eyes. Love him! Here are my step by step tips for an organized fridge.

My Best Tips for an Organized Fridge

Purge and Clean

The first step is-of course-to purge! A few items were past their prime. Condiments are the most often out-of-date items in my clients’ homes. These just don’t get used as often so it’s easy for these things to expire on us.

Next, I pulled all the food out of the refrigerator one shelf at a time. I used a non toxic cleaner to spray the shelves, bins, etc. A 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water would also work . That is what I used to clean the gasket all around my refrigerator door. (Ick!) When I was done, the inside of my fridge just GLEAMED. That’s a nice feeling!

A Bit of Bling

Can’t remember where I saw this cool product: Fridge Coasters. They are mats for the inside of your refrigerator shelves and drawers. They come in lots of cute colors and patterns. Then I had a light bulb moment when I remembered I had extra shelf liner from my pantry project! I simply placed my door bins down on the shelf liner, traced around them, then cut slightly inside the line. The liner fit perfectly!

Visual of how to cut shelf liner for your fridge bins

The shelf liner I used has a rubbery backing. It is not like contact paper that sticks down. First, I wanted to be able to remove the liner to wipe off any messes. And second, if the liner gets ripped or when it gets old, I want to be able to throw it away. I think the addition of the liner makes the fridge look really nice and is practical as well!

Shelf liner in the beverage bin makes the fridge look so clean!

Hardworking Organizing Products

I already had a turntable in the fridge for condiments we don’t use quite as often-mustard, pesto, syrup. (Look for it in the picture of the whole inside of the fridge.) When I do need something I just give it a spin. It really saves a lot of room and provides easy access. If you have vigorous spinners in your house (a.k.a. children) you may want a turntable that has a generous lip on it like the InterDesign Fridge Binz from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

I picked up a bin from Marshall’s to corral my Greek yogurt. The bin makes it easy to pull out and select the flavor we want. I also chose a bin for random sauces like applesauce, salsa etc. (These bins can also be found at WalMart.)

Fruits and Veggies First

I decided to place my pretty black and white shelf liner on the bottom shelf. It obscures the items in the drawers below. I placed the fruit and the veggies my kids like most in Pyrex dishes up front and center. The teenagers I know have HORRIBLE diets and for some reason mine don’t want food that takes more than 2.2 seconds to prepare. I found this trick has them pulling out fruit and veggies more.

The teenagers I know have HORRIBLE diets and for some reason mine don't want food that takes more than 2.2 seconds to prepare. Click To Tweet