The Great American Fridge Purge
Food turned science experiments. Sriracha stains. The 5 half-used jars of mustard. We tend to shove a lot of chaos into that little appliance. Our refrigerators are often cluttered, inefficient, even unhealthy.
Good thing it's National Clean your Fridge Day, the perfect chance to clear it out, clean it up and make space for what matters before Thanksgiving! Here’s how I do it:
TAKE IT OUT
Remove everything from the fridge (stow perishables in a cooler) and scrub it out with a solution of warm water, a mini squirt of dishwashing soap and sprinkle of baking soda. Resist the temptation to clean around items - it doesn’t work! Use a scrubby sponge or Magic Eraser to get out all the stuck-on stains. Wash the drawers and shelves separately, after a good soak in the sink.
TOSS IT OUT
Ancient veggies, crusty bottles, jars that expired in 2010. Ick – are those leftovers left over from last summer?
PRIORITIZE YOUR SPACE
Don’t store unopened jars and cans in the fridge – the space in here is too precious. Stash those shelf-stable items in the pantry until you’re ready to use.
BIN IT to WIN IT
Keep sticky items like syrups, jelly and jam in a separate bin within the fridge. This way, you can easily clean the bin instead of the whole shelf. Bins are also great for corralling grab-n-go snacks like fruit, yogurt and string cheese.
DON’T FORGET THE FREEZER!!
Check out some of my favorite fridge sanity storage stuff. And remember to measure before you buy!!
Tracy’s Tip: