Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
Did you know that November 15th is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day? Any day is a great day to reorganize and refresh one of the most used appliances in your home. From ditching what’s unnecessary to placing items of importance up front, effective strategies of organization abound. With Thanksgiving just a week and a half away, today’s your day to get the fridge scrubbed clean and prepare for the great deals at the grocery store and all of those fabulous leftovers.
I’ll admit I’m not the best at keeping our fridge spic and span. Just one glance from yesterday proves the fact.
However, I do try to thoroughly scrub down our fridge once a season or four times a year. Here are some of the tactics I use to whip things into shape.
Begin With the Clean Out
Leftovers, old candy, an occasional take out box – our fridge seems to be a dumping ground sometimes. Begin by eliminating items that are past their expiration date (say, like a bottle of mustard I found in ours from 2013?) and any spoiled fruits and veggies. Citrus fruits that may not be edible are still great to use in your garbage disposal and we love to compost those items too rather than just tossing them in the trash. Don’t forget you might be storing some of your fruits and veggies in the wrong places. Check out Ways to Make Fruits and Veggies Last Longer for tips on what to store where.
Don’t make your refrigerator work harder to cool items you’ll never even eat. Clean out the clutter, stat.
Eliminate What’s In the Way
Out of date food overtakes your fridge, but so do items that aren’t expired. I discovered an unopened bottle of hot sauce, some bottled drinks we received as a gift, and this little unidentifiable organizational piece from my fridge:
I don’t know how many times I shoved all of the above out of the way or tried to reassemble that little divider on the door shelf of my refrigerator. Cleaning out any area of your home provides the opportunity to have an honest conversation about what you can really use and what you should part with. I love the Minimalists perspective on this: if it can be replaced in less than twenty minutes for less than $20, you probably need to do without whatever it is. That doesn’t mean you run out and replace it immediately, however this tiny filter helps guide what’s essential in your life. Usually once you part with something that can be replaced in less than twenty minutes for less than $20 you find you don’t need it at all.
Donate foods that are non-perishable or simply pass them along to a friend who will use them. And toss the crazy little drawer piece or other part of your fridge that’s been laying sideways in a door in a junk drawer or the recycling bin or the trash.
Get the Kids to Help
Many hands really do make light work. I regularly get questions about what jobs are good ones for the kids to help with and I think this one ranks toward the top. Of course they’re going to “ewwww” and “groooosss” their way through most of the task, but they’re capable of scrubbing and being a part of this household chore. Don’t just toss a sponge their way and tell them to get to work though. Be a guided helper, giving them a task while you attend to another part of the work.
Hot Water with Gentle Detergent
Don’t use harsh cleaners on your fridge. After all, it’s an enclosed space where you store what you’ll put in your mouth. Instead, stick to a clean towel, sponge, or surface safe scrubber with hot water (the cold surface makes using anything else almost unbearable) and a mild detergent like Dawn dish soap or even diluted white vinegar. Most refrigerator drawers cannot be placed in the dishwasher, so again wash them with hot water and a mild dishwashing soap and then thoroughly dry before returning to their proper place.
Vacuum the Coils
One of the best ways to clean out your refrigerator has nothing to do with what’s on the inside. You need to regularly vacuum out the vent at the bottom and the coils behind the refrigerator. Excess dust, hair (people and pet), and grime get caught in both areas of your fridge, causing it to clog up. The yuck can lead to poor cooling and early appliance death (nobody wants that!). Use the hose attachment on your regular vacuum or a Shopvac to bust those dust bunnies.
Routine maintenance keeps your appliance use energy efficiently – cutting down on your bill (money saved, check!). And if you can see what’s in the refrigerator you will use the food you have instead of buying more (money saved, check!). Side note: the Lowe family will be eating all of the apples at every meal this week. I had lost a bag in the mess of my refrigerator madness.
Here was my finished product:
Give me your best refrigerator organization strategies to use space effectively, use the groceries you have, and keep things clean. I’ve shown you mine, show me yours. Post a picture on Facebook or tweet me a photo of the inside of your fridge.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
