Let’s declutter and clean the fridge and freezer.
We’ll go over a quick-run version for when you’re short on time but the fridge is in desperate need, the deep clean method, how to deal with food that’s ALMOST bad but not quite, ways to avoid food waste, and some organization ideas to maximize your space.
The 10-minute fridge clean-out
No time? No problem. Here’s how you do it FAST.
Step 1: Bring the trashcan over to your fridge and do a quick sweep of the for-sure garbage.
- Anything moldy
- Dried out leftovers
- 4-year-old condiments you’ll never finish
- Stuff you tried and hated
Throw it directly in the trash.
Step 2: If you have nasty leftovers in containers you want to keep, but you don’t want to scoop out the muck, just pop those in the freezer for now. Set a reminder on your phone to come deal with those tomorrow morning. They should slide right out in a solid block that you don’t have to smell. But take your trash out immediately!! after. They’ll melt and be disgusting again.
Then, if you have time left in your ten minutes…
Step 3: Straighten up what’s left and wipe down shelves.
You don’t have to do a deep clean because this is a ten-minuter, but this quick run gets your fridge looking (and smelling) WAY better for those days where you don’t have a ton of time or energy, but you’re sick of looking at the mess.
The deep clean
For a full clean of your fridge and freezer, here’s what I recommend–start with the freezer (in case you need to move things from the fridge to the freezer later).
Freezer
Freezer items to remove:
- Freezer-burnt items
- Things you tried and didn’t like
For freezer-burnt items, animals are happy to help you get rid of them. Give the fruits, veg, and leftover meals to chickens and birds.
Freezer-burnt meat can be cooked for dog food (or raccoons and possums–idk your life).
You can use laundry baskets for sorting to keep freezer items organized between Keep and Ditch piles.
Fully empty the freezer, wipe it out, then organize your items back inside in a way that will enable you to use things up. More tips on that later.
Fridge
Remove leftovers that are past their edible date. You can toss them in the freezer until tomorrow for the easy removal method, if you’d like–otherwise dump them in the garbage.
If you have produce that’s not quite bad enough to throw out but not good enough that you want to eat as-is, skip to the next section for ideas on how to use them (or toss it to the chickens).
Empty the fridge, wipe everything down, then organize your food in a way that enables you to eat it before it spoils.
Exterior
Declutter the top and surface of your fridge.
Remove:
- Takeout menus you don’t use
- Coupons
- Save-the-dates
- Christmas cards
- Ugly magnets
For fun: You could use the papers to junk journal or make a collage! You can throw it out after, if you’d like, but I love making crafts out of found materials.
Wipe everything down.
Be sure to vacuum the coils (this extends the life of your fridge and lowers your energy bill) and ensure your fridge is not too close to the wall (to allow for proper air flow).
What to do with food that’s almost bad, but not quite
Feeling yucky about tossing food that isn’t quite inedible? Here are some options.
Fridge soup.
When I’m doing a big fridge clean-out (usually the week after I acquired wayyyy too much produce), I make a fridge soup pile. This is produce and meats and whatever else that would make a good soup or stew.
I like to start my soup while I’m still working so it can get to simmering. Then you get a soup reward when you’ve finished your chores.
If your veggies are ugly beyond reproach and you don’t even want to look at them, an immersion blender fixes that right up.
Cider.
For apples and citrus that are bruised and yuck, chop them up and toss them in a pot, cover with water, add cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever other spices you’ve got on hand, let it simmer for an hour, then smush it in a cheesecloth. Delicious apple cider!
Chickens.
Once I got chickens, the food waste system REALLY kicked into gear. They can eat almost anything. No onions and no mold, but other than that, pretty much anything goes. Even chicken. Chicken is actually my chickens’ favorite food… I try not to think about it too hard.
Wildlife.
Got some local crows you’re trying to befriend? Same. They love most foods and are happy to take it off your hands if they can get there before the squirrels do…
Simmer pot.
I LOVE SIMMER POTS. Apples, pears, and citrus go really well in these, but anything that you just like the smell of works. Chop, toss in a pot with some water, add a little vanilla or cinnamon, and let it gently simmer all day to fill your house with a delicious vibe.
Dog food.
Freezer-burnt meat, meat you’re not going to eat, and produce like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and peas can be tossed in the slow cooker for a delicious home-cooked meal for your pups.
Avoiding produce waste
Do you find yourself throwing out produce because you didn’t eat it in time? Avoiding food waste is a passion of mine, so I have a lot of tips.
1. Make it easier to eat
The best way to use our produce is to eat it ourselves before it goes bad. To accomplish this, we can make it easier.
Clean and decant your produce.
How do you like to eat your fruits and veg? Probably washed, maybe peeled and sliced? Do that immediately! I wash my produce directly after buying it, then I’ll prepare it in various ways (more below) so that it’s as easy as possible for me to eat it. It’s all about lowering the effort it takes to implement habits we want.
Snack tray.
One prep I do is for my snacking veggies. Carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, grape tomatoes, sugar peas and the like–washed, sliced, and stored in an easy-grab container. I’ll also make my dip ahead of time (greek yogurt + ranch powder + red pepper flakes). Then I can just grab those two bowls for a healthy munch sesh. No effort!
Chopped salad.
Another prep I do is a finely chopped salad. Greens, cucumbers, peppers, and herbs that I dice up very small and keep in a sealed container. I’ll scoop this mixture onto sandwiches, wraps, toast, or just make a heap on my plate with whatever I’m eating. It’s an easy, nutrient dense addition to any meal.
2. Keep chickens and/or compost bin
I said it before, but those little guys can eat just about anything.
If chickens aren’t for you, another great option is composting. I keep a small basket in my fridge to hold my compost items so it doesn’t go bad or attract bugs on the counter before I can take it out to the yard. Though very few things make it into my compost now. It’s mostly coffee grounds, since I can’t make those into broth and my chickens can’t eat them. 😛
3. Freeze it
Sometimes, the best way to keep food from going bad in your fridge is to store it in the freezer! Here are my freezer staples that keep me eating nutritious foods without letting them spoil.
Smoothie mix.
I do love fresh fruit, but when I’m not able to eat it all before it gets squishy and unappealing (but not spoiled), I’ll chop them up and add them to my smoothie bag in the freezer. Bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, spinach, kiwi, avocado–anything can go in a smoothie!
Note: If you know you hate smoothies, don’t do this. Obvi.
Broth bag.
When you’re chopping aromatics, you can save your odds and ends in a bag or container in the freezer to use for broth. Onion peels, garlic ends, herb stems, etc. You can add it to bones for a more flavorful bone broth, or let them simmer on their own all day (or in a pressure cooker) to make delicious, nutritious broth for cooking.
I like to reduce mine until it can fit in an ice tray, then I have little condensed cubes to drop into anything for an easy flavor boost.
Cooking prep.
And lastly, I have my savory freezer bag. This makes cooking a lot simpler. For example, I’ll buy a large bag of onions, peel and chop them immediately (I dehydrate the skins and butts for onion powder if I’m running low), and toss ’em in the freezer. Other great veggies to prepare and freeze ahead of time for cooking are peppers, celery, garlic, and herbs.
Tips for organizing your fridge and freezer
Here are a few ideas for the layout and systems within the refrigerator and freezer.
1. Organize for YOUR use
You know your habits! What items do you want to use more, but forget about? Put them front and center.
What matters less/lasts longer/you know that you’ll seek out without having to see it? Put that in the back.
Maybe one shelf for leftovers with what needs to be eaten first in the front is a good system for you.
Maybe the kiddos need to reach their snacks–put those where they can reach them.
If my broth cubes get lost in the freezer, I’ll just skip using them. If I put them in the freezer door, I can grab them easy and toss one right in the pot.
You can experiment with layouts to find what works best for your lifestyle and reduces food waste.
2. Magazine holders for vertical storage
This is my favorite freezer organization hack because I vacuum seal foods, leaving me with thin, wide food to store. They slot into magazine holders to save me a ton of space. Plus magazine holders are something you can grab a stack of for a few bucks. Thrift stores loooove to have a giant pile of magazine holders that no one wants.
3. Keep perishables in the fridge door
If you struggle to eat your fruits and veggies in time because you forget you have them, put them somewhere more accessible, like the fridge door.
If they’re washed and prepped for eating, you just grab and go. Tada, they’re eaten.
4. Store sauces in drawers
Likewise, you might store things with longer shelf lives, like sauces, in the drawers where we traditionally keep fruits and vegetables.
I know fridges aren’t “designed” to be used like this, but it’s what works! Especially if you have ADHD or “outta sight outta mind” syndrome, this might work swell for you.
5. Baskets for easy grabbing
I remember an acquaintance of mine (who was quite under the influence) opened my fridge at a party and exclaimed: “Wow! I want an egg basket!!!”
“Why don’t you have one!” I replied.
And she said, “I didn’t know I could until now!”
It seemed to have changed her life, so I wanted to let you know: You can keep your eggs in an open basket for easy grabbing and aura points.
When your fridge and freezer are all squared away, maybe it’s time to tackle the pantry!
