Organize: Fridge + Freebie

The coldest spot in my apartment just got a whole lot cooler!

I've needed to organize my fridge for forever, but let’s face it I like cleaning out my fridge about as much as I enjoy scrubbing toilets. Nothing can motivate me to clean more than a little organizational eye candy, in this case fridge coasters which are not only stylish but also keep your refrigerator cleaner for longer.

I have been drooling over the coasters for months, but being a renter {who wants to move ASAP} I could never justify spending $50 for something that might not fit in my next fridge.

So I attempted to make my own out of cheap plastic placemats, and if I had glass shelves they would have worked perfectly. But no removable adhesive that I tried would keep the mats from sliding around on my wire shelves.

I gave up on the idea until I came across rolls of non-slip vinyl liner at the Dollar Tree. They are the perfect length to tuck under each side of the shelf, and the weight of the shelf keeps them in place! I love the vinyl because it can be machine washed in the event of spills and doesn't need to be replaced as often as the fridge coasters!

I didn't want to stop prettying up my refrigerator, so I bought fridge bins at Costco and made adorable faux chalkboard labels to mark all of my fridge contents. After laminating both sides of the labels, I attached them to the bins using Velcro dots. I love the results!

{download here}

If this has inspired you to organize your own  fridge here are a few tips:

• Don't over-pack your fridge – Air needs to circulate to stay cool, so over-stuffing your refrigerator with food can create a variance in temperature. The ideal refrigerator temperature is 40°F {5°C} or below to preserve your food and prevent harmful bacteria from growing.
• Never mix fruits and veggies with meat  – Contamination leads to spoilage! I keep my meat and seafood in a fridge bin on the bottom shelf, to keep those yucky juices from leaking and contaminating other foods.
• Don't Store eggs and milk in the fridge door –  Door temperatures fluctuate a lot, so avoid storing quick to expire items in the fridge door. The bottom shelf is the best location for milk, because it is usually the coldest but this may vary from fridge to fridge.  
• Don't put uncovered food in the refrigerator  –  If left uncovered foods can dry out or absorb odors from other foods.  Allow hot food to cool down before covering and moving it to the refrigerator.
• Don’t slice food until you’re ready to use it  –  Chopped meat, fruit and veggies spoil faster than whole items.
• Use clear containers for foods and leftovers  –  Seeing what foods are left makes you more prone to eating them sooner, so store leftovers for up to 4 days in see through containers.   
• Keep condiments in the door –  Small bottles can eat up fridge space quickly, so storing all the condiments in the door gives you more space inside the fridge.
• Keep larger items near the back –  This will help keep smaller items from being pushed to the back where they can easily hide. 
• Place like items together –  This will help you find items that you need more easily. 
• Clean your refrigerator regularly  –  Wipe spills and messes when fresh and remove expired foods. Give your fridge a deep cleaning every few months and vacuum the coils at the same time to keep your refrigerator running efficiently.

Well, hopefully these tips make organizing your refrigerator a little easier. I'm so happy with my cute fridge and I know you'll be just as happy with yours!

Let me know if you have any other great fridge organizing tips.