Did you know about these fridge organizing mistakes?
We may not like to think that we are making some fridge organizing mistakes, but they are more common than you may think!
Since the fridge is one of the most important appliances we have, we need to make sure we use it properly and that we do not accidentally make these fridge organizing mistakes that can lead to it breaking down!
After all, fridges are not known to be cheap, and having to make such a big investment when you could have easily avoided it can be frustrating!
This is exactly why we have talked with some experts and brought you some fringe organizing mistakes that most people are guilty of making to make sure you can see where you may have made an error and correct it!
From how you can make the fridge easier to use all the way to making organizing work in your favor, make sure you keep on reading to discover these mistakes, how you can correct them, and how some can lead to your fridge breaking down!
How do you organize your fridge? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments below!
1. Forgetting about expiration dates
This is something that you can simply resolve with better organization, and pros generally recommend that you do more than just check the labels from time to time since some items can lead to food safety issues.
Sure, an item can be within its expiration date, but since you opened it and kept it for too long, it can actually have developed some bacteria or gone bad, and it can give you food poisoning.
A good habit that is related to organizing your fridge is to make sure that you check labels more regularly and that you add labels to containers that you have opened; write down the day when you opened them so that you do not end up eating something that has been old!
Another thing that they recommend is checking the dates on your condiment bottles! Those generally go ignored way too often.
This way, you can both protect your health, have to be a bit more organized when you place items so you can see and use them before they go bad, and also save some money since you will not be throwing away so much food. One mistake was repaired, and a ton of benefits were gained!
2. Not researching where to store items
One of the biggest fridge-organizing mistakes is not knowing where you should be placing your produce and food so that you can keep them fresh and lengthen their shelf life.
There are zones where you should not be placing certain items since it can lead to cross-contamination or it can lead to them getting spoiled faster.
For example, you should never place dairy items, especially milk, in the door of your fridge. Since the door is opened often, the temperature will fluctuate, which will lead to your dairy products spoiling faster!
Likewise, you should never place raw meat on top of or on the shelf above ready-to-eat foods and even some veggies; you can accidentally cross-contaminate them, which can lead to some pretty nasty diseases.
What’s more, be careful not to press containers to the back of the fridge, as it can lead to them freezing due to being pressed against the cooling source.
3. Not cleaning as often as you should
Yes, you heard that right. While cleaning the fridge is not seen as part of organizing, it can actually be a great aid in maintaining your fridge’s organization and avoiding problems like overcrowding and forgetting about expiration dates.
You should add cleaning your fridge to your weekly or bi-weekly tasks; not only will you be able to catch any spills and get rid of any buildup, crumbs, and any other unsanitary messes, but you will also be able to get rid of odors and help you maintain the organization that best works for you.
We know sticking to an organized space can sometimes be hard, so adding cleaning your fridge to the mix can help you reach this goal easily!
4. Overcrowding shelves
If you are overcrowding your shelves, you have a lot of drawbacks, and it is one of the most common mistakes that pro organizers see when they are contracted by people.
One of the most obvious drawbacks is the fact that you will have to take everything out to reach something in the back. Not only is it annoying, but continuing to pull things out and back in can cause the food to be altered by frequent temperature changes.
Not to mention, you can forget to put something back, or you can simply forget you had something in the back you were supposed to eat since you can no longer see it.
What most people do not know when it comes to overcrowding is that it can lead to bad airflow, not just a physical matter of not having enough space or being able to see things.
If you have too many things on your shelves, the air cannot circulate properly, which can lead to uneven cooling. In return, you may end up racking up the freezing level, which can in turn aid in spoiling the food or freezing it since you have not addressed the root.
Do not overcrowd; it can lead to your food spoiling and can even lead to your fridge breaking.
5. Relying too much on perishables
One fridge organizing mistake that many people forget about is not buying too many perishable items. It may be that you have seen things for a great price, you are excited to try a new dish, or you simply cannot remember what you have in your fridge or not when you go shopping.
Having too many items in your fridge means that you will not be able to eat them all before they go and that you are over-stuffing your fridge, which can lead to overcrowding.
This, in turn, will mean that you will be left with items that will go bad. The likes of dairy products, fruits, and veggies are the most common offenders.
The best way to correct this mistake is to get into the habit of meal planning and checking your fridge before making your shopping list.
That way, you can see what needs to be used first and what you need more of, as well as make sure you do not overbuy items you will not be able to eat before they go bad!
This magnetic meal planner and grocery list planner have helped us correct this mistake!
6. Not rotating items
A good way to make sure that you stick to your organization and that you do not end up forgetting about any products you may have is to opt not to start rotating them around. While we are all familiar with the idea of rotating around clothes for seasons, we should end up applying this idea to the fridge as well.
You should make sure that you rotate items around, much like grocery stores do too, so that the items with the closest expiration date are eaten first. This way, you can bring forward the ones that need to be used first without risking covering them up with newer items.
This part of making sure your fridge organization works is crucial as if you keep putting other items in front, you will use those instead of those that will go bad faster, ending up wasting food and money on them!
If you want to make sure this works for you, you can do the rotation every time you buy something new that you know you already have at home or that you organize with the ones that go bad first in front after you clean the fridge!
These are just some of the kitchen mistakes people make without even realizing they can be bad for their appliances or even for their health! If you are curious to read more kitchen mistakes that could be putting your health at risk, check out this article here!
