Can’t find anything in all that clutter? You’ll love these freezer organization tips!
Are you tired of digging through your freezer only to find a cluttered mess of forgotten items that have now expired? Fear not, because Wipe And Organize has got you covered with some invaluable freezer organization tips!
Your freezer is like a treasure chest, filled with the potential for quick and convenient meals. But without proper organization, it can become a nightmare pretty fast.
This is why we’ve decided to walk you through some effortless ways to declutter this basic appliance and reclaim control over your frozen goods.
So, if you’re looking to streamline your meal prep routine, these 9 freezer organization tips will revolutionize how you use your freezer.
From ensuring everything has its place to maximizing space, you’ll learn how to transform your freezer into a well-organized haven of tasty possibilities. Say goodbye to freezer frustration and hello to a more efficient kitchen with our freezer organization tips!
Freezer organization tip: Begin with a clean slate
You can’t truly organize a freezer until it’s entirely empty. So, the first step is to ensure you have a cooler nearby to accommodate anything perishable while you get to work. Then, clean out the freezer completely. Doing this is the most important first step.
You’ll be able to see all the room you have to work with, take measurements for any organization products you want to use, and you can get rid of any expired or freezer-burned items or food you know you just won’t ever eat.
Freezer organization tip: Store meat on the bottom
You should follow proper meat storage guidelines because meat always runs the risk of contamination and foodborne illness. The idea is to keep certain foods on the top shelf so that if they leak, they won’t contaminate the food underneath.
That’s why things like veggies and fruits are on top, and meat is on the bottom. If you organize your freezer this way, then fresh meat that hasn’t frozen yet won’t leak all over the veggies you plan to use for tonight’s dinner.
And if you happen to lose power in your home, your frozen meat won’t thaw and contaminate the foods underneath it.
Freezer organization tip: Toss the box
Most frozen food items come wrapped in bags inside those packages. Sure, that makes buying them in bulk at the store more accessible, but it can restrict you when organizing the freezer. So toss the big, bulky box because you really don’t need it. You can store the bags in a bin.
You can even cut out the cooking instructions and clip them to the baggies. You can also freeze leftovers, soups, stocks, fruit, or veggies this way. Just pick up some of your favorite freezer bags from the supermarket. Be sure to lay them flat while they’re freezing.
But once frozen, you can stack or spread them on their side to maximize your space. You can also label everything by taking a sharpie and writing the contents and dates directly on the bags to identify their contents.
Freezer organization tip: Be strategic about your freezer door’s storage
You might have heard this one before, but the door isn’t exactly the coldest part of a freezer because it’s frequently opening and closing. So, even though the body of your freezer is at an ideal temperature, things stored in the door can thaw out quickly.
It’s not suitable for things like ice cream that can thaw and refreeze, changing the consistency. Instead, you should store things like bread, ice packs, and nuts on the door.
Freezer organization tip: Create zones in your freezer
If you’ve ever watched The Home Edit or Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, you know all about the advantages of creating zones. Every article has a “home,” right?
Well, according to experts, your freezer isn’t an exception. Zones are particular areas in your freezer where specific foods will be stored.
Try creating zones specific to your family’s needs and the food you eat on a regular basis. Examples could be frozen meals, veggies and fruits, meat, leftovers, and so on.
Freezer organization tip: Organize by expiration date
Buying in bulk can be thrifty, especially if you have a big family. But you’ll be throwing money out the window if you don’t follow the first in, first out rule.
That means that you should organize your freezer so that items that expire first are at the front and will be the first you grab when you need something.
Organizing by expiration date is one of the most cost-effective ways to ensure you eat frozen goods before they go bad. If something expires in a couple of weeks, you don’t want to hide it in the back of the freezer, do you?
Freezer organization tip: Label everything
The No. 1 rule of organizing your freezer is ensuring everything is in plain sight. If you can see it, you’re more likely to defrost and eat it. But when it comes to freezer bags and containers, you may not be able to see or recognize what’s inside. This is where labels come in handy.
You can write what’s in the bag on freezer bags with a Sharpie, how much, and the date you froze it. You can also use them with the same information on hard-sided containers. Knowing what’s in the container and how long it’s been in there makes you more likely to use it.
Freezer organization tip: Keep temperature zones in mind
Since all freezers have temperature zones, they’re vital to consider if you have a side freezer. Regularly opening it can increase the temperature of the items in the door, and side freezers have a fair amount of door storage.
Store items like bread, flour, butter, nuts, ice packs, and tomato paste in this area. You can also store fresh herbs here. The middle shelf in a side freezer is the ideal spot for things that need to stay cold, including ice pops, ice cream, and other frozen goodies.
As we mentioned earlier, leave the bottom shelf for your meat products. It’s one of the coldest zones, and the bottom prevents juices from dripping onto other foods while your meat freezes.
For this reason, many fridges even have built-in fish- and meat-specific storage bins at their bottom.
Freezer organization tip: Keep an inventory list
The best way to keep your freezer organized is to know what you have in there. Creating an inventory can also help you save some extra cash because you won’t be buying duplicates.
If you think you won’t be able to remember everything in your freezer, simply keep a list on the side of your fridge, and organize it by category with the items you have. When you use something, take it off the list.
And when you buy something, make sure you add it to the list. If you prefer to go a bit more high-tech, you can always download an app to keep your tally digital and shareable with other family members.
To help you out, why not order some of these Magnetic Notepads from Amazon?
Be sure to let us know what you think of these freezer organization tips in the comments below. But don’t leave just yet! Wipe And Organize has many more fantastic tips and tricks for you.
For instance, check out: 12 Reusable Household Items You Should Stop Throwing Away
