How to Keep Your Fridge Food Fresh and Win the War on Waste
These 9 refrigerator rules will keep more of your food fresh and tasty – and out of the compost bin
Leslie Reichert
5 December 2017
Houzz Contributor. Cleaning expert that teaches and encourages people to use greener methods to clean their home. I have books, magazines, and a TV series to show you how to live a cleaner, greener lifestyle. For more cleaning tips go to www.greencleaningcoach.com
Houzz Contributor. Cleaning expert that teaches and encourages people to use greener... More
Can you still remember your parents yelling at you to close the refrigerator door? Although they might have just been trying to keep the energy bill down, they were also protecting the food in the fridge. There are ‘rules’ for keeping things safe and healthy in your refrigerator. The first and most important one is to keep the door open for only short periods of time. This rule prevents the warm air outside of the fridge from raising the temperature inside. Here are nine other tips for keeping the food in your fridge fresh.
1. It’s all about airflow
Don’t cram all the food you can fit into your fridge. It’s important to leave enough space between food so the air can flow freely and keep the temperature inside consistent. Consistent temperature is key to keeping your food fresh.
Don’t cram all the food you can fit into your fridge. It’s important to leave enough space between food so the air can flow freely and keep the temperature inside consistent. Consistent temperature is key to keeping your food fresh.
2. Bath time
Before putting fruits and vegetables in the fridge, wash them first in a vinegar and water bath. Do this by filling up your sink with water and adding 1 cup of distilled white vinegar. Add your fruit and veggies to the bath and let them soak for 10 minutes. The natural acid in the vinegar will kill bacteria that causes mould and rot.
12 Oft-Forgotten Spring Cleaning Jobs
Before putting fruits and vegetables in the fridge, wash them first in a vinegar and water bath. Do this by filling up your sink with water and adding 1 cup of distilled white vinegar. Add your fruit and veggies to the bath and let them soak for 10 minutes. The natural acid in the vinegar will kill bacteria that causes mould and rot.
12 Oft-Forgotten Spring Cleaning Jobs
3. Dry and humid zones
Vegetables prefer a humid storage climate while fruits prefer dry. Check to see if your refrigerator has controls for each bin and store them separately. If you don’t have this option, you can wrap veggies with a wet paper towel to maintain humidity.
Vegetables prefer a humid storage climate while fruits prefer dry. Check to see if your refrigerator has controls for each bin and store them separately. If you don’t have this option, you can wrap veggies with a wet paper towel to maintain humidity.
4. Move the milk to the back
Milk needs to be stored where the temperature stays consistently the coolest. In general, the best spot is in the rear of the fridge. Milk should not be stored on the door, since that area is regularly exposed to warmer air when the refrigerator door is opened.
Milk needs to be stored where the temperature stays consistently the coolest. In general, the best spot is in the rear of the fridge. Milk should not be stored on the door, since that area is regularly exposed to warmer air when the refrigerator door is opened.
5. Keep that cheese and butter sealed
Many refrigerators have a dedicated storage space for cheese and butter, most often located at the top of the door. This is a fine area to store your cheese and butter, but it’s still important to keep them sealed in an airtight container so they don’t spoil.
How to Choose the Best Fridge-Freezer for Your Needs
Many refrigerators have a dedicated storage space for cheese and butter, most often located at the top of the door. This is a fine area to store your cheese and butter, but it’s still important to keep them sealed in an airtight container so they don’t spoil.
How to Choose the Best Fridge-Freezer for Your Needs
6. So what should you keep on your refrigerator doors?
Store soft drinks and non-perishable condiments on door shelves. These are items that aren’t that affected by slight temperature changes.
Store soft drinks and non-perishable condiments on door shelves. These are items that aren’t that affected by slight temperature changes.
7. Go easy on those eggs
Eggs should be kept in their original container and placed on the middle shelf with nothing too heavy stored directly on top that could crack your eggs.
Eggs should be kept in their original container and placed on the middle shelf with nothing too heavy stored directly on top that could crack your eggs.
8. Keep those meat juices locked up
Raw meat juices can cross-contaminate all the exposed food in your refrigerator. Therefore, store raw meat in a glass container so liquid doesn’t spill onto the shelves.
Raw meat juices can cross-contaminate all the exposed food in your refrigerator. Therefore, store raw meat in a glass container so liquid doesn’t spill onto the shelves.
9. Swap doggie bags for something clearer
Leftover food should be kept in clear glass containers or resealable plastic bags so you can see what condition it’s in without having to open the container and expose the leftovers to air. It’s a good idea to always store your leftovers in the same area in your fridge so you don’t forget about them. As a general rule of thumb, you should purge your leftovers every three days.
Tell us
If you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Read more stories about smart storage
Leftover food should be kept in clear glass containers or resealable plastic bags so you can see what condition it’s in without having to open the container and expose the leftovers to air. It’s a good idea to always store your leftovers in the same area in your fridge so you don’t forget about them. As a general rule of thumb, you should purge your leftovers every three days.
Tell us
If you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Read more stories about smart storage
What are you working on?
Related Stories
How-To Guides
How to Feng Shui Your Apartment
By joeyyap
How can this traditional technique be used for apartments, condominiums, and other high-rise buildings?
Full Story
Most Popular
Feng Shui Basics: Put Your Plants in the Right Place
By Karla Rey
Having plants in the right location is part of an overall strategy of having good chi
Full Story
Most Popular
6 Tips for a Cooler and Breezier HDB Flat
Hint: These don’t involve cranking up the air conditioning
Full Story
Lifestyle
The Spare Change Secret and 6 Other Ways to Make Life Easier
By Amy Revell
Ever needed to find something pronto – batteries, spare change, first aid – but had no idea where it was? Help's at hand
Full Story
Festive Decorating
How to Make a Sophisticated Natural Wreath for the Holidays
Rosemary, olive leaves and bittersweet berries combine in an inviting decoration that will last through the season
Full Story
Lifestyle
How to Declutter When Your House is Full of Digital Devices
By Amy Revell
As technology replaces so many physical items in our lives, don't forget to declutter as you go
Full Story
Health
Cleaning Routines to Keep Your Home Virus-Free
Follow this CDC advice to make sure your kitchen, bathroom and other high-traffic areas are clean and disinfected
Full Story
Safety & Maintenance
Why Check Your Home's Humidity
Indoor air moisture can affect your health – and your furnishings. Here's why and how to find the balance for your home
Full Story
StayHome
Eco-Friendly Tips and Tricks for Cleaning Your Home
Are you wary of using chemicals to clean? These simple products and tricks will keep your home spotless naturally
Full Story
Expert Advice
How to Work From Home Alongside Your Spouse and Children
A time management coach talks through maintaining productivity during this 'circuit breaker' time
Full Story
Shop more frequently and don't buy too much — that way you will use up what you buy and won't have stuff building up or going off.
I don't particularly like celery but I have a pearl barley and lamb shank soup recipe and I don't mess with it in any way and whilst I could by just the strips and no leafage, it is much nicer with the celery tops to be used, so whilst I still buy a whole celery, I make two batches of soup and freeze the soup once cooked and with the rest of the celery I blanch it, drain it and place the right amount into ziplock or small freezer bags and freeze it so next time I want to make this soup I have plenty of celery packs I can use.
In answer to a comment made to grow your own veggies, I do just a few like corn and beans but we as farmers are at our busiest during vegie growing times and sometimes it is very hard not to loose vegies exposed to allot of heat when we're away from home for 12-14 hours a day so people need to be more retired or even semi retired to be able to do that successfully.
Carol Jones - thanks for the info re The Swag - I will be investigating as I am hesitant to use paper towel all the time...I know you can compost it, but I am not in a living situation where that is possible, so hate adding to waste.