REFRIGERATOR ORGANIZATION IDEAS AND TIPS

Temperatures in the door can be slightly warmer, making it a good place for items that are less perishable, like ketchup, butter and soda. It’s also a good place for things you use a lot like milk, which can be stored in large Gallon Door Bins, like those found on select Maytag^® refrigerators.

Everyday, non-produce items can be stored on the shelves. Grouping similar foods may make finding the exact item you want easier. Try the following tips:

• Top shelf: Ready-to-eat foods and leftovers

• Middle shelf: Dairy, tall items, commonly used items and eggs

• Bottom shelf: Raw meats, poultry, seafood and other raw ingredients

If your refrigerator has a dedicated deli drawer, it should be slightly colder than the rest of the fridge, making it ideal for highly perishable deli meats and cheeses. On select models of French door refrigerators, this drawer can sometimes also be handy for wide trays and platters.

Most refrigerators have two crisper drawers for produce. If the humidity is adjustable, set it high in one and low in the other. High humidity will help keep fruits and vegetables with thin skin fresh, like spinach, asparagus, broccoli and strawberries.

Low humidity is best for fruits and vegetables with thick skin, like peppers, avocados and cantaloupe. Using your crisper drawers correctly can help fruits and vegetables stay fresher longer.

The best way to organize your refrigerator is by starting with a blank canvas. Clean your refrigerator by throwing out any expired items and wiping down the shelves and drawers. This not only gives you a clean slate to organize your refrigerated foods, but it can help keep your refrigerator clean and fresh, which is an ideal environment for storing food.

If you have moveable shelves or drawers, you can create small, medium and tall spaces by shifting them around. Additionally, you can use shelf liners in these drawers to make future cleanup easier. Don’t be afraid to utilize sliding shelves that help you see all of the shelf contents.

For some items, removing packaging can create space to store more of your food with deep or narrow fridge bins. If you purchase clear fridge bins, you can easily view your food while also giving you the option of labeling your bins.

Since the refrigerator door can be susceptible to temperature changes, it may be best to use the racks and shelves here to store less perishable items such as nut butters, beverages, condiments and jarred items like pickles or olives.

Crisper drawers can make life easier by separating items by type so you can quickly find what you're looking for. Adding fridge drawers can help break up the clutter even more. Stack add-in drawers on top of one another and pull them out to access food whenever you need.

Drink dispensers take the organization of a grocery store refrigerator and bring it to your home. With multiple rows to store different drinks, the dispenser pushes the next drink to the front after each one is removed so that you don’t have to deal with loose cans.

Different parts of your refrigerator may vary slightly in temperature and humidity and can also vary depending on the type of refrigerator you have. Get familiar with your refrigerator’s configuration and layout, and find the areas of your fridge that stay cooler to help you determine where certain items should go. Learn the best way to organize a side-by-side refrigerator specifically.

Cardboard packaging and plastic containers can take up a lot of space inside your fridge. Declutter your shelves by ditching the packaging where possible and storing your items in reusable bins. You can even label the bins with the “Use By” date to help keep things organized.

Keep your favorite snacks within arm’s reach by creating a designated storage bin for grab-and-go items like baby carrots, celery sticks, snack-sized cheese wheels, hummus, yogurt, grapes and berries.

The bottom of your refrigerator is typically one of the coldest interior areas. Since it’s recommended to store raw meat as cold as possible, the bottom shelf is an ideal place for storing raw meat, seafood and poultry.

Produce is best kept at either a high or low humidity environment, and this varies by the type of fruit or vegetable you’re storing. For example, thin-skinned produce like grapes, strawberries and leafy greens should be stored in higher humidity, while stone fruit, pears and apples are typically best kept in low-humidity areas.