Say Goodbye To Space Problems In The Fridge With A Simple Organization Tip

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It may seem like freeing up space in the refrigerator would be even simpler than decluttering the entire kitchen, but fridge organization is a different beast, and it can get frustrating. If you're like me, there is an abundance of small bottles, jars of condiments, and various other ingredients that all need to stay cold, often leaving little room for those leftovers you want to revive later. The key is to give all those items their own designated space so they don't become an obstacle to work around when you want to store more groceries. 

The fridge door can only hold so much. Instead of trying to cram everything into the tight quarters of those shallow shelves, consider purchasing storage bins dedicated to stashing all those stray containers. You can repurpose cardboard six-packs to store a few condiments, but plastic bins hold more and have a cleaner look. 

This 12-pack of Sterlite 6-quart clear plastic storage boxes won't break the bank, and it comes with enough containers that you'll likely have some leftover to address other storage needs elsewhere in the kitchen or around the house. At just under 5 inches in height, they should fit on any shelf you choose. If not, just adjust the fridge shelves to accommodate whatever you plan to store in the bins.

Giving all those random bottles and jars a dedicated home frees up more room in the fridge than people might realize, but that's not the only advantage to having them all in a confined space. Storing them in a central area that's easy to see also helps folks keep an eye on the best-by dates on all those condiments. A bottle of mustard or a jar of jelly only lasts so long once opened, and when they are in plain sight instead of tucked away behind other ingredients in the fridge, monitoring those dates takes little effort and prevents them from going bad before they can be used.

Condiments and smaller containers aren't the only things that will fit into handy plastic bins in the fridge. Just as you can use them to hold shoes, linens, and arts and crafts supplies around the house, inside the refrigerator, they can store numerous items like cheeses, lunch meats, and extra produce if your fridge's crisper drawer is bursting at the seams.

It's helpful to stash like with like and label the containers so anyone browsing the interior for a snack, sauce, or ingredient can easily locate what they're looking for. By keeping older products rotated toward the front of the bin, you'll also ensure that random groceries don't get lost behind newer items and save yourself from the experience of going to make a sandwich and realizing your cheese got furry.