Day 1 - Refrigerator
Let’s start the New Year off with a clean & tidy fridge!
Take a “before” picture.
Clear off a big space for sorting (kitchen table, counters, etc)
Take it all out. Yes, everything. Just trust me!
CLEAN.
You don’t need any fancy or harsh cleaners - just hot water & dish soap will do the trick! You can use whatever cleaners you’d like. Vinegar or Magic Erasers work well too. Start with the top shelves and work your way down. You may even need to use a handheld vacuum to get in the corners. Depending on the level of mess you’re dealing with you may want to take the shelves and drawers to the bathtub. Fill it with hot soapy water and let them soak if needed. (Don’t forget to come back around and clean out your bathtub later.)
Purge the expired, moldy, & unwanted items.
As you purge, keep a list of things you need to replenish.
It’s also a good time to think about your meal plan for the week. What can you use before it expires?
Sort what’s remaining in a way that will be easy to maintain.
Group like things together & don’t put small items way in the back.
Condiment bottles get pretty sticky sometimes - take a few seconds to wipe them down before putting them back.
Take this opportunity while you have the shelves out to determine which shelf positions work best for the items you keep in your fridge! Dry off the shelves and put them back in.
Put it all back!
Admire your progress and take an “after” picture!
Do the same thing for the freezer.
While you’re at it wipe down the outside, dust off the top, and sweep or vacuum under the fridge too!
Keeping a tidy fridge will help you save money! If you can see what you have you won’t buy duplicate items & you won’t have to throw out things you forget about.
You don’t have to do a deep clean like this every time. Next time, you can probably just take things out shelf by shelf, wipe everything down, & purge.
Hold on to those before and after pictures - there will be a giveaway at the end of the 31 days!