Clean Out Your Fridge
Prime time for a refrigerator refresh
There are two types of people…
a. Those who love an inbox 0
b. Those who have 91,287+ emails
or…
a. Those who unpack their suitcases immediately when returning home from a trip
b. Those who leave that same suitcase on the floor with contents spilling out until needed for the next trip
or…
a. Those who make their beds every day
b. And those who…do not
I give control-freak vibes (anyone who’s come to a dinner party of mine can vouch) so naturally, it’s assumed that I’m type a. Some people are shocked to find out that I fall on the b-side of every scenario.
Truth is, I do not care about my inbox email count or the speed with which I return my suitcase to the closet following a trip. (I do make my bed but my dog then treats it as hers all day so am I really winning ?)
However, I do like to organize things in the kitchen.
I make lists. I decant dry goods into jars. I label things. I have a curated spice drawer.
And today, I’m going to make a case to convince you that it is PRIME TIME to clean out your fridge.
Commit to the Clean
Again, type b-ish person over here. I don’t love cleaning. Sure, I like things in order when it suits me. So doing something like cleaning out the fridge is a process that I don’t undertake lightly. But I can attest that it is absolutely worth it.
Pro Tip #1: Clean the fridge a day before you grocery shop. That way, there’s less in there to move around/take out. Plus, you’ll get inspo for the last little bits and bobs that you can use up along with some freshies. (Such as taking that last bit of miso, mustard, or pickles and making a salad dressing - right in the original jar!) Even better, commit to cleaning the fridge and then feel like a real badass by getting your groceries delivered. Like, whoa. What a treat. Fresh fridge restock on lock. Or, order in food that night. Your process. Your way. I’ve even come home from long trips to a nearly empty fridge and decided to clean it out right there, right then!
Pro Tip #2: Do it the day before trash/recycling day. If you’re cleaning stuff out and find lingering leftovers past their prime relegated to the back corner, you don’t want anything hanging around even longer now at room-temp. Plus, it’s a more cathartic clean out moment when you go from fridge to trash to gone out of sight in one fell swoop.
Downsize. Compartmentalize. Inventorize. (It’s a real word!)
Most of us keep more on hand than we need - hence why this newsletter is called Rice Museum. We’re the biggest culprits over here.
We also have a comically small “specialty” size fridge because whoever remodeled this already small-spaced galley kitchen before us didn’t measure the counter length correctly and created a slim opening that doesn’t accommodate a standard size fridge. 🙄
So we have to be really thoughtful about what, how much and why we buy what we buy on a weekly basis. Which is kind of freeing to know that what fits is its!
Here are three key benefits that come from a full-on-fridge-fresh-up.
Downsize. Cooking is made more daunting by a sense of endless choices. By downsizing what you have and being conscientious of what you put back, you’re able to limit yourself - in a good way!
Compartmentalize. Most fridges have good intentions to help you store things. Honestly though, who has this design job because often, they miss the mark in actually being functional. With a clean slate cold, empty box, though, you can evaluate how things work best for you. Maybe that compartment you filled with canned drinks can be better utilized as a secondary veggie drawer. Maybe your eggs get too cold on the top shelf. These are all things you can discover throughout this process.
Inventorize. This clean out is also a great way to take inventory of what you already have to get a sense for what you actually use - and what you don’t.
We have SO. MANY. CONDIMENTS. Do we actually use them? Mostly, no. But we find ourselves trapped in a vicious circle of wanting to try a new bottled sauce, opening it, using it once, and having to refrigerate it because it says so. But then, we aren’t good about actually continuing to use it. (Here’s looking at you Jerk-Marinade circa 2021).
But when we clean out and inventory, we can now reevaluate our relationship with sauces while also seeing what we already have so that we (theoretically) don’t buy more to end up with three tubs of yogurt, five jars of pickles, or two full containers of sauerkraut.
Purpose in the Put Back
Once everything has been taken out, and soap, water, elbow grease, anti-bac wipes and towels have been used to clean shelves and drawers, it’s time to be intentional about putting stuff back in.
As the main grocery shopper, I’m usually pretty aware of what we have on hand. I bought it for a reason, right? But have also found that we will waste way less food when we go bonkers with the labeling.
I saw Ellen Marie Bennett (of my fave Hedley & Bennet) do this years ago and immediately ordered Chalk Ink Wet Wipe markers and haven’t looked back. They write on glass! They write on plastic! I can label my shelves, drawers, glass containers, jars, and more! Having worked in restaurants before, I used to be a big tape-and-sharpie label girl but these markers are more convenient.
I’ll note the cheeses, condiments, produce and proteins (and let the self-proclaiming containers do their own advertising) and erase the notes when things get used.
We also love a VegiBag to eco-keep our greens nice and fresh sans plastic. But you can’t see in them. So I label the crisper drawer to remind us what’s staying fresh inside all of those cloth bags. Otherwise, the whole purpose goes straight to the trash if our precious veg goes bad from lack of knowledge or neglect.
There is no worse feeling than when you open your fridge, reach in and discover that your beautiful fresh produce has gone slimy and gross. If you want more produce storage tips and tricks, let me know and I’ll drop a guide!
We can all benefit from a clean and organized fridge. It’s the best feeling ever. It gives us a moment to really understand what we use and what we choose to have on hand.
So hopefully you’re convinced that this is a worthwhile endeavor and you’re eyeballing a date in the near-future to roll up your sleeves, grab the rubber gloves and get label-happy.
No matter if you’re a type a or b person, you’ll feel super accomplished now and inspired and motivated to make the most of your chosen foods in the future, too.
Go you!