Want to know how to organize a refrigerator? Here are some simple tips and ideas to keep everything in its place.

It’s one of the most overlooked places to organize in the house. But now? My refrigerator is organized and ready for anything.

How to organize a refrigerator

Y’all.

Just when I was running out of places to organize in the house?

I found the refrigerator.

If you’ve never organized the refrigerator before—let me be the first to encourage you to step on board the refrigerator organizing train.

Toot toot.

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that brings me as much joy as I get every time I open up this silver door.

The shelves behind the door look like they stepped out of an episode of Tik Tok. The refrigerator is organized from top to bottom.

And now?

My shelves stay clean.

My produce lasts SO MUCH longer.

My salad dressing is ready to shimmy and shake.

Here’s how I did it (and the BEST products to get your fridge organized, too, that you might not have thought of).

How to organize a refrigerator drinks

How to Organize a Refrigerator

1. Start with the cleanout

YOU CAN DO THIS.

Yes.

Yes, you CAN.

Set a timer and start with 30 minutes. Then get started:

  • take everything out of one shelf and set it on the counter
  • check for expired items and things that need to be tossed
  • wipe down the shelf completely with a microfiber cloth
  • I even wrapped a q-tip around the microfiber cloth to get the edges clean, too
  • I started with one shelf and 30 minutes, but it was so much fun I just kept going—if you only have time for one shelf, just clean that one out and stop there and come back for the other shelves later

(total aside: if you aren’t using microfiber cloths—you should look at getting on that train, too. They have CHANGED my cleaning routine completely. I just add a little bit of water to them and wipe everything down without cleaner. You can wipe down the outside of a stainless fridge like mine without any streaks and then turn around and wipe down the countertops. These are my favorites and they have over 63,000 reviews.)

How to organize a refrigerator inside

2. Group like items

Plan out what you need to store in your fridge in zones.

Your fridge is different than ours. You have to figure out what works for your life and your cooking and eating.

Here are a few suggested zones:

  • tall drinks (milk, orange juice, soda)
  • shorter bottles and cans (water, soda, sparkling water)
  • butter
  • cheeses
  • meats
  • vegetables
  • fruits
  • condiments (mayonnaise, mustard, honey, ketchup, bbq sauce)
  • leftovers

If you have a “zone” or a place where everything goes, you’ll know how to adjust your shelving and bins.

How to organize a refrigerator vegetables

3. Remove packaging and use clear bins instead

Removing the packaging helps reduce clutter in the fridge and keep it so much better organized.

We have a LOT of fruits and vegetables in our fridge. My husband likes them and it’s such a great way to have easy snacks at the ready.

As soon as they come home from the grocery store, I remove them from the wrapping and wash them and add them to clear bins. It’s what keeps me on track with snacks and eating healthy.

I LOVE these clear food storage bins. They come in a variety of sizes and the lid pushes down to keep the air out and they snap in place.

You can see them here and here.

  • they are super sturdy plastic that’s BPA free
  • they come in 4.7 and 3.2 cup sizes (both are featured in this picture)
  • the fruits and vegetables stay fresher so much longer in these containers
  • I can tell at a glance what I have
  • I take them with me in the car to snack on

4. Add extra drawers

These drawers are kind of a game-changer.

They snap in place onto your existing shelves and add extra storage immediately.

You can see them for under $20 here.

them for under $20 here. come with adjustable grids, too, for the drawers.

I added the grids to one of the drawers to see if I would actually use it and filled it with ketchup packets and salsa packets and salad dressing containers.

I’m not sure if I’ll keep it or get more use out of it as just a drawer.

The drawers are super sturdy and easy to add to your existing shelves. Just make sure you untwist the screws to extend the length to fit your shelves securely. They have a mechanism in the drawers to keep them snug on the shelves to allow the drawers to pull in and out smoothly.

5. Use clear bins to organize other items

The basic tenet of any organizing project is to keep a place for everything and keep everything in its place.

I ordered several different sets of bins to see which ones I liked best:

6. Line your bins

Now that everything is clean and organized, one of the easiest ways to keep it clean is to add clear, transparent bin liners.

You can see them here.

You simply cut them to fit the bins in the fridge and they help to keep the bins clean.

My fridge shelves stay SO MUCH cleaner now that I have everything in clear bins and food storage containers.

Here are a few more tips to keep your refrigerator a clean, mean food machine:

  • make sure left-overs and perishables are stored in the front of the fridge
  • keep fruits and vegetables in separate containers
  • keep milk and eggs in the main fridge where it’s cooler rather than the door
  • store items that are more stable in the door, like jams and condiments
  • use the bottom shelf to store meats
  • a lazy susan is a great way to keep smaller items organized

I’ve linked all my favorite ways to keep the fridge organized here:

Let me know if you have any fridge organizing tips.

It takes a village to drive this train. 🙂

PS Let me know if you have any questions about anything! I’ll meet you by the fridge.

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Comments

  1. Image for Debbie Debbie

    Amazing organization KariAnne!! I need to do a little more fridge organizing so I may tackle that today. I love a clean fridge! Next it’s the pantry! 🥹 Thanks for your continued inspiration!!

  2. Image for Stacie Stacie

    I think I have way too many condiments in my fridge lol. You're an inspiration!! Where are your leftovers? What about bags of shredded cheese or lettuce?

  3. Image for Diana Clark Diana Clark

    I tried the clear egg container and my husband hates it so I had to leave mine in the carton. Men can be interesting. Anyway, I love that you have your veggies and fruits available for eating healthy.

  4. Image for Jodena Beale Jodena Beale

    I have been ordering refrigerator organization for the last few month. The one thing I find handy is my turntable I added to the refrigerator Just spin and find your condiment/dressing. I have a counter depth refrigerator so some things dont work in mine so I always have to measure. Your refrigerator looks organized and darling. Have a great day.

  5. Image for Donna Marie Donna Marie

    My refrigerator looks amazing after I started using the Rubbermaid storage containers. I also make sure all my items face the front, as silly as it sounds, it does make your frig looks more organized (as well as your pantry and other kitchen cabinets.)

  6. Image for Judy Judy

    I hate throwing away food. I’ve found that glass containers made by Anchor Hocking or Pyrex (they are both made in the USA!) keep my veggies and fruits a minimum of THREE WEEKS! My fridge is loaded with these all the time. Also, strawberries and blueberries can be washed with baking soda, rinsed well, dried on a microfiber dish towel and stored for three weeks in the glass containers. I have been amazed at how much more I like the glass than the plastic. I have a large rectangular Pyrex container with a lid that holds a large container of spring mix. I just place a paper towel inside to help absorb moisture and it keeps for three weeks.

  7. Image for June June

    We will be hitting a seasonal total of 80” of snow this week…wanna escape the heat ofTexas?? Great post! We are hoping to downsize this year so I have been busy reorganizing all of our spaces. Our refrigerator doesn’t need a cleaning as much as it needs better visual organization help. Your ideas are great so I will be putting together a plan this week and get some things ordered. Curious why do refrigerators have fruit and produce drawers that hold barely nothing and yet every organizing article I read shows great storage like today’s post? Have you had any problems with produce being outside those traditional drawers? Love those microfiber clothes you recommend. Have you discovered Dawn’s Power Wash? Amazing. I don’t use it on my cookware much but have discovered other uses. Try it on your window and patio tracks. Quick and cleans really well!

  8. Image for Michele M. Michele M.

    Oh I just love a clean fridge! Well done, KA!! SoL are you going to get yourself a couple or at least one of those clear egg containers? I love mine! Always makes me smile. And I love those storage units. I use them for dry goods and leftovers and noodles of all shapes and sizes.

Comments are closed.