If your door-in-door refrigerator could talk, what would it say? Would it complain about the various expired condiments hanging out on the top shelf? Maybe it would tell the tale of that green pepper that has been living in your veggie drawer for months. The truth of the matter is that most people struggle to keep their fridges organized. For some reason, it’s easier to throw food inside, shut the door, and forget about it. With the door-in-door feature on your fridge, though, you could be using that space to your advantage. Here are a few tips and tricks to help your fridge stay organized—whether it’s a side-by-side, French door, or door-in-door model.
Use Your Door-in-Door Space Wisely
While your door-in-door feature looks snazzy, it’s also functional. Its main use is to allow you access to those things you use frequently. Opening the door-in-door is a quick way to grab those items that you need without having to open the entire fridge, letting cool air out. It keeps your food fresher and your fridge more efficient. To utilize this feature more fully, store those items that you use frequently in the outside part of the door-in-door feature. Butter, ketchup, milk, and juice are excellent things to keep here.
Door-in-door fridges give you an additional way to access often-used foods without airing out the entire interior.
Put the Condiments in the Door
The condiments that you don’t use frequently shouldn’t take up space in your door-in-door. Instead, move them to the inside of the larger door. This frees up the space on your shelves for larger items that can’t fit in the compartments on the door. Plus, the compartments on the door prevent bottles and jars from rolling all over or getting tipped over, preventing spills. Also, don’t forget to go through your condiments regularly to ensure that anything that is expired gets thrown away.
Adjust Your Shelves
Refrigerators are designed with adjustable shelves. Use them! Move different sections to fit the food that you have in your fridge at the time. If you typically have 3 gallons of milk in your fridge, create a shelf specifically designed to fit the length of the cartons. As you shop and load your fridge with different foods, adjust the height of your shelves again to allow for maximum organization.
Keep the Dairy in the Back
The back of your fridge is the coldest. That’s why it’s an ideal place for your dairy products. Cheese, yogurt, and sour cream will all fare the best the colder that they are. Plus, dairy typically comes in larger containers. By stacking them toward the back of your fridge, it makes them easier to see and they don’t block any of your other items.
Separate Your Fruits and Veggies
If you have crisping drawers in your fridge, it’s time to start using them to their full potential. When used correctly, these drawers can extend the life of your produce. Separate your fruits and vegetables and place them in different drawers. Adjust the humidity of the vegetable crisper to a higher level and lower the humidity of the fruit drawer. You’ll find that your produce tastes farm-picked for much longer!
Label Your Containers
Whether they’re leftovers or freshly picked berries, each of the containers in your fridge should be labeled. Place a piece of masking tape on the lid or front of your containers. Then, write a brief description of what’s inside as well as the date that it was placed in the fridge. This makes it easier to grab what you want and go as opposed to opening various containers and guessing what’s inside.
A quick strip of tape on leftover containers will keep you informed of what’s inside, and how long it’s been sitting in your fridge.
Leave the Leftovers up Top
How many times have you put a container of leftovers on the bottom shelves of your fridge and forgotten all about them? That’s because they are out of sight and out of mind. Instead, keep your leftovers where you can see them. Up top is typically best because they are eye level. This will remind you that they’re there and ready to be eaten.
Clean Your Fridge
You wipe off your counters regularly and do the dishes on a daily basis, but how often do you clean out your fridge? Wiping down the shelves, cleaning out old food, and checking for expired condiments should be done frequently. It keeps your fridge looking nice and it prevents food from rotting and stinking up your home.
Your door-in-door refrigerator can be the most organized area of your home with a little bit of work! Take the time to arrange and maintain your space. You’ll find that it’s easier to find the food that you want and keep things fresh.
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