Organizing Services for Boomers, Seniors & Heirs
WHEN MY daughter said “Mom, the refrigerator is gross,” I realized it is another space that needs organization. A refrigerator-freezer is similar to any other cabinet or closet in your house. Equipped with shelves, drawers and compartments, the fridge has built-in organization.
Before we begin, form a vision. Consider that everything you do or have either supports your life or detracts from it. Thus, take inventory of where you are with food. Doing so will help you make decisions about how to organize the food in your refrigerator and freezer. Questions to ask include:
Get started
With those questions in mind, let’s head to the fridge. Start at the top and work down.
Refilling tips
You’ve weeded out surplus food, now it’s time to reload your clean fridge. Keep in mind basic storage principles:
Meet Mr. Freezer
In the freezer, use a permanent marker to label items with date and contents. Freeze extras in gallon zip-lock bags, which store flat and can be stacked easily.
If your freezer doesn’t have much divided space, purchase storage baskets made of coated steel. (Tight budget? Cardboard boxes also work.) Group similar items together in the baskets: frozen vegetables in one, meat in another.
Keep a running inventory of freezer contents. Depending on your inclination, you can keep this on your computer or on a handwritten list posted on the inside of a cupboard door. Remember to add and delete items as they are used.
Final touch
Check out the front of your fridge. Does it look like a magnet for paper? Remove flyers, schedules and other reminders, tossing any expired events. Magnets seem to multiply on a fridge. Pare them down to a reasonable amount, one per family member.
Wipe down the front of the refrigerator, using Goof-Off for scuffs that don’t come off easily.
Enjoy the difference an organized refrigerator-freezer makes in supporting your life.