Here we are at the end of July already. Is it just me, or is 2021 just flying by? This week, in the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge, we finish our kitchen clean-up by decluttering the fridge and freezer. Like last week’s pantry clean-out, this is a task that’s long overdue for me.
Are you ready for week 30? Let’s get decluttering!
What is the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge?
In this year-long journey, we’re tackling one task at a time with the goal of cleaning up and organizing our homes. If you’ve just joined us, no worries. You can jump right in with this week’s challenge. Just check out the first two posts in the series to download your free checklists.
You can get easy access to all previous weekly posts on the main Decluttering page.
Week 30 – Decluttering the fridge and freezer
This week, I’m sticking to the fridge and freezer in our kitchen.
We do have a large, upright freezer in the basement but that’s a task for another day. It’s actually not too bad – switching from a chest freezer to an upright freezer a couple of years ago was a very smart move. Unlike the chest freezer, I can see everything when I open the door which definitely helps keep things organized. It kind of makes me wonder why the same principle doesn’t apply to the fridge. Maybe it’s because I open the fridge door so many times in a day I don’t really pay attention to what’s there because I think I know what’s there.
This week’s decluttering and organizing tips
This was a fairly straightforward task. No sentimental items to worry about in the fridge! As a result, I only have three simple tips to share this week.
- First and foremost, I definitely need to make a point of emptying out the fridge more often. I do empty it out to clean but I’m usually in a hurry so I end up just putting everything right back without checking for expired items.
- I used a small basket in the freezer to keep some of the smaller items a bit more organized.
- Finally, I need to limit the number of condiments I buy to what we will actually use. A lot of what I got rid of were expired, half-empty bottles of salad dressing and other condiments.
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What I got rid of
I found all sorts of interesting things lurking at the back of my fridge shelves. In total, I got rid of 27 expired food items, and 2 ice packs that go with water bottles we no longer own. Now the challenge will be to only buy what I need in the future.
And here are some before & after shots. Definitely a lot less cluttered!
So that’s week 30 done. Next week, I’m moving on to our home office.
If you have friends or family members who could benefit from a little less clutter in their lives, please share this post and spread the word!
How do you stay on top of the contents in your fridge and freezer? I’d love to hear your tips below.
Well done, Michelle! I honestly have no tips to share when it comes to decluttering the fridge and freezer. I think having three salsas opened at once lurking in my fridge is not a good indication as to how well I do at fridge/freezer decluttering! LOL
Ha ha. I found some of that when I cleared out mine, too!
I need to declutter my freezer, it is jam-packed. I’m guessing because I don’t know it is probably a lot of frozen veg. This post has inspired me to overhaul it, my family will have to get used to eating veg curries and chillis for the next week or so.
Ha ha. It’s always good to challenge yourself to use things up.
I HATE throwing away food, so getting me to clear out the fridge and freezer can be monumental tasks. Yesterday when my groceries weren’t fitting in the fridge I finally realized it was time to clear some items out. It’s not a very concrete plan, but it works for now
I can relate. I always think I am on top of things and then I’m surprised and disappointed when I learn I am not. I need to find a better system.
Looks good! I only buy what I need for the week and I plan the next weeks meals based on stuff that I have. About every other month I do a quick decluttering session in my fridge and freezer in case I missed anything.
Oh wow. You are way more disciplined and organized than me! That’s fantastic.
When I stopped working I started planning my meals that way to save money. When I realized it helped keep my fridge clutter-free and helped me to not waste food it was an easy habit to keep.
Looks great! I think cleaning out the fridge & freezer is something that many of us avoid. I try to keep an eye on items and try to use them up before they expire and have to be thrown out… but sometimes little things like condiments or some left over broth or cream cheese or whatever get really thrown in there and it’s easy for forget. 🙁
It’s definitely something that’s easy to overlook. Even though I try to stay on top of it, I’m always surprised at how much stuff I find when I do a good clearout.
I’m generally not too bad at keeping on top of my fridge and freezer but, it’s always a shock to find something has grown a furry coat! 😱
Ha ha. That is so true. Sometimes you find some scary things lurking in the back. 🤢
We just did the fridges yesterday before going away. Do not want to get back to find the cheese trying to pick a fight with the coleslaw. The freezer on the other hand contains macaroni cheese of unknown date, 3 yr old stewed red cabbage and plums waiting to be made into jam.
We try to stay on top of things by labelling them with the date. It doesn’t always work. 😂
I try to at least label with the contents to avoid guessing games
I agree about the upright freezer. I was overjoyed when we purchased one years ago. It does make it so much easier, no more digging deep ‘just knowing’ that something I wanted/needed was lurking at the bottom.
Oh man. I don’t miss those days at all!
My most fun (?) adventure with the one we had, was due to someone somehow unplugging it and everything getting thawed out. I had a mess to clean up and because I caught it while everything at the bottom was still cold, a lot of cooking to do. I feared getting a case of frostbite though in process. I really prefer my upright.