You probably know about creating zones in the kitchen, but have you ever created zones in your refrigerator? You may think, "Why must I make zones in my refrigerator?" It sounds a little OCD. Don't worry; this will be quick and painless, I promise. I divide my fridge into zones: the lunch area, the drinks area, the condiments area, and the leftover zone. We will talk about the freezer zones another time. Follow along and get your zones organized!
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Benefits of organizing your refrigerator
There are many benefits to organizing your refrigerator. Below are just some that may convince you.
- It will save you money, $$$$. How often have you bought something because you thought it ran out, only to find it in the back behind something larger? By creating zones, you can stop this madness.
- It will save you time! Yes, when planning your dinner, you can see exactly what you have to help you figure out what dinner will be for that night.
These two big benefits will save you a ton of time and money. You will only need to spend one hour setting these zones up in your refrigerator.
Below are the refrigerator zones I recommend to my clients.
The Lunch Zone
In the lunch zone, this can hold anything that would be used for lunch. I place items like cheeses, cold cuts, etc. Anything I would use to make sandwiches.
- I also added plastic trays to hold puddings, hummus, and yogurt so the kids could find them easily at lunchtime.
Type of container to use?
For this zone, I like to use containers with open tops and deep sides. Acrylic containers work well in this area.
Large Storage Bins acrylic - 2 Pack, Clear
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The Drinks Zone
In the drinks zone, I place items such as milk and juice at eye level when I open the door. However, I do not put these on the door; they are always inside the fridge.
- I added the wine holder acrylic trays to lay bottles on their sides. They work great for wine, beer, and small bottles of juice.
Type of container to use?
These containers can be stackable and acrylic. Below is an example or two of one from Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate).
mDesign Drink Organizer Bin for Tall Skinny Soda/Pop Cans - Clear
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Wine bin Plastic Free-Standing Wine Set Rack Storage Organizer
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The Condiment Zone
For the condiment zone, you can easily use the doors and subdivide the areas by type. Each door bin has its category contained in it:
- Toppings for sandwiches
- Meat marinades
- Additions to salads
- Sundae toppings
- Butter in the butter tray
The Leftover Zone
The Leftover Zone is usually on the top shelf of the fridge, so I can pull from them fast, and it won't get lost in the back of the refrigerator.
Type of container to use?
You can also use the large bins for the leftover zone. If the items are already in storage containers, you can stack them on the side of a refrigerator shelf. Below is an example from Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate).
Large Storage Bins acrylic - 2 Pack, Clear
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
The Meal Prep Zone
In the Meal Prep Zone, determine your daily use and place it in this area. You can even use a bin just for dinner that night. Hold items that need refrigerated in the bin so that when you return home, you can take out the container and be ready to go.
Type of container to use?
You can easily use the large storage bins for this area as well. Below is an example from Amazon (Affiliate Link) (affiliate).
Large Storage Bins acrylic - 2 Pack, Clear
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Having these zones in your refrigerator is very helpful when moving stuff in and out of the refrigerator. But what about the other items? Visit our post for additional tips (10 Tips to Keep Your Refrigerator Organized) Here are some additional tips to help you maximize your usability in your fridge.
- Use narrow bins for packaged apple sauce, yogurt, and other small, quick snack items.
- Make your own baggies of snacks and store them on an open-top plastic or acrylic tray.
- Use a bin for lunch meat condiments and lunch meats.
- Place a container on the shelf that says "meat to use for dinner." In it, place only dinner meat.
- Line drawers with fabric liners and periodically replace them as they get old.
- Use stackable storage containers and designate an area in the fridge just for leftovers.
- Use mason jars (Affiliate Link) as needed to store herbs and asparagus vertically.
That's it! It wasn't that bad, right? What zones do you use in your refrigerator organization? Do you have tips to share? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!
Want to organize your deli drawer, check out our DIY refrigerator drawer organization post.
Carol Jones says
I know someone who, being realistic about her haphazard consistency of preparing meals, refers to her vegetable crisper drawer as her composter drawer!
Hazel Thornton says
I've always been a fan of The Leftover Zone, which I call The Eat First Shelf (because food can start to get old and need to be used up without being, strictly, a leftover)! The handier the better.
Janet Barclay says
My refrigerator is fairly well organized, but I'm starting to discover the advantages of using containers for small items on shelves. I'm tired of having cheese fall down the back!
Linda Samuels says
Recently I introduced a clear plastic "fridge bin" to hold different beverage bottles. I like how it keeps them neatly on the shelf. We have zones for things, but until I read your post, I hadn't exactly thought of them that way. The main thing is that we know where to find stuff like berries on the berry shelf, cheese in the cheese drawer, and veggies in the vegetable drawer.
Jill Robson says
Sabrina, I also use baskets to coral the stuff in my fridge. I always keep the juice and milk in the same place, and left overs in the bottom next to the extra milk bags.