7 tips to a more organized fridge and freezer

GET TO KNOW THE TEMPERATURE ZONES Understand the landscape of your fridge — warmer and colder areas, for example. The goal is to keep food safe and edible so you avoid wasting it, Carothers

says. The door is the warmest area, and the back of the fridge the coldest. So the door is best for storing your least perishable items — ketchup and other condiments — while milk and eggs

should go toward the back. It’s the same in your freezer — anywhere near the door, the temperature will fluctuate when the freezer is open, Carothers says. But the fluctuation isn’t as

critical in the freezer as in the fridge since its colder temperatures even out more quickly, she says.  An important reminder when it comes to temperature: Leave room for airflow. A “wall”

of food reduces airflow and makes the fridge less effective at cooling, so perishables won’t last as long. Samsung recommends keeping at least half an inch of space between items in your

fridge and checking that they don’t block air vents. It’s OK to have your freezer pretty full, Hradek says, but not packed so tightly that air can’t circulate.  ASSIGN CATEGORIES TO SHELVES

FRIDGE AND FREEZER PRO TIPS Keep a simple food thermometer in your refrigerator, so you know it’s working at optimum capacity. Fridges should be kept at 40 degrees or lower; freezers at 0

degrees or below. That will help food last longer, Hradek says. If you lose power, a half-full fridge will keep things cold for about four hours; after that, move the contents to an ice

chest or cooler. Your freezer is good for about 24 hours. Things might thaw, but if the freezer stays under 40 degrees, meat can be safely refrozen. It will affect quality, not safety,

Carothers says. Create zones in your appliances, says Lela Burris, blogger and owner of Organized-ish of Chattanooga, Tennessee. “Instead of being ultra-specific on what exact items will go

where, designate categorized zones: one shelf for meats and prepackaged meals, one section for drinks, dedicated section for leftovers. That allows you to not stress over placement.” So, for

example, instead of having an exact place for hamburger meat, have a basket or drawer for storing all meats. PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED Leave extra space in your fridge for, say, a bulky to-go

box, says Naeemah Ford Goldson, owner of Restore Order Professional Organizing in Atlanta. “You can leave space for things — leave space for leftovers, leave space for things like food that

friends might bring over to your home,” she says. It’s a good idea for your freezer too — just in case you come across a good deal on something you can’t eat all at once.  Getty Images

DON’T BE LURED IN BY FANCY CONTAINERS If you have a system in place, you don’t need all the chic containers in rainbow order that you see on social media. “That is definitely something

that’s not easy to maintain,” Ford Goldson says. “I’m not a big fan of decanting items that belong in the fridge.” For starters, you’ll just have to wash all those containers before you go

to the store to refill them, Hradek says. She recommends paying more attention to functionality and less to looks, but most importantly, you should find a system you can maintain. “Whatever

you’ll be able to maintain has more value than something that you might do once, but then never be able to do it again because you don’t have the gumption,” she says.