Spring Cleaning for Your Refrigerator

Spring cleaning means cleaning out all of those areas of your home that you have been neglecting. One particular area is your refrigerator. You undoubtedly have salad dressing that has seen better days, expired condiments, and other questionable items. How long does coffee creamer last anyway? Your West Palm packing and moving company knows a thing or two about spring cleaning and organization, and we can help you keep your fridge looking its best all year round....so listen up!

Start by taking everything out of your refrigerator. This will let you clean the inside with warm, soapy water. Once it is dry, you can line the bottom of the drawers with paper towels or liners to keep them clean. Next, go through all of the food. Dump anything that is expired, questionable, or things that no one in your family likes. Once that little chore is done, it is time to put it back. But when you do so, you should have a strategy, because once your refrigerator is looking its best, you want to keep it that way. You will also want to keep your food at its freshest. Did you know certain parts of your refrigerator are best-suited to house certain items? Here are some tips for keeping your fridge and food at their best:

• The back of the bottom shelf tends to be the coldest place in the fridge, so that is where dairy should go. While milk always ends up on the top shelf, try keeping it on the bottom in the back along with yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream. This may take some time to get used to, but it will keep your dairy at its freshest.

• The back of the bottom shelf is also where you should keep raw meats, because it is the coldest area and will prevent bacteria from growing. This will also prevent any juices from dripping all over the place.

• Veggies should be kept in the high-humidity drawers, because they will last longest this way. Fruits, on the other hand, should be kept in the crisper or low-humidity drawer.

• Deli meats should be kept in the small meat drawer, since it is usually a bit colder than the refrigerator's average temperature. This will help your lunchmeat last longer.

• Keep eggs in the middle of the refrigerator, because that is where the temperature remains the most constant.

• The door of the fridge is where you should keep condiments and salad dressings. It is the warmest part of the fridge, but that is okay for these items, because they are typically high in salt. Juice can also be stored here.

• Do not store food on the top of the refrigerator. Warm air pumps out of the top of the fridge, so keeping bread, cereal, wine, or any other food items on top is not a good idea. Instead, use this space to store small appliances; like a crockpot, blender, or even your cookbooks.

Keeping your refrigerator clean and organized will keep your family healthy. It will also ensure that you are not buying doubles or things that you do not need. It is just one small part of spring cleaning, but it will make a big difference once the chore is done!