One of my biggest trouble spots is the refrigerator door. I often pull out a jar of salsa or bottle of salad dressing only to wonder if eating it is going to make us all sick. I never know how long things last before they “go bad.”
My husband tends to err on the side of caution and throw everything away, where I usually give it the sniff test to determine whether it is safe to eat. If you would like a better method of determining the shelf life of food check out this awesome Shelf Life Guide from Still Tasty. It even has a search feature so you can find foods quickly. No more sniff test for me!
I was surprised to find out that opened salsa lasts a month in the fridge and molasses lasts forever.
I spent some time cleaning out my fridge and found a lot of food and condiments that needed to be thrown away. It was depressing and I felt like I was throwing money in the garbage can.
A good idea is to clean out your fridge before you go on your big shopping trip. This means most people will clean out their fridge every few weeks. Not only will you be able to toss expired food items, you will also be able to wipe down the shelves. I am sure if you have kids your shelves are probably not very clean!
Your refrigerator manual probably has recommendations for cleaners, but I use hot soapy water and it works well. I just empty the fridge, remove the shelves and bins, then wash in the sink. The whole process takes about 45 minutes if I haven’t done it in a while. Remember to wipe the bottom of the containers before you put them back into the fridge, it doesn’t make sense to put dirty bottles on a clean shelf!
Keeping your fridge clean and clutter free is an easy way to save money. If you know what is in your fridge you are less likely to purchase duplicate items and are more likely to use up what you already have at home.
Pascha Dudley says
Ugh! I go through the same…feel horrible throwing food/condiments out. I have repeat condiments in my pantry, too because I don’t check first. Thanks for the common sense tips.
Candi @ Family Stamping and FOOD! says
I used to clean apartments in my younger years and the fridge was always the worst thing to clean. Especially if there are pets indoor…the inside walls of the fridge catch the flying animal hair…this cured me of ever wanting an animal with fur indoor.
Tonya says
How true! I just blogged about this last week. It took 3 blogs to do my whole frig. 🙂
Liz says
So the stuff we brought from West Virginia probably isn’t good anymore?
TheHappyHousewife says
Well, considering I threw it out on Monday you might want to do the same…. 🙂
The Frugal Ima (Leigh Ann) says
Whoa…I *so* should not have read this post while furiously nesting. 🙂
Thanks for the reminder. Off to clean out my scuzzy fridge now….it really does feel soooo good to have a sparkling fridge. Especially when a dirty one would probably make me start hyperventilating if I really thought about it….
Florence says
I like to clean out one shelf a day. It takes very little time to wipe down one shelf or bin using the soapy water from the breakfast dishes.
Bree says
I try to keep up with the same concept… when I do a shelf or two a day really quick it keeps it from being a major hassle and it helps out with food waste issues. I think it was a Flylady email tip to divide your fridge up into a zones visually to include the door compartments and make sure you do one area a day. I try to make time for it when I unload the dishwasher in the a.m.
Kristen@TheFrugalGirl says
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the Food Waste Friday feature on my blog, but I’ve been fighting the battle against food waste for the last two years (I used to throw so much food away, it was pathetic!!).
Anyways, I just wanted to say that regular fridge inventory (just glancing around to see what needs to be used) has been essential for me. If I am always aware of what’s in there, we’re much more likely to actually use it up instead of letting it rot/mold.
TheHappyHousewife says
I haven’t seen it, but I will check it out this week. Thanks for letting me know!
Toni
Trina says
I did my fridge lastnight because I couldn’t stand to look at the biologies in there anymore. I’m usually pretty good about keeping things from spoiling, but these last couple weeks? Not so much.
In addition to cleaning the fridge before the big shop, I like to clean it up before compost pick up (which is today… hence my buring desire to purge my rotting cucumber lastnight).
Buffie says
I guess I should throw out that jar of salsa that has been opened in my fridge for the last 6 months.
The Still Tasty site has a great database. Does anyone have any experience with their iPhone App? I’m wondering if it’s worth the $1.99. I would love to have the alerts to when my food is going bad, but it looks like you have to go into the app to check that.
TheHappyHousewife says
I was wondering the same thing. Would love the app, but want to make sure it is as great as the website.
Toni
Becky says
Great reminder! Thanks for the tip about the Still Tasty site – I’ve got some work to do. 🙂
Sarah says
Do an internet search for the “Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad” You might even want to print it and leave it on your fridge!
Marsha says
You’re supposed to put molasses in the fridge? Oops.
I think it’s time for me to clean out my fridge and half the pantry. One half I’ve already done but I lost my oomph before I got to the other side. 🙂
Karen says
I date everything I open in the kitchen with a sharpie marker… After 17 years of marriage, dh even marks items he opens! I started this after living with my in-laws while we built a home. I found salad dressing 4+ years old in her fridge. Nasty! That doesn’t happen around here. 🙂
(I also date items in the pantry…)
Becky L. says
I have a new fridge now and it has glass shelves. The shelf with milk gets cleaned often with a wet cloth as the dried milk that comes off time tends to fall on the shelf. I am determined to keep this one much cleaner than my old, faithful 30 year old fridge. I blogged about it a few weeks ago, out with old, in with new fridge. I’ve not got all the magnets put back up yet.
I threw away a bunch of condiment packets we bring home with us. I didn’t know how old they were so they were gone. The freezer was another story! :0> Have a great weekend!