10 Things: How to keep your refrigerator clean and tidy

Here are 10 tips for making sure your refrigerator is clean, hygienic and not a dumping ground for old food.

1. Every week, do a stocktake to check the expiration dates of everything in your fridge and do a big "throw out". The best day to do this is the night before your trash is collected so you are not creating a big stinky mess in your trash cans.  This basically means, go through all the dairy and left overs, as these are the things that are constantly perishable.
2. Every month, get into the habit of clearing the shelves so you can wipe them with soapy water. Alternatively, you can mix 1/4 cup bicarbonate of soda with 1 quart of warm water to naturally clean and deodorize.  Wiping the shelves is really important in keeping everything hygienic.
3. Everytime you wipe your kitchen counters, try to wipe down the front of the fridge, especially the handles.  The refrigerator is one of the most touched things in the kitchen and the handles can be a breeding ground for bacteria due to sticky hands and food residue left on the surface. This takes less than a minute at a time and once you form this habit, you will notice how nice your fridge always looks.
4. I am not against magnets and personal accolades adorning the fridge but if you do have them on your fridge, try to keep it neat and uncluttered.  Try to go through everything weekly and decide what is to be discarded, which to file away as a keepsake and what remains on the fridge.
5. Have you ever stored your food according to categories? It is simple and keeps the fridge very neat and tidy.  Use the drawers for cheeses and cold meats. Drinks such as larger juice bottles and milk can take up the large middle shelf and then try to use just one shelf for all your leftovers.  Raw meats should always be kept at the bottom to contain any potential contaminations from drippings or escaped raw meat juices. Reserve the door storage for dressings, sauces and jars. Starting the categorization in the beginning will seem silly and tedious but once your fridge is sorted, you will see how easy it is to complete No. 1 above and also how neat the inside becomes.
6. Always store your leftovers in tupperware-style containers and never in bowls with plastic wrap on top. Cooked food should always be kept airtight to prevent contamination and to extend its longevity.  Additionally, containers with lids helps promote a greater stacking system, so you get the most out of the limited fridge space you have.
7. Start buying those zip-lock bags. They aren't cheap but you can buy these in bulk at Sam's Club or Costco.  Whenever you open a package that requires re-packing, using plastic wrap and then inserting the food into another zip-lock will not only mean everything is neat and tidy but it will increase the shelf life of your food and put money back in your wallet in the end.  Products that do well with this system include block cheeses and packets of cold lunch meats/bacon.
8. Every week, take everything out of the fruit and vegetable drawers and wipe them down.  These drawers collect so much dirt and debris that if you don't do this, not only does it compromise the fresh new items you put in these drawers but it also stains the drawers and makes the fridge smell
9. At the rear of your top shelf, keep a small open container of bicarbonate of soda (about 2 Tbsp). This will help eliminate nasty odors through an easy absorption method. The bicarbonate only needs to be replaced every couple of weeks and is a very inexpensive way of deodorizing your refrigerator.
10. Regularly check your thermostats.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states, "Keeping foods chilled at proper temperatures is one of the best ways to prevent or slow the growth of these bacteria." Read more: Correct Temperatures for Refrigerators | eHow.com Getting it wrong poses serious health risks to yourself and others.  Although the FDA requires the refrigerator thermostat to be at or below 40 degrees (F) to maintain quality and slow bacterial growth, most refrigerator manufacturers and repair centers will tell you that 38 degrees is the optimum temperature.  We tend to keep ours at 36-37 degrees but do note that below 35 degrees, your refrigerator will require a forced defrost cycle and it will use additional energy.