Mar 27 | Household Tips
As I mentioned yesterday, I worked ahead on today’s task because it’s little girl’s second birthday!
While I cleaned the fridge, she did laundry. I have her trained well 😉
Here’s what the fridge looked like before. Not to bad but it was dirtier than I thought!
The door shelves had a lot of crumbs and the racks had lots of sticky stuff.
Here’s the after. Not a huge noticeable difference, but a bit tidier and a lot less grimy! (Looks like we need some groceries!)
How did you do with your fridge cleaning? Was it dirtier or cleaner than you thought? Let us know in the comments!
Mar 27 | Household Tips
Having a clean and tidy fridge can save you some big money on your grocery bill. After all, if you know what you have stored in there, you won’t be buying doubles or letting it go to waste!
Here are some tips on how to clean your fridge and keep it organized:
What You will Need to clean with:
- A cloth or a sponge
- A sink full of soapy water
- A dish towel
- Glass cleaner (optional)
- Counter space or table space for organizing food
- A garbage can
How to Clean your Fridge:
Take everything out of the fridge
First of all, you’ll want to take everything out of the fridge and throw out any expired or rotten food. I found this guide for how long to keep food in the refrigerator on Good Housekeeping that you may find useful! (Also, I have to take things out one shelf at a time because we don’t have much counter space.)
Deep clean everything
Take out the shelves and drawers and give them a good wash in your sink with soapy water. Dry them well. Before you put the shelves and drawers back, be sure to wipe down every surface inside the fridge. Don’t forget to do the shelves in the door, the outside and the top of the fridge! We have a smaller fridge with no coils, but if you have a fridge with coils, be sure to vacuum them!
Wipe down any sticky jars/containers
Before you put your food back, wipe down any sticky jars or containers. Don’t forget to clean inside the lids of ketchup bottles and the like!
Now that you’re ready to put everything back, here are some tips to help you organize your fridge and keep it that way:
Make zones
Arrange everything by zones. Meaning, all meats should go on a bottom shelf so that they don’t spoil other foods if they leak. If you find yourself always reaching for the eggs and butter every morning, for example, be sure to place them together for your convenience. Salad dressings are always together in the top door shelf in our fridge. Likewise, I like to keep all bottled goods together in the door. Cheeses are also together in the cheese compartment in the door.
Use baskets
You may find that using baskets will help to keep you organized. Especially if you find you’re always shuffling small items around on the shelves to get the one item you need in the back. I recommend picking up some baskets from the dollar store if you think the basket system would work for you. No need for them to be expensive!
Use clear containers
This is one of my favourite tips that my Mom has thought me. Use clear containers to store any leftovers so you know exactly what you have on hand. If you can actually see what’s inside a particular container, you’re more likely to use it up!
Sort by date
When you get home from the grocery store, make sure to put items in according to the date if you have doubles. For example, say you brought home a second container of sour cream knowing that you’ll need it in a few days time. Make sure you put the new container behind the old/already opened container to ensure the old container won’t go bad before it’s used up.
Not everything belongs
Not all grocery items belong in the fridge. While a freezer is more efficient if it’s jam packed, a fridge will keep things longer if there’s space between the items. Here are some items that you may be keeping in the fridge but don’t necessarily belong there:
- Potatoes (these should never be kept in the fridge, but in a cool dry place)
- Tomatoes (their flavour is enhanced by sitting in a sunny window)
- Onions
- Apples (give off gases that will make other things ripen quickly)
- Eggs (if you use them quickly and buy them fresh, they can be left on the counter)
- Butter (store it in a butter keeper to keep it soft)
- Herbs (can be placed in a jar or vase, just like flowers!)
Did you learn anything new? Do you have any tips or systems that work well for you that you could share in the comments?
Mar 27 | Household Tips
Are you ready to get your Spring Clean on? I am! For the next three weeks, I’m setting aside some time to complete one task a day to be on my way to a cleaner home. I’d love for you to join me!
Task 4
- Clean out your fridge. I will have a post up today with details on how to clean your fridge and keep it organized! Make sure to wipe the top too!
As I go along, I’ll be purging items that I see we don’t need or use anymore. I’ll either put them in a donation box or try selling them on a local Facebook Buy & Sell site.
Get your FREE printable checklist
I’ve put together a printable checklist for you to reference over the next three weeks. If you’re interested in getting this free printable, sign up here for the Spring Cleaning email list! Along with the printable, you’ll receive an email each day with that day’s task and my end of the day update. There will also be useful articles for Spring Cleaning thrown in. At the end of the challenge, I’ll also be putting together an ebook that you will be able to get access to if you’re signed up for the Spring Cleaning email list!
Will you be joining me today? If so, leave a comment below!
Mar 26 | Household Tips
I’m here with my update, super late again, but I finished! Today was actually the first day since Sienna was born where I’ve felt quite accomplished in my To-Do list! Boy did it feel good, Sienna even played by herself on occasion without complaint!
Today I cheated a bit and worked ahead on tomorrow’s task because it’s Sienna’s second birthday tomorrow. I want to make sure I spend plenty of time doing fun things with her! (Also, where has the time gone??)
Today’s task was to clean the couches. We have leather couches with cushions that don’t come off so I just vacuumed in the cracks. But we did move the couches to vacuum underneath!
Before:
Vacuuming in the cracks:
The dust bunnies underneath:
After:
How did you do with today’s task? Please share in the comments!
Mar 26 | Household Tips
Are you ready to get your Spring Clean on? I am! For the next three weeks, I’m setting aside some time to complete one task a day to be on my way to a cleaner home. I’d love for you to join me!
Task 3
- Clean your couches. Remove the cushions to clean out any crumbs, loose change, toys…etc. Vacuum in every nook and cranny. Spot clean any dirty spots or wipe down entire couch if it’s leather.
As I go along, I’ll be purging items that I see we don’t need or use anymore. I’ll either put them in a donation box or try selling them on a local Facebook Buy & Sell site.
Get your FREE printable checklist
I’ve put together a printable checklist for you to reference over the next three weeks. If you’re interested in getting this free printable, sign up here for the Spring Cleaning email list! Along with the printable, you’ll receive an email each day with that day’s task and my end of the day update. There will also be useful articles for Spring Cleaning thrown in. At the end of the challenge, I’ll also be putting together an ebook that you will be able to get access to if you’re signed up for the Spring Cleaning email list!
Will you be joining me today? If so, leave a comment below!
Mar 25 | Household Tips
Well, our car is cleaner! It’s not perfect, but the stray toys, crumbs and dirt are gone! I didn’t get a chance to wash the mats so the mats still look quite dirty. Once it’s warmer, I intend on scrubbing the mats really well.
Here are the pictures for evidence:
After:
After, but the mats still look dirty!
Before:
Before:
Before:
How did you make out with today’s task? Let us know in the comments!
