Pick a cooler part of the day (morning or evening) and:

1. Turn a cooler bag or insulated bag into a temporary home for sensitive items.
2. Shelf by shelf, take everything out of the fridge.
3. Check dates and quickly sort into: keep, use-soon, or bin/compost.

Give shelves, drawers and seals a quick clean – warm soapy water is fine. You don’t need it sparkling; just crumb-free and wipe-clean so your organisers sit flat.

This is your chance to see what’s really in there and how your fridge is currently being used (or misused).

A well-organised fridge isn’t about being “picture perfect”. It’s about giving everything a clear home, so it’s easy to see and use.

For summer, a simple zone layout might be:

• Top shelf / eye-level: leftovers, ready-to-eat food
• Middle shelves: dairy, dips, everyday items
• Crisper drawers: fruit and veg
• Lower shelf: raw meat, marinating items
• Door: condiments, drinks that aren’t sensitive to small temperature changes

Be especially careful with raw meat and seafood in warm weather – keep these on the lowest shelf in a tub so there’s no chance of leaking onto other food.

This is where fridge organisers shine. Instead of loose jars and packets everywhere, you’re creating containers within the container.

Clear Fridge Tubs

Clear tubs are perfect for:

• Kids’ snacks – cheese sticks, yoghurts, cut fruit
• Breakfast items – butter, spreads, yoghurt, jams
• BBQ supplies – sauces, marinades, meats (in their packaging)

Benefits:

• You can slide one tub out to see everything
• Spills are contained inside the tub, not across the whole shelf
• It’s easier to tell when you’re running low on key items

Turntables for Hard-to-Reach Corners

A turntable (lazy Susan) in the fridge is a game-changer for:

• Jars and sauces
• Relishes and pickles
• Opened condiments you use often

Instead of reaching into the back and knocking things over, you just turn the organiser and everything is visible.

Can & Bottle Organisers

If your fridge turns into a drink station in summer, use can/bottle organisers to:

• Stack cans without them rolling everywhere
• Keep sparkling water or soft drinks in one dedicated section
• Free up space for food by preventing “random can sprawl”

Leftovers can be a lifesaver for busy weeks – or a science experiment waiting to happen.

To handle them safely and neatly:

1. Use shallow containers so leftovers cool quickly and stack easily.
2. Dedicate one “Leftovers” zone at eye level, so nothing gets forgotten.
3. Label containers with what it is and the date it needs to be eaten by.

Good candidates for a dedicated leftovers tub:

• Cooked meats
• Roast or steamed vegetables
• Pasta and rice dishes
• Curries and stews

A “leftovers tub” makes it easy for family members to know where to look first for lunch or quick dinners.

We all know the feeling: you buy tons of fresh produce… and then half of it ends up sad and forgotten in the crisper.

To fix this:

• Prep fruit and veg as soon as you can – wash, chop and store in clear containers.
• Use one tub for ready-to-eat fruit (grapes, cut melon, berries) and store it at eye level.
• Keep salad ingredients together: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, prepped veggies.

Whatever you’d love your household to choose more often, put it front and centre in clear tubs, not buried in drawers.

Labels aren’t just for pantries. Simple labelling inside your fridge can dramatically reduce waste and confusion:

• Label tubs by category: Snacks, Breakfast, BBQ, Dairy, Leftovers, Sauces.
• Use small fridge-safe labels or marker pens to write dates on leftovers.

That way, instead of guessing how old something is, you can see at a glance whether it’s still okay.

A summer-proof fridge isn’t about one big clean; it’s about a quick weekly check-in. Once a week:

1. Open your “Leftovers” tub and toss anything past its safe use date.
2. Wipe down tubs and shelves that have spills.
3. Move older items to the front.
4. Check what needs to be used before your next grocery shop.

These few minutes each week will:

• Reduce food waste
• Keep odours away
• Stop your fridge from slipping back into chaos