Refrigerator Refresh

Spring is finally here! After a snow-day/bus cancellation-filled winter season hibernating in the house, I couldn’t be happier to crack those windows open, clean everything and start fresh! This includes a good deep clean of the fridge!

Follow these 5 easy steps to do a refrigerator refresh:

 

• Empty

 

The first step is to empty out the fridge. I like to put everything on the counters and in a cooler (#foodsafety) until I get to step #3 where I triage it all. The best time to start this process is on the day of or before your next big grocery haul. 

 

• Clean

 

Now it’s time to give the fridge a good scrub down! Save yourself some money and a trip to the store by making your own eco-friendly cleaner. Mix:

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 

Pull out all the shelves and drawers and give them a good scrubbing. Give the outside of the fridge and door handle a good wipe down as well. 

 

• Triage

 

To throw or not throw out? That is the question! 

• Understand “best before” dates. You can buy and eat foods after the “best before” date has passed. It may have lost some of its freshness, flavour and nutritional value, and its texture may have changed. These “best before” dates are not indicators of food safety and they apply to unopened products only. 
• Consider freezing. Any food items that you don’t think you’ll get to before they spoil can be put in the freezer for another day. This is a great option for leftovers that you want to eat but won’t get to in time.
• Compost spoiled produce. Give your produce a new life by adding them to your compost bin. 
• If in doubt throw it out! Never use your nose, eyes or taste buds to judge the safety of food.

 

 

• Reorganize

 

An organized fridge will help keep your food fresher longer, reducing food waste. I like to keep those items that we use every day on one shelf and then leftovers or food we need to eat up quickly, on another. I have a special shelf for meat and fish that I don’t use for any other food to prevent cross contamination.

 

• Maintain 

 

I like to do a quick clean and organize each week or two before we create our list and buy the next haul of groceries. This gives me a sense of what is left in there that needs to be used up before stocking up again and helps to prevent any stubborn food stains.

 

Jenn Giurgevich is the founder of Spark Nutrition & Health, a virtual nutrition consulting business.
Visit www.sparknutritionandhealth.ca for more information.