Hey guys, It’s Olivia! I love a good bin. I sometimes even love a bin inside of a bin...just ask Melanie, I often encounter clients eager to put those fun organizational bins in their refrigerators, believing they’ll streamline meal prep, reduce food waste, and have an aesthetically pleasing fridge. However, while bins can be helpful in some contexts, they often fall short when it comes to effective refrigerator organization. Our first question is always to a client, “Will you keep up with the bins?” More often than not, the answer is no. Below are some reasons why bins don’t always work in a refrigerator:
1. Visibility Issues
One challenge with using bins in the refrigerator is that they can obscure visibility. When items are tucked away in bins, it’s easy to forget what you have on hand. Don’t get me wrong, this also happens without the bins, haha. This can lead to duplicate purchases and ultimately, food waste. Those veggies you swore you would cook this week- they will be forgotten in or out of a bin (happens to the best of us).
2. Limited Flexibility
This is always my biggest concern. Refrigerators aren’t static environments. They often need to accommodate various shapes and sizes of items, from tall bottles to small containers. Bins can limit the flexibility of how you store your food. Have you ever looked at those beautifully staged refrigerator interiors? All I ever think is, “ Who eats all of that in a week?” “ Who actually eats the same exact foods weekly?” “ Do you really never get take out?” No thanks. I have kids, their tastes change like the wind.
3. Increased Clutter
While bins are designed to create organization, they can sometimes contribute to clutter instead. If bins aren’t regularly cleaned out or emptied, they can become catch-alls for expired or forgotten items. This defeats the purpose of organization and can lead to a chaotic fridge that feels overwhelming.
Tips for Keeping an Organized Refrigerator
I typically shop for the week on Saturday or Sunday. This is also when I purge and do a quick sort. I throw out all leftovers and take out boxes unless it was very recent. I do a quick scan of all the shelves to make sure other items are not expired. Lastly, I put appropriate items back on the designated shelves. Again, I have kids, so this happens weekly. I tend to keep fruits and eggs on one shelf, condiments on another and so on. This also helps when I’m doing a mental list of what needs to be purchased.
While organizational bins can work well in some areas of the home, they often hinder efficiency in the refrigerator. Remember, the goal is to make your fridge work for you, not against you! I have ONE small bin in my refrigerator, and you want to know what it’s for? Our precious cheese sticks. Our whole house eats them daily and I can’t stand them in the package. I hope this helped take unnecessary guilt off your shoulders, or just gave you some insight! Until next time!
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