With ‘refrigeration’ in our name, our team of expert technicians tend to know more about this particular appliance than the average Torontonian. We’ve seen the ins and outs of this machine on a daily basis for nearly 15 years. That’s enough time for us to have accumulated our fair share of fridge hacks—so many that we want to share a few of our favourites with you!
But let’s back up first. For those in the back that aren’t sure what a fridge hack is; don’t worry. We’ll explain. A ‘hack’ is any organizational technique that can simplify your life. When it comes to your fridge, it’s a way of changing how you arrange your food to make your life easier and more efficient.
In the past, we’ve always lauded the benefits of a cool, clean, and organized fridge. A tidy fridge set between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius keeps you healthy. When you store food at an appropriate temperature the chances of bacteria spoiling it before its time decreases. Meanwhile, when everything is packed away in a neat and orderly fashion, you know where everything is—which means that mystery bowl of leftovers never gets a chance to sit and breed a whole world of microscopic organisms at the back of your fridge. But more importantly, when you know where things are, you’ll reduce the chance of letting them expire. So you’ll see some serious savings on your next grocery bill when you eat your leftovers before their expiry dates.
Second to your health is the well-being of your fridge. Its efficient operation is reliant on the way you store your food. Overcrowded shelves and drawers can interrupt the air circulation that your fridge relies on to keep its temperatures cool. Messy spills and grime build-up can also clog ventilation and evaporator fans, which can result in strange noises and rising temperatures—some of the most common reasons why our technicians get called out!
Now that it’s clear why you would want to hack your fridge, it’s time that we get to it. Here are a few of our favourite ways to keep a fridge organized—the simple way!
Setup
Modern fridges have adjustable shelves and drawers to allow a customized fridge arrangement. Sometimes, however, when left to our own devices we don’t always create the most efficient setup. There are plenty of organization guides online that you can fashion your own fridge after. Whichever one you use as your inspiration, it’s important that you follow some established rules. Don’t mix vegetables, fruit, and meat in the same drawer, as this will risk food contamination, food spoilage, and illness. Keep raw meats on the bottom shelf to prevent accidental leaks from dripping onto other food. Make sure condiments find a home on the door of your fridge, and more highly perishable foods stay in the compartment, where the temperatures are cooler.
Mats
Go to your local dollar store to pick up some cute yet inexpensive plastic placemats. If you have to, use a pair of sharp scissors to cut them to the size of your fridge’s shelves. After you’ve wiped these shelves clear of any spilled liquids or forgotten debris, position these placemats to sit on top of the shelves. Return your food back to their orderly positions. The placemats will add a punch of colour to your fridge, but they’ll also collect any future mess and can be easily removed so you can clean away grime under the tap.
Lazy Susans
It’s inevitable that shelves get overrun with jars, cans, and containers. But if they’re far from their expiry and you intend to use them, you can’t, in good conscious, throw them out to free up space in your fridge. This is when a lazy Susan comes in handy. You can organize these space-hogging jars onto one of these spinning plates to maximize space on your shelves. It will also make finding and getting these condiments out much easier.
These are only a few of our favourite hacks, chosen for how easy and effective they are. You’ll find that once you implement these and any others you think of on your own, your fridge will run a lot smoother. If, however, there is no noticeable improvement, there could be something wrong with its internal systems. If you notice any strange noises, warmer temperatures, or restricted air flow, give us a call. We’ll send out one of our refrigerator repair experts to your door. With quick and effective repairs available around the clock, we’re the fridge repair Toronto trusts to get their appliances back on track.
