October 13, 2014
How to Clean and Organize a Freezer
This week’s organizing task is the FREEZER (October’s cleaning and organizing calendar is here). If you have an upright or separate freezer you can clean and organize that this week and/or the freezer that’s with your refrigerator.
Cleaning and organizing a freezer can seem daunting and pointless, but with a couple simple ideas you can whip your freezer into shape in no time. (Need to clean your fridge too? Here’s how to do that.)
EMPTY FREEZER | Start by emptying out the freezer – work quickly so nothing thaws in this process. Arrange items in groups (fruit, veggies, proteins, nuts, etc.) on your kitchen table or counters – this will keep it easy to return to the freezer organized.
WIPE CLEAN | If you need to defrost the freezer you can do that (put your food in coolers with ice), but this week is more about tidying up the freezer and organizing it. Use a barely damp cloth and wipe up any spills and vacuum up crumbs with a hose tool (make sure it’s clean).
TOSS | If you find something that probably should have been consumed a while ago, toss it.
TAKE INVENTORY | Jot down any meat or proteins that should be used up soon and plan your meals in the coming week or two using up those items.
ORGANIZE | Put everything away in groups that make sense – baking, meats, vegetables, fruits, meals, etc.
LABEL | Need to add a label to a shelf, drawer, or bin to ensure things are returned to their proper place? Go ahead and do that right away. I like using canning jars and plastic lids for storing foods in the freezer – they label easily, can be washed in the dishwasher, and look great.
Have a freezer to clean and organize this week? Any great tips to share?
I cannot wait to introduce you to something that I’ve been working on for months and months! It’s coming on Wednesday….
LouAnn Says
Where do you get canning jars with plastic lids???
Becky Says
Post authorYou can find them right alongside the Ball canning jars 🙂
Cindy Franklin Says
I had to go to a hardware store to find the plastic lids.
Cynthia Says
Plastic lids from peanut butter, etc. will also work 🙂
Tammy Says
Well, what do you know, I see you can freeze nuts and duh, I never thought of freezing my butter before. thnaks!
Amber G. Says
I have a large chest freezer. Sometimes that can seem super overwhelming to organize. I’ve done like items in cloth bags (ground hamburger in a bag, steaks in a bag, etc). I’ve done like items in plastic containers. This last time I tried something totally different. I used a dry erase marker on the lid. I drew lines the look exactly like each section in the freezer. Then wrote exactly what was in each section and how many. I put a dry erase marker and microfiber cloth next to the freezer so when i pull something out or add something I can change my count easily. This so far has been the best organization of my large chest freezer yet.
Jenny Says
Brilliant Amber!
Logan Says
Totally agree with you – A clean, organized freezer makes all the difference! It’s easy to neglect but it looks so much better once you put a little effort into it. And like you said, its nice to take inventory for meal planning. Please keep the kitchen tips coming – we love them!