time to clean the refrigerator

The cleanliness bug has bit me.  After pantry organization, it's now time for me to clean and organize the most important storage in the kitchen - the refrigerator.

I have decided to clean my refrigerator once a month.  It's a lot of work.  But think about how easily everything gets dumped in there - leftover food, half-cut vegetable or fruit, partly-used sauce bottles, etc etc etc.  So much food goes unnoticed and then in the trash. Sometimes I discover something after a month, rotten in the far corner of the bottom shelf.  Please tell me I'm not the only one?!  :-/

Just when I emptied every thing out of the refrigerator I realized how much it was stuffed.  So much produce and so many food items for a family of TWO? ... WTH! 
 

 
Now that I think about it, I do buy excess fruits and vegetables than required.  Because "I just might be in a mood to eat this vegetable during the week" ... just the way how some of us pack more clothes and shoes than really needed for a trip "just in case I feel like wearing this dress with this stiletto..."  You know what I mean?  :D    This is the reason why my meal planning plans didn't work.


Just wait, there's more stuff out from the refrigerator.  Why?  Don't even ask ... I just might need an intervention.

Some questions for you:
-  I want to buy some net bags to keep vegetables.  Do you store your veggies in the same plastic bag they come in, in net bags, or without either?
-  In the bottom two drawers (Humidity Controlled Crispers), I keep spinach & cilantro on the left, and fruits on the right.  What about you?
-  I have heard milk, butter, cheese should not be kept in the door because it is the warmest place and milk products spoil faster when stored in the door.  What do you think?

-  Do you keep food in glass containers or plastic ones to reheat in microwave?  I switched to glass, steel, and Corelle ones last year when someone told me heating in plastic is dangerous (cancerous, actually.  i don't claim to have done any research. but there were several discussions about my usage of plastic to store dry items in the pantry in the previous post and good advice by the readers.)  

I also bought these small baby food glass bottles for 50 cents each at Walmart.  Added spices to the bland carrot puree for babies and cooked it like soup.  Now I use these cute little glass bottles to store small amounts of chutneys, etc in fridge and freezer.


My only tip: I keep a tiny box (without lid) with a Tbsp of baking soda in it in the top shelf of the refrigerator door .  It helps remove odor in the refrigerator.

Your turn.  Write some tips and suggestions you think will help other readers.  I'm sure you'll have many good things to share!


My next mission: time to clean the bathroom ... and then the bedroom closet ... and then ... just kidding.  I'll spare you.

My next mission: relax.......