Declutter Challenge Week 2: Refrigerator and Freezer

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I hope you feel very accomplished after this week’s declutter category because we are cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer. Get rid of any old food and condiments. Since I participated in this Challenge last year I barely had to get rid of anything this year which is awesome! Each year you declutter will get faster and easier.

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Step 1: Gather

Take everything out of your refrigerator. You can do this all at once or go shelf by shelf. Go through the remaining declutter steps. Then move on to your freezer. If you have other refrigerators or freezers in your house don’t forget about those.

My chest freezer is the one I am least looking forward to decluttering. I don’t even know what is all in there but that’s one of the many reasons we are doing this Challenge!

a before and after of inside the refrigerator — Before (left) and After (right) I took everything out then made decisions and reorganized

Step 2: Ask Questions

For each item in your refrigerator(s) and freezer(s) ask the following questions;

Is it expired?

Is there mold growing on it?

Will I actually use/eat this before it expires?

a container of wax worms — You might want to ask your spouse before you toss anything. Apparently, these are for ice fishing (yuck!).

Step 3: Decide

I think this week it should be very easy for you to quickly decide the outcome of each item. You probably aren’t sentimentality attached to food items like you might be towards other stuff in your home.

TOSS or KEEP?

Unfortunately, you often can’t donate perishable items especially if they have already been used. Your only other option is to see if any friends or family want the food items you are getting rid of (unless they are expired – don’t even ask in that situation!).

empty butter box and 4 expired food items like salad dressing — Only needed to declutter five items this year.

Bonus Steps: Clean & Organize

While you have all the food out of your refrigerator and freezer you should take advantage and give those shelves a good wipe down. I went an extra step and cleaned/decluttered the outside of my refrigerator too.

before and after pics of the outside of the refrigerator — Before (left) and After (right)

If you have a hard time accessing food in your refrigerator I highly recommend getting a lazy Susan and some clear bins to help keep your refrigerator organized. (See examples directly below.)