Here’s How to Clean out the Fridge Like Ree Drummond

New year, new fridge—or at least that’s currently the motto over at Ree Drummond’s ranch. Everyone’s favorite pioneer woman shared the transformation of the inside of her fridge over on Instagram, and the before-and-after photos will seriously have you burning with fridge envy. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdxOxEKhrTe/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

In the caption, she writes, “This is not a crazy Pinterest-worthy fridge transformation; it’s just simple organization.” The celebrity blogger admits that between her busy work schedule and Christmas with the family, her fridge needed some TLC.

Drummond speaks to her approach: “I pulled it all out, removed and scrubbed the shelves, and put everything back in a more sane order. And aside from some old crusty jars of salsa and pickles, I hardly had to toss anything, which made me happy. I wound up with a bunch of kale, spinach, arugula, a few other veggies I didn’t know I had, a million strawberries, and I realized I can mark ‘cheese’ off my grocery list until the year 2029. The butter, on the other hand, might last until Saturday…”

After a few minutes of gazing at her perfectly organized refrigerator shelves, we’ve found quite a few fridge organizing tips to steal.

1. Separate your fridge into categories

As you can see, all of her items are placed in particular spots based on the type of food. For example, the top drawer is filled with meat. Below that you have cheeses, and under that are different types of produce (all categorized by color for easy grabbing). On the top shelf, you see that all the liquids (condiments, juice, and milk) are all put together, while the solid foods are organized on the shelves below.

(While you’re at it, organize your freezer!)

2. Take advantage of bowls and bins

This can save you a ton of space, especially if you have cartons of eggs or bags of fruit. Keep everything organized and easy to grab by adding a few bowls to your fridge shelves. Ree used her bowls for eggs, strawberries, butter, oranges, and grapes.

3. Keep everything visible

Admit it, how many times have you gone through your fridge and found some sort of leftover meal rotting in a container in the back? For me, it’s too many times to count, which is why I absolutely love how Ree made everything visible in her fridge. If you look closely, you’ll notice that she doesn’t have bowls or containers of food behind her carefully organized items. This will help when you’re trying to find something quick in your fridge without having to dig for it. You’ll be able to immediately see the item you need and grab it quickly.

4. Don’t pile things on top of each other

Not only does Ree keep everything visible in her fridge, but notice how she isn’t piling items on top of each other. The only thing I noticed being piled are multiples of one thing (like meats, cheeses, and bins of salad), or containers of leftovers on the top. Everything else is free of piling, which we all know makes a fridge feel overstuffed very quickly.

Plan on having a little fridge-cleaning spree like Ree? Make sure to wipe down your fridge before putting all of your food back in with this easy way to clean, brighten, and deodorize your fridge (and dozens of other places) using vinegar!