Is Your Fridge Making You Sick?

Are you a sucker for those silly National holidays as much as we are? We hope so because today were talking about National Clean out Your Fridge Day. Yes if you can believe it there is actually a holiday for cleaning out your refrigerator. But not only that, we wanted to talk about this because the holidays are coming up quick and there's going to be a lot of food prep and leftovers to take care of and we want you to have an easy, healthy experience in your kitchen.

So, we often don't think about our refrigerator when we think of clutter, right? But it actually can be a huge source of clutter if you let it get there. So we want to give you a few tips maybe you haven't thought about and give you a clear path to get this knocked off the list in time for the holidays. As always, we take into account all three of our our points when we live by here at Pure Living Collective which is detox, declutter, and design. So these fridge cleaning tips are going to hit on all of those. We're going to talk about the importance of why it's important to have a clean refrigerator, how to do it, and how to put it together so that you have a great clean slate for the busy holidays coming up.

Why on earth is it so important to have a clean refrigerator?

1. Around the holidays is the perfect time. Make room for food prep and leftovers. Also start getting rid of processed, unhealthy foods, making room for healthier options to start the new year off right!

2. This is your main food storage space, and food is one of our main sources of health.

3. An overstuffed fridge limits cold air circulation, creating the risk of your food becoming too warm.

4. A cluttered and over full fridge makes it easy for spoiled items to get mixed in with good food, risking possible contamination and causing stress having to sift through unusable items.

5. Not cleaning up spills and leaks gives microbes a place to grow and thrive.

Cleaning and Organizing Tips:

1. Start with the obvious by getting rid of any of the spoiled food. (Compost it if you can!*)

2. Go shelf by shelf, or empty everything out. Thoroughly clean shelves, drawers, and nooks with a rag and hot water, vinegar, and/or baking soda.

3. Store fruits and veggies in separate drawers. Fruits emit ethylene which can cause veggies to spoil quicker!

4. If you eat meat, store it on the bottom shelf. The bottom shelf tends to be colder and this also eliminates the possibility of liquids from the meat dripping onto items below it.

5. Clean the outside! Take everything off the front or side attached with magnets. Discard anything you no longer need. Put back only very important or relevant things. A cluttered surface creates visual clutter, and can increase feelings of stress and anxiety even if you don’t realize it.

6. Check your water and ice dispenser if you have it- look for any build up or mold/mildew. This is also the perfect time to replace the water filter if your fridge is equipped.

7. Pull it out, get on top, and underneath! The top, backside, and underneath are huge collectors of dust that you are ultimately breathing in. Dust and vacuum regularly.

*(A little side note about composting: When you send food waste into a landfill it actually creates a lot of methane gas when it is decomposing in the landfill. Methane is a greenhouse gas attributed to climate change. So composting is actually a much more eco-friendly way to get rid of food waste if you can. We live in a fairly urban neighborhood, we don't have a huge backyard, but you can purchase a compost tumbler, you can use an old large garbage bin, or just create a pile in your backyard, which is what we do and it's actually pretty simple.)

Healthy and Eco-Friendly Food Storage:

1. Beeswax Paper- molds to any shape, easy to clean, and allows food to breathe and stay fresh longer.

2. Glass Storage Containers- replaces plastic tubs that can leach toxins into your food. Glass is also safe and healthy to reheat food in so it saves on dishes too!

3. Mason Jars- inexpensive, perfect for liquids or bulk foods, avoids plastic toxins.

4. Silicone Zipper Bags- replaces plastic zip top bags, reducing waste and eliminating any plastic toxins. They are also dishwasher and freezer safe!

5. Silicone Stretch Lids- use in place of plastic cling wrap. They stretch to any size to easily cover and seal plates, bowls, and containers.

6. All of these items save money over time because they don’t need to be constantly replaced!

We know fridge cleaning is usually and annual event. It was in our household for a long time. However, just like anything, staying on top of it more often makes the process easier and easier each time, and keeps you happy and healthy along the way.

Make a commitment to yourself to set aside the time, even if its just an hour. Put on those holiday tunes, grab some coffee, tea, or wine, and just get it done. We guarantee it's going to make your kitchen experience at least a little bit more enjoyable. Check out our shop for the food storage items above and more, and don’t forget to grab your copy of our free Healthy Home Quick Start Guide for more tips and tricks. Here’s to your clean fresh refrigerator!

Until next time,

Dan & Lauren

PS: If you prefer to listen this is also a Podcast! > Here

Insta Love: