Let’s talk about one of my monthly cleaning tasks, the one I procrastinate on the most: cleaning the fridge and freezer. Technically these are 2 separate tasks but I dislike them equally.
The concept is really simple: once a calendar month I want to take everything out, wipe down the shelves and drawers and organize the food I have on hand. Sometimes this means throwing out food which has gone bad, but I’m getting much better at food waste these days.
As I put things back in the fridge or freezer, I do try to sort like things together and write down what I have on hand so I don’t pick up another thing of mustard since it’s on sale since I have a full one ready. I might add things I do need to get, like tortillas or green peppers.
(Especially since the pepper I picked up fell apart in my hand a few days ago.)
The reason I want to clean my fridge every month is a good one, it shows me what I have to eat, lets me save money on groceries or eating out and keeps the fridge from becoming a petri dish. The freezer is very similar, food tends to fall to the bottom and disappear and then 6 months later I have to play “what is this mystery thing?”
The reason it’s hard to do is also really easy to pinpoint. In order to make room for the food from the fridge, I need to clear off a section of countertop. I also need to finish all the dishes, dry and put them away so I have some room to wipe out bins and shelves in the sink. And, I have to do the whole task quickly without distractions or food begins to thaw and go bad on the counter. Then, when I’m done, I need to take out the trash so it doesn’t stink up the kitchen.
So while I hate this particular task, I am trying to be more consistent doing it because it’s always a little less horrible when it was just done 4 weeks ago and not 90 days ago.
Let’s see if I can get at least the fridge done today.
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