We all do it
What's the first thing we do when we come home from the grocery store? That's right--we make sure to put away the cold and frozen things first. If we have several grocery bags full of food to put away, we probably just toss all the frozen food into the freezer willy-nilly. Wherever it lands is good enough for the moment. At least it's in the freezer.
Somehow we never manage to get back to the freezer to put everything away properly, and as the week wears on, we take food out, and put it back, and things just start getting heaped on top of each other.
Your teenager empties one or two ice cube trays, but doesn't bother refilling them and putting them back in the freezer neatly.
Pretty soon, every time you open the freezer door, things slide out. It's time to declutter and organize.
All photos on this page taken by me
Take everything out of the freezer
First, take everything out of the freezer and lay it on a nearby counter. Work quickly so that things don't start to thaw. You'll probably be amazed at the food items you find that you had forgotten all about.
Clean the freezer
Once the freezer is empty, dip a soft cloth or sponge into warm, soapy dishwater and wipe all the sides of the freezer, along with the top, bottom, and the door.
If you find a stray dog hair or two in there, don't worry about it. Just wipe it out. I don't know how dog hairs manage to get into the freezer, but every once in awhile they do.
Sometimes you'll find a few ice cubes that have escaped from the ice cube bin and are stuck to the bottom or back of the freezer. Just toss those into the sink to melt.
Wash and thoroughly dry the ice cube bins too.
It'll take only a few minutes to have your freezer clean and shining inside.
Check the condition of the frozen food
Before you start putting the frozen food back into the clean freezer, check everything. You might find something way out of date, or things so encrusted with ice and freezer burn that nobody would eat them anyway, even if you knew what they were.
When my grandchildren were little, I'd always keep Popsicles or frozen fruit bars in the freezer for them. Each time I cleaned the freezer, I'd usually find at least one Popsicle that had semi-melted and stuck to the bottom of the freezer. It was always fun cleaning out that syrupy goo.
I don't like it when food goes to waste, especially with prices these days, so that's a good reason to make it a habit to declutter and organize the freezer regularly, so we know what we have on hand, and can use it before it gets ruined by freezer burn.
Replace everything neatly
Now it's time to place the frozen food you're keeping back into the freezer neatly.
It's helpful to put like with like--veggies with veggies, meat with meat, etc.
You'll be able to see at a glance what you have on hand now, and it won't be sliding out of the freezer every time you open the door.
Freezer Cleaning Poll
The Cleaning Bible
From the ladies of How Clean Is Your House?
If you enjoy watching Kim and Aggie, the cleaning mavens from How Clean Is Your House?, you'll enjoy their book, The Cleaning Bible.
This book is packed full of their tips and tricks, and best of all, they use natural cleaning products whenever possible, so that's a good thing too.
