Time to clean up that refridgerator!

Have you ever noticed that times you yank open your fridge door increase during summer? That leads to increase of temperature within. To do your bit for global warming, try cleaning it out so it doesn't have to work doubly hard to maintain the same temperature.

Rule of thumb, fridge contents should be kept at 60% full so air circulation stays healthy.

First task on hand, find a place for everything! Have you ever bought an item and found more sitting in your fridge unopened? If every item is allocated space, you can stop wondering if you have that ingredient at home or avoid getting nasty surprises like discovering that you ran out of something just 2 seconds before you are suppose to add it to the dish coming along quite nicely on the stove.

Next, keep an eye on expiry dates! This is not an activity limited to retail shops. How many times have you found a can of something that has a used by date going back 3 years? Take this chance to discover empty containers that are still sitting pretty on the shelves.

It is important to choose suitable containers for your stuff in the fridge. Leaving stuff sitting in their original torn containers is a sure potential for food poisoning. Make sure containers are sealed tight so different kinds of food items don't contaminate each other.

Tidy up the vegetable drawer! Stack everything up neatly, use containers if necessary. Strong smelling herbs and roots should be sealed seperately to prevent aroma contamination. This activity will ensure that the fruits and vegetables stay fresher longer.

And finally, gather the family to finish the perishables (Ice cream, bottled tea, canned coffee, soft drinks etc...) that had been sitting in there for a year or longer but had not hit their expiry dates.