It is beneficial to have a mini fridge in your home for multiple purposes. But do you know how to organize the mini fridge to keep food fresher and less energy consumption? The following article will help you to figure out the best way.
Which types of food should be put in the mini fridge?
Here’s the list of foods suitable for you to keep in the mini fridge:
- Vegetables
- Fruits excluding any unripe ones
- Chocolate
- Cheese
- Different types of snacks such as cereal, popcorn, rice cakes, etc
- Leftovers
- Frozen meals (in case your mini fridge has a separate freezer)
- Yogurt
- Several beverages
iDesign Recycled Plastic Beverage Fridge Organizer Bin
How to organize your mini fridge more effectively and efficiently?
It is necessary to organize your mini fridge precisely because this will help it to preserve foods better and be energy efficient. You can consider some following methods:
- Use removable shelves and containers: You should arrange similar foods in the same shelf or container for better protection. Additionally, you would take advantage of door baskets for more storage.
Rubbermaid 60-Piece Food Storage Containers with Lids
- Use safe plastic or resealable bags: It is possible for you to keep many types of food in the BPA-free bags instead of hard boxes. This might save much more space for your fridge.
- Do not pile too many foods inside the fridge: You should store a moderate amount of food so that it would have enough space to circulate the air.
- Put meat at the lowest part of the fridge: If you store meat in the mini fridge for short-term use, you should leave it in the bottom. It is useful to place the container of meat on a bowl or plate to avoid spills or drills.
- Separate vegetables and fruits: In case you keep both veggies and fruits in the same space, you need to keep them in different containers.
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How often should you rearrange and clean your mini fridge?
Clean any dust inside and outside of the fridge everyday to reduce the risk of forming stubborn stains.
- Rearrange and remove any damaged or expired foods each week
- Give your mini fridge a deep clean every three months
- Change the water filter of the mini fridge every 6 months
Further reading: How to Clean Mold in Your Fridge?
Utopia Home Set of 6 Fridge Organizer
How to know whether the fridge is not working well?
To determine whether your mini fridge is still working well or not, you should take the steps as below:
- Check the interior temperature of the fridge: Normally, the most ideal temperature for the fridge is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check it via a thermometer.
- Your mini fridge is too silent: Most mini fridges still make tiny sounds when operating. However, when it is completely silent, some troubles might arise.
- Frequent ice buildup: Ice or frost formation too often would be a sign of having problems related to ventilation in the fridge.
- Leakage of water: Once the fridge is malfunctioning, it will make most of your food packaging wet or moist.
- Unpleasant smell from your food: If your foods are not cool enough, they are more likely to turn bad inside the fridge, thus creating some odor smells.
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FAQs
What size is a standard mini fridge?
Unlike a full-size fridge, a mini fridge as its name stated is quite small ranging from 1.7 to 4.5 cubic feet. The smallest fridge is 20.5 inches high and the largest one is around 43 inches in height.
How energy efficient a mini fridge can be?
The newer mini fridge model you have, the more energy efficient it is. Most current mini fridges are now environmentally friendly which does mean that they do not consume much energy. With a Energy Star rating model, the annual energy consumption will be 239.42 kWh for manual defrost and 318.4 kWh for automatic defrost.
How can you fix your mini fridge?
- Use an electrostatic duster to clean the dirty coils of the fridge
- Ask for the manufacturers to replace the fan
- Do not get any extension cords
- Seal the door carefully to prevent warm air from entering the fridge when the door is not closed tightly
Conclusion
It is important to organize your mini fridge properly to keep food fresher and more energy efficient. You should keep in mind which types of food you should and should not keep inside the mini fridge. Besides, it is great for you to arrange the fridge concisely as well as give it regular clean.
References:
1. Mini Fridge Repair: Tips And Tricks, refrigeratorplanet.com, Retrieved on Aug. 15, 2021
2. How to know if a mini fridge is working, truckersinsider.com, Retrieved on Aug. 11, 2021
