Combine These Two Annoying Kitchen Chores Into One.
Two of my least favorite jobs in the kitchen are cleaning the fridge and taking out the trash. Both tend to be a bit rough, involve some amount of bending, and it’s hard to do the former without also doing the latter. I also tend to ignore both until they are impossible to ignore, which makes these tasks more crude and difficult. But The Kitchn has a great plan to make both jobs a little easier, a little less rough and a little more orderly.
In this collection of kitchen cleaning tips , which has eight helpful tips you should read, The Kitchn’s Cipher Combits recommends doing a little fridge cleaning every time you take out the trash:
Before you tie up your trash bag and take out the trash, make it a habit to check your refrigerator for expired leftovers or food that may have gone bad. This simple habit keeps your fridge organized without relying on a lot of time-consuming cleaning (and reminds you of what else to eat).
In addition to making every chore a little more manageable and less complicated, doing a mini-cleanup every time you take out the trash gives you a chance to evaluate the contents of your fridge and remind your brain of what you actually have in there. (If you’re like me and don’t have a clear idea of what they call “object persistence”, this is very helpful.)
Would it be too quick to wipe down the shelves and maybe wipe out all the sticky condiment bottles ? Perhaps, but the more you do it, the less it will need to be done. (Besides, when was the last time you looked at your condiment bottles? I bet there’s some old hard mustard in there that needs to be thrown away.)