The Dollar Tree Find That Keeps Your Fridge Clean And Colorful

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Keeping the house clean is just another responsibility of adulthood, and it seems that whether you cook regularly or not, tidying the kitchen afterwards is always daunting. If you're looking for an easy hack to avoid dealing with a hard-to-clean refrigerator, try lining your refrigerator shelves with vinyl placemats. You can get enough for all your shelves for only a few bucks at Dollar Tree.

A placemat will help keep crumbs and spills confined to the mat itself, so when it comes time to wipe down the refrigerator, just remove the mats, give them a quick rinse and dry, and place them back in the fridge. Even if you have to wipe the shelves down, too, the job is likely going to be much easier when you have something covering them. 

Look for vinyl placemats with bottoms that prevent them from sliding around too much to ensure nothing gets shifted while it's stored. If you can't find them at your local dollar store, there are some reasonably inexpensive options on Amazon, too, such as Mosayt's four-pack of vinyl placemats — and they come in nice patterns. You can even color-code them according to which items should go on which shelf for easier organization (or just to give your fridge a fun look).

Cleaning the fridge isn't exactly fun, but besides lining your shelves with placemats, there are other ways to keep it easy. Store food in airtight glass containers, rather than just a bowl with foil on top, to prevent them from making a mess if knocked over. For anything that's susceptible to getting knocked over, such as narrow, tall jars of peppers or sauce, buy a clear plastic container (iDesign's stackable storage bin is $13) to further avoid spillage.

Choose one day of the week to regularly go through your fridge and toss any old food. Better yet, move food that's a few days old toward the front in an effort to encourage yourself to consume it before it goes bad. To prevent smells from building up in the refrigerator, place a container of baking soda or a little vinegar toward the back, which will help absorb any odors. Use the best fridge cleaning practices when it is time to go through the appliance, such as removing all of the food before you clean it, cleaning from the top down, and using cleaning products made with natural ingredients when possible. If you use it frequently, make sure you clean the refrigerator's water dispenser, too.