Sharing a Refrigerator

Yesterday’s post included sharing bathrooms, so today we will discuss sharing refrigerators. Another common aspect of apartment living is having to share a refrigerator. Having three or more people sharing one food storage appliance can be tough. These guidelines will help in having an orderly refrigerator and clean food space.   To share food or not to share food. It is important to make guidelines with your roommates as to whether or not you all will be sharing food. While some roommates might not have a preference and want shared food, some specific items might need to be labeled as someone’s private goods due to a food allergy or high price of that item.  

    Names on food. If you and your roommates decide to not share food, labeling your food with your name will help. Use different colored permanent markers or labels for added clarity.   Clean the fridge. Once a week or month, clean out the entire fridge. Empty out all of the food items, disinfect surfaces and reorganize the food. Throw out any old fruit, vegetables or expired items. Cleaning out the entire fridge will also assist in odor elimination.   Leftover expiration. When eating out, leftovers can be brought back to the fridge and easily forgotten. Write on the box when the food expires, or communicate a time period leftovers can stay in the fridge. After that time period has gone by, throw out the leftovers.   Clean messes ASAP. When spills or messes occur, the first person to notice the mess should clean it up, no matter whose food it is. The fridge and other surrounding foods can spoil if the mess is not cleaned up promptly.  

    Similar to the bathroom-sharing blog post, communication is key when sharing a refrigerator. Food storage cleanliness is important, and with these tips, your fridge will stay clean and orderly.