Tips to a better organized (and sanitary) fridge

My refrigerator is starting to look like a scary epicurean abyss (kind of like Bonnie's entire house, come to think of it, before Carolina's intervention). This morning when an apple rolled out onto the kitchen floor as I opened the fridge door, I realized it's time to take action. Should you find yourself in a similar predicament, I gathered a slew of pointers on how to whip your fridge into tip-top, ultra-organized shape.

For starters, take everything out that's in there currently and give the shelves, drawers, and interior walls a good cleaning using a mild, non-toxic cleaner like vinegar (the last thing you want is a bunch of harsh chemicals touching your food).

Separate the contents into groups: produce, meats, leftovers, condiments, and dairy. Chuck the stuff that's expired.

Keep food safety in mind before you throw everything back in the fridge. According to thekitchn.com, professional chefs store foods in restaurant fridges in the following order: "From top to bottom, you'll find prepared foods that will be served cold or re-heated; then whole cuts of meat and fish; then ground meat; and finally, chicken and other poultry on the very bottom. Since each shelf of food is cooked to a progressively higher temperature, any cross contamination through dripping from above is taken care of during cooking."

So basically, you want to put your leftovers, drinks, and ready-to-eat foods up top, and your raw ingredients below. Condiments can go in the pockets on the fridge doors, and assuming you've got two drawers, dedicate one to veggies and one to meats, taking extra care to clean the meat drawer frequently to prevent bacteria. And, if you've got eggs in there, note that it's better to store them in the cardboard cartons you buy them in, rather than those plastic egg trays, to keep them from absorbing strong odors from things like onions and cheeses you have in your fridge.

Also, as you're placing foods inside, remember to put the tallest items in the back and smaller items up front, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to take stock of what you've got (and avoid moldy surprises).