Family, Faith, and Fridays: 34 Weeks of Clean 2019! Week 4- Fridge, Freezers and Floors

OK friends, we are still moving our way through the kitchen and hopefully by now you are starting to feel in better control of this area. After all, let's face it, it is a place we spend an awful lot of time. By now you should have covered your Pantry as well as Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers. Don't lose your momentum quite yet, we are almost done! We have loved seeing all the pictures this week, and I love all the chatter and cheering each other on. Not only are we taking back our homes one week at a time, but we are building friendships! I love it!! As we proceed with 34 Weeks of Clean, keep in mind our goals- deep clean all those surfaces, de-clutter what we don't need or simply do not use anymore, and re-organize. Last week was the first week where you had the chance to really start to de-clutter.
Hey, I KNOW that the de-cluttering part is the hardest. I get it, really I do! But hear me out. Things that clutter our homes also clutter our hearts and heads. Life should not be about things. Things are nice, but people are better. Much better. Clear out what you don't need, you will not regret it.

This week - Fridge, Freezers, and Floors!

For some, this will be a fairly easy project. For others, it may be a challenge, as I realize that many of us have multiple fridges and freezers. (If you are amazing and do this on a regular basis, clean out when your stock is at its lowest. Make your life easier by having less to move out while you wipe down shelf surfaces and bins!)

Have I mentioned I loathe getting down on my hands and knees to do floors, but yes, we are going to do it- together! Here we go!

Your assignment-

Start high and end low! In other words- fridge and freezer first, floors last. Here is why- open cans are your enemies, plus let's face it, not the safest practice!

So that being said, yes, you guessed it- take it all out! Empty your fridge and your freezer, putting anything you are afraid might melt into coolers while you work!

Take any bins, drawers, or dividers out and wash them with soapy water. Again, I use this homemade multi-cleaner, but do what makes you happy. Do every surface, inside and out, and do not forget the door handles and dusty top. Yes, even the top! I know, scary, right?!

Yes, it is time to put it all back in! Well, maybe not ALL. Check expiration dates when returning things to the shelves. Once again, I did not find one expired thing - but my mom just spent a month with us so no telling how much she threw away when I wasn't looking! ;)

Please do not put open cans back in your fridge. Take the time to put the contents in sealed containers. Not only safer food storage, but cleaner! If you need to cover leftovers, we have found those cloth type coverings to work best. Ashton made the set I own, but I know you can buy them (try searching "reusable food cover" or "reusable bowl cover" on Etsy.com). When they get dirty I just pop them in the wash! I also started using mason jars a few years ago and they are great! They also pop into a lunchbox easily for quick reheat!

Designate a space for things! We have a shelf for dairy, one for meats and leftovers, one for drinks, and at this stage in our life a shelf that is just for my adult daughter's groceries.

I added a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of this drawer, we will see how it works.

For those of you with large freezer and lot of frozen foods: make an inventory of your freezer space. This may not be an issue if you keep little frozen food on hand, but for us, I have seen it is a must. Usually I am a paper kind of gal, but after seeing our farm friends' method, I was sold! While I do not have this setup currently, I am still dreaming of the day when we can fill the extra freezer with a cow, pig and chickens. Well, the apple pie filling wouldn't be too bad either!

Yep, dry-erase lists on the outside of the freezers! Admit it, for an outside freezer that no one else sees, it is a great idea!

Final fridge-

Freezer-

Can you tell I buy meat in bulk and freeze in portions?

I will say I am not a fan of things all over the front of the fridge. For me, it adds to the clutter and makes me start to feel a little crazy after a while. What about you? Do you have layers of things taped to the fridge that have been there for decades? This may be a time that you want to clear off all the stuff hanging on your fridge for a nice clean look, or at least a clean slate for the new year.

And then - the floors. Yes, most of us do our floors weekly, at least, but remember, we are trying to do some deep cleaning this time!

-Stick the rugs in the washing machine!

-Move out anything that is on the floor!

-Do the baseboards first, then the nooks and crannies. Since our steam cleaner does not always seem to hit those spots, we did the floor by hand this time around.