This weekend we spent some time helping my daughter Britta move. And even though she only moved about 10 miles north of her previous apartment, it’s still never fun or easy to move your whole life from one place to another. And after you’ve done all the hard work of moving all of your stuff, there’s still the dreaded move-out cleaning left to do! Among all the horrible cleaning tasks involved in the process of moving out, one job in particular stands out to me as being especially unenjoyable – cleaning out the fridge.
It takes forever, involves a lot of awkward reaching and stretching, and is usually pretty gross, too. Some very clever person realized these things, and invented a way to prevent the sticky fridge messes that take forever to clean – fridge liners! Fridge liners can be placed on shelves and in bins, and are meant to serve as a barrier between foods and the fridge itself. So when spills and messes occur, you only need to remove and wash the liner, rather than struggling to wipe out the fridge. But you can pay anywhere from $10 to $25 for a set of fridge liners, which feels like a pretty steep for a few pieces of plastic!
I recently came across an idea for a DIY version of fridge liners that can be made for a couple of dollars. I gave it a try, and now I’m kicking myself that I didn’t know about this sooner! If Britta had had a set of these in her fridge, it definitely wouldn’t have taken as long as it did to clean out this weekend! Oh well, live and learn. :-)
Here’s how you can make a set for your own fridge.
DIY Fridge Liners
You’ll need:
- A set of placemats (dollar store mats work great!)
- A marker
- Scissors
To make liners for your fridge’s drawers, remove the drawer and set it on top of one of your placemats. Use a marker to trace the outline of the bottom of the drawer.
Cut out the shape using your scissors, and place the liner in the bottom of the drawer.
It’s a little tricker to do shelves, since they usually can’t be removed from the fridge, but it’s definitely doable.
Just place a piece of paper onto the shelf, and use your marker to mark the shape of the shelf.
Use the paper as a template on your placemat, cut out the correct shape, and place it onto the shelf.
The liners we made stayed put pretty well, but if you’re worried about them shifting around, I’d recommend sticking them down with a couple of removable Glue Dots.
Not only is the project affordable and practical, but its totally customizable, and looks really nice, too. We also thought it would be fun to color code your fridge using your fridge liners. For example, the cheese goes where the yellow liner is, the veggies go where the green liner is, etc.
Note: We loved the look of the colored liners in the drawers and on the fridge door shelves, but the dark-colored liners on the interior shelves blocked quite a bit of light. If you’re worried about that, another option would be to use clear placemats for the liners of the interior shelves.
Have you tried using shelf liners in your fridge?
More Ideas You'll Love
I started using Press N Seal plastic wrap on my shelves but never thought to do the door shelves or bins! Duh! I was wondering why all your jars are upside down? Thank you so much for your advice, I have gotten so many great ideas from you! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I also wondered why the jars were upside down.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It prevents mold!
It makes things last longer, because they aren’t exposed to air and bacteria!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh! another good thing I didn’t know! Thank you so much!
Upside down jars don’t get moldy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a terrific idea. I usually use paper towels to line my refrigerator, but this is a wonderful, easy-to-clean idea! Thank you for such a great way to keep the refrigerator clean and looking beautiful!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My frig has wire shelves so I can’t use this, but it sounds good for the door and bins
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Try the liners that are sold for wire shelving in closets. I’ve seen the rolls for sale in Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as Costco!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Many of the inexpensive plastic placemats that you can buy are made with PVC. These should NOT come in direct contact with food! Especially if you have children! Please only use liners that are PVC-free.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea! Cleaning the frig is the worst! I use the same method on the tops of my kitchen cabinets. I cover them with wax paper so I can just take it off when it’s dirty. No cleaning the grease and dust that gets built up on the tops.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t see the real advantage to this idea. If I’m going to have to remove everything from a shelf to wipe down a plastic placemat, why not just wipe off the shelf? My shelves on the doors are repositionable so in the event I feel I must remove them to wash them, it’s not that big of a deal. I rarely need to do that because a dish cloth works just fine while the shelf remains on the door. Yes, I realize not everyone’s shelves might be that easy. And for those people who like this idea and think it would be a simpler alternative, I hope you’re right and that it works for you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Amen
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think this is fantastic. Just last week I used these mats to do the exact same project. I didn’t have plastic wrap but I had place mats purchased from a big box store for another reason, by the way the same Place Mats are less expensive at The Dollar Tree.
The mats I had were opaque/dark so on the first self, I used a mat on one side and a beautiful basket on the other side The next shelf I flip flopped the idea and it works beautifully for visibility and it’s pretty. I did line the baskets with parchment paper for easy clean up. It also helped categorize my sections that made sense for my family.
In my bin area I used cloth placemats to absorb moisture. These were easy to place, stayed in place and will be easy to throw in the wash before heading out on my weekly farmers market run.
I totally missed the boat on the side selves and GREAT idea on the upside down jars!
Thanks for sharing
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Lisa! I love the idea of cloth placemats in the bins!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wouldn’t this interfere with the cool air flow in the fridge?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It would if you put the placemats on a wire rack, but if the racks are already solid, then it won’t make a difference!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am going to use this idea too, but one question……why do you turn your jars upside down?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To keep the contents fresh longer! The bacteria/molds don’t care which way up they are. Mold normally grows on the top because these things are aerobic (they need oxygen to grow) and that’s where the product meets the air. Some things are packed at low pressure so there isn’t much air in the top of the jar (hence that popping button thing on top) or are pasteurized with the lid partly open then sealed so the air inside contracts as it cools. This is usually in an area that’s more free of bugs than your kitchen is.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When the bugs inside are exposed to air again, they can start to grow. The low temperature in the fridge slows them down a bit.
When you put the jar back in your fridge, the seal is probably not perfect so some more air can get in. If you turn the jar upside down, the product helps maintain a seal so it’s less likely that air will get in.
It makes things last longer by blocking out air and bacteria! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just use parchment paper or wax paper
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That works, too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How about using some of those flexible plastic cutting boards at Walmart? They’re a lightweight plastic and available in pastel and translucent colors. If you secured the edges with glue dots I believe that would work too. I believe they wouldn’t cut down on the light very much either.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sounds good, I will try!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this idea, but I do have a problem: even though I have a side by side fridge, my shelves are much bigger than place mats! Any suggestions what to use instead?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Pat, I use Saran Wrap! Sticks perfectly, and I just put two pieces side by side, with one overlapping slightly. When it all starts to peel up, it’s time to replace it with a clean piece. Saves a ton of time compared to scrubbing shelves.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good Idea!! I will try this!!
Plastic shelf liner is non-porous and very flexible. Easy to cut.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.And comes in clear.
Just cut the placemats to size!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Brilliant idea. I am a private care provider for seniors that have Alzheimers/Dementia and this one simple design would make my job much easier in hoping them maintain their home. Thank you for sharing!
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