It's a week before Thanksgiving, do you know where your leftovers will go?

With today being proclaimed "National Clean Out Your Fridge Day,” kitchen keepers are encouraged to rid the refrigerator of old condiments and any fuzzy-looking specimens thriving in back-of-the-bottom-shelf oblivion.

It's the kind of thing that makes a lot of sense, but something one might otherwise forget under pressure to stock up ingredients for the Turkey Day feast. It's uncertain how this cleaning day came about, but some believe it was started by Whirlpool Corporation and advanced by others over the years through lighthearted internet posting.

Regardless of its origin, the nudge to tidy the refrigerator is beneficial. Beyond making more room, a tidied fridge can eliminate bacteria that may have come with dripping meat packages, spoiled produce and other germ-harboring messes.

The folks at Samsung, another appliance maker, are feeding the fridge-purging tradition with a few holiday food storage tips -- and for those who still don't have enough room even after a clean-out, the company is marketing the massive 32-cubic-foot fridge shown.



1. Toss out items that are past their expiration date, and vow over the next few days to use up nearly empty bottles of dressings, sauces and marinades.

2. Wipe down shelves and bins, as well as the rims of bottles and condiments. A cleaning solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 quart hot water won’t leave behind a scent food can absorb.

3. Divide the fridge into zones and assign a specific function to each shelf and drawer. Think about meal-prep and snacking to help guide the placement of dinner ingredients, lunch fixings, breakfast condiments, drinks and other items.

4. When you’re making festive foods in advance of the holiday meal, maximize space by using zip-top storage bags. Pie filling, cookie dough, marinades and stuffing in bags can be stacked easily in the fridge or freezer, using less space.