diy fridge mats

I've had this idea in the back of my mind for a while now and I finally got around to complete the project! First, our fridge needed a major cleaning! Spilt dried up milk under the drawer, sticky syrup in the door. It was bad! Second, I wanted to get shelf liner type things made specifically for refrigerators. Well, I'm a do it yourself kind of person who is very frugal at times and I didn't want to spend a lot on specialty fridge liners. Next best thing? $2 Target plastic place mats! They are easy to wash, can be removed from your shelves for a deep cleaning if necessary and can be cut with a scissors or utility knife to fit your fridge! Oh, and they were only two dollars a piece!

First I purged expired items, threw out old leftovers and scrubbed down the fridge using a vinegar/water/dish soap mixture.

Then I cut (I used a utility knife and a straight edge, but scissors work well too) and placed the place mats on the shelves, using only a few pieces of rolled tape underneath to keep them from sliding. It turns out I only had to cut off about half an inch to be able to fit the width of my fridge, the place mats fit perfectly depth wise.

As you can see I made the place mats to fit past the shelves to have extra protection from spills dripping down onto the shelf below.

PLEASE NOTE: I have a side by side refrigerator, which is way the place mats were near perfect size. If you have a full width refrigerator you could still use place mats but you would most likely have to use two or more place to cover one shelf, and there would be a seam where the place mats would meet.

I organized the door shelves too but I did not put place mats in them. I do have two extra (I bought six) so maybe if I get to them!

(Blue bin below is for snacks and washed/cut fruit and veggies placed into bags for easy grab and go. Bin is from The Dollar Tree.)

Now the fridge is a colorful happy place! And hopefully it will stay an organized, colorful happy place! :)