My wife recently told me to quit complaining about our dirty, unorganized chest freezer, and do something about it, so I did.

Chest freezer with hard-to-find items
Before: My chest freezer was impossible to keep organized.

 

I emptied the whole thing out, defrosted it and gave it a good cleaning inside and out. But instead of just throwing everything back in helter-skelter, I decided to get organized. The inherent problem with chest freezers is that everything gets piled on everything else. And though it may start out with "meats on the right, fruits and veggies on the left," it doesn't stay that way for long, especially with ravenous teenagers on the prowl.

 

Organizer for a chest freezer
I built this dividing crate by ripping down and gluing up some PVC trim I had on hand.
An organized chest freezer
After: Things still get buried, but now, at least I know where to start digging.

I used less than 10 ft. of 1x6 smooth, PVC trim, which would have cost me about $25. The project took me and my son about three hours, including the cleaning. Now, the meat really is on the right and the veggies on the left. Of course, stuff still gets buried, but at least when I'm digging for a pork chop, I know I'm in the right area. Best of all, my wife doesn't have to hear me complain...about the freezer, anyway.

 

— Mark Petersen, Contributing Editor

 

 

Check out these stories for more cleaning and organizing tips:

Drawer Dividers

Clean a Stinky Fridge

Easy Organization