16 tips to keep your freezer tidy

You probably do a pretty good job keeping your fridge clean (especially if you use my organizing tips), but what about your freezer? It needs love, too. Here's how to clean and organize your freezer so it's never a frustration again.

The first step to tidying up your freezer is a good purge. Take everything out and put the food in coolers with some ice to keep it cold while you work.

As you remove stuff, check for freezer burn. Items with freezer burn will be covered in large ice crystals or be grayish.

While freezer burn isn't harmful, it can significantly impact the taste and texture of your food. You may want to toss these items to make room for fresher ones.

Here are some tips for preventing freezer burn so no food is wasted next time you clean out the freezer.

While you're at it, toss these 15 items as well, and make a note not to put them in the freezer anymore.

Once everything is cleared out, check whether you need to get rid of any ice buildup.

To de-ice your freezer, fill a spray bottle with warm water and three tablespoons of salt. Shake it well. Then, spray the ice buildup with the warm salt-water solution. As the ice melts, wipe away the moisture.

Now, fill a bowl with warm water mixed with a drop of dishwashing liquid. Dunk a sponge or rag in the solution and wipe down the interior of the freezer. Don't forget to wipe down the door gaskets, too.

Then, wipe down the freezer with a dry towel to remove any moisture that could freeze when you put all of the food back in.

You probably don't think about your ice maker very much, but it needs cleaning, too. Here's a quick rundown on how to keep your ice maker clean and pumping out ice.

While you have an empty fridge, check to make sure your freezer is set at the right temperature. According to the FDA, your freezer should be 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius).

Put an appliance thermometer in your freezer for a few minutes, then give it a check. If your freezer isn't in the proper temperature range, adjust the settings before putting your food back in there.

While you're reloading the freezer remember, stuffing is bad. It's important for air to circulate around the food items to keep them cold enough to stay frozen. If the freezer is too crammed, that can't happen.

To save room, consider storing ground meats flat, like in the photo above. Simply put the meat in a freezer bag, flatten it out with a rolling pin and then seal the bag.

Don't just throw other types of meat in bulky plastic zipper bags. These tips for individually wrapping portions of meat will keep your fridge organized and your meat fresher.

To make it easier to find things, store like items together on shelves. For example, keep meats on the same shelf and frozen vegetables on another.

Freeze items like herbs and nuts in small storage containers so you don't need to defrost large batches all at once. To keep your freezer tidy, store the small containers inside a larger plastic bin.

If you have a big drawer freezer, organizing can be tricky. Use plastic bins inside the drawer to hold smaller boxed and bagged items.

Also, try to store everything upright, side by side, instead of piled up. This will make it much easier to find things in your drawer freezer.

If you only use a little out of a bag of frozen food, secure the top with a chip clip or binder clip before putting it back in the freezer. This will help to prevent freezer burn and will prevent the food from spilling out.