DIY expert shares fridge organizing hack that'll make your food last longer

Laura de Barra's rise to internet fame as a home DIY guru came totally out of the blue. She was simply going about her everyday work one day a couple of years ago when she randomly decided to record something of a dishwasher PSA on Instagram. "So this is the most disgusting lesson you will learn with a dishwasher," she started. "If you move in somewhere and you don't clean it out – and it hasn't been cleaned out – someone else's food is being rinsed over your dishes the whole time." From there, de Barra built a loyal audience on Instagram who tune in to watch her dispense tips on everything from cleaning washing machines to kitchen organization.

The latest de Barra home organization wisdom to go viral is a TikTok video explaining how one should ideally arrange food in a fridge in order to make them last longer. In the video, she explains that the drawers at the bottom of a fridge are the most humid part of the appliance, which makes it perfect for storing fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, the bottom shelf is the coolest part of the fridge and therefore the perfect spot for raw meat and fish. Since warm air tends to rise, the higher shelves tend to be warmer and should therefore be used to store leftovers and ready-to-eat items. The middle shelves, on the other hand, are perfect for dairy products such as milk, cheeses, and yogurt as well as cooked and deli meats.

de Barra also explained the art of fridge organization in an article published in the Belfast Telegraph late last month. She goes into great detail about the subject, reminding us that "proper placement within fridges is vital for keeping food tasting better and lasting longer, while incorrect placement can lead to icy items, soggy greens, and premature rotting." In the article, she explains that the fridge door is the "warmest area of the whole fridge" as it is being hit with warm air each time you open the door. "This is ideal for juices and condiments, which are high in acidity or salt, and so can handle it. The door is also ideal for herbs. Herbs are an item that we tend to waste a lot of due to incorrect storage. With leafy herbs like coriander and parsley, treat these like flowers," de Barra wrote.

"Add water to a glass, enough to cover the stems but not leaves. Trim the stems at an angle to increase surface area, pop it into the glass, and cover it with the original bag to create a greenhouse. These can happily sit on the door and all you need to do is trim the stems regularly to keep them living for longer," she continued. Talking to The Irish Times about why her content strikes a chord with thousands across the world, de Barra said: "The problems that I solve are things that everyone experiences. It's not just me sitting in a beautiful house with beautiful things around me and people who don't have it or can't relate to it watching me. It's me getting filthy being like, 'This is how you fix this.'"

The DIY expert has also released a book titled Gaff Goddess which features a tonne of tips and tricks to help the reader take control of their home. "There was nothing fun out there," she said of what motivated her to become an author. "It was either the driest, 'This is DIY' or 'Oh my God, girls! Pink tools!' I was like, 'I'm not her and I'm not the girl who's going in there with the lads either. Where is the glam bit?' [The book] is written in a way to make people think differently around the house rather than to make people think they need to be different, which I think is important. How do you make your day the best it can be within your home? That's important for me."