Food Experts Say It’s Time to Toss These Fridge Items

Discard any condiments that are moldy or past their prime. "Once condiments are past their prime, they rarely get used; Clearing them frees up door shelves so you can actually see what you have, which prevents buying duplicates and promotes shopping with intention," Bailey says.

Go through condiment bottles and check their expiration dates and look for signs of mold. "When mold is on the surface of a condiment, the entire thing is most likely contaminated due to the spread of microscopic roots," Clinton warns.

"Another category of items that are found in the fridge are those things we purchase for one specific recipe—if you used it once and haven't touched it since, let it go," says Juliana Meidl, a professional organizer and co-founder of Serenity At Home.

Whether it's herbs you don't have other use for or a small remainder of an ingredient, take Meidl's advice and get rid of it. "Being able to see what you have and only having items in there that you know you are going to use is key," Meidl says.

"Takeout food should be tossed if it hasn’t been eaten within three days, as it’s already sat out in the temperature danger zone before being refrigerated," Clinton says. This is especially true for takeout meals not stored in airtight food storage containers but in disposable paper packaging.

Meidl adds that this applies to takeout sauces and packets, too. "If you don't use them, don't keep them," she says.

"A lot of people think cooked rice is such a simple food that it should last for a long time in the refrigerator—the opposite is true!" Stevens says. She recommends throwing it out after three to four days, or storing it in the freezer if you know you won't use it up within that timeframe. The same goes for other cooked grains and pasta. Clinton explains that these cooked items can become unsafe and contaminated with the toxin Bacillus cereus, which is not destroyed during reheating.

"Deli meats and hot dogs are also very susceptible to being contaminated with listeria, so they should also be eaten in that four- to five-day window," Clinton says. Check the deli drawer for items that have been there for longer, and throw out anything that's slimy, has an odor, looks discolored, or is past the five-day mark.

"Soft cheeses like cream cheese, brie, mozzarella, and ricotta tend to hold moisture, so mold and bacteria spread very quickly through them," Clinton says. If you see the slightest signs of mold on any of these soft cheeses, get rid of them. "You should throw away the entire product, not just remove the moldy part," Clinton advises.

"With good intentions for efficiency and even meal prep, people often buy fish or seafood, then let it sit in the fridge for days," Stevens says. Not only can it develop a foul smell that will make the whole fridge smell bad, eating it after it's been sitting for days can make you sick. "Fresh seafood should be cooked the same day or the next day at the latest," Stevens says.

If there's an expired container of milk sitting in your fridge, throw it out immediately whether it has been opened or not. "Dairy products can already be unsafe before obvious signs like a sour smell are present," Clinton warns.