Cleaning Office Fridge

[Anonymous]

Work in a Fed office which has no cafeteria and no nearby restaurants so everyone brown bags.

We have shared fridges which are NEVER cleaned by maintenance staff.

They are starting to smell ; I use a cooler so don’t need the fridge, but the kitchen is starting to stink and I do need to use that to wash dishes , get water etc.

Maintenance said I could post a note for people to empty the fridge by a certain date

On that date, can I go through and throw away expired and unmarked food? Some of it will be Tupperware containers that have been here for months (it could be people who RIF or retired for example) but who know its history.

Can I get in trouble for throwing away things, I can’t get a clear answer from the staff (the people who used to manage them VERAed).

How do other people handle bad fridge etiquette?

[Anonymous]

Not a Fed and work from home now, but before that every Friday our office manager trashed everything, containers and all, in the fridge in the late afternoon. Since it was a private company we had a nightly cleaning service and on Friday nights they sprayed down the fridges.

[Anonymous]

The best option I have found for this is to create a rotating calendar where one person in the office is responsible for cleaning out expired items each month. But that would likely have to be suggested by a supervisor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best option I have found for this is to create a rotating calendar where one person in the office is responsible for cleaning out expired items each month. But that would likely have to be suggested by a supervisor.

Yeah I guess I hate to bother our leadership with this issue when they are in the thick of reorg and RIF

[Anonymous]

Give more than 1weeks notice for people on vacation. Let them know containers will be tossed if not labeled with a date. People will be greatful.

Btw...I just pop the lid on my container and put it in my dishwasher at home. No way I use the office sink. The sponge ICK!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give more than 1weeks notice for people on vacation. Let them know containers will be tossed if not labeled with a date. People will be greatful.

Btw...I just pop the lid on my container and put it in my dishwasher at home. No way I use the office sink. The sponge ICK!

I wash again at home, but now you have me with the imagery of that sponge. I guess I will never use it again.

[Anonymous]

I have never used the office fridge in my entire 26 years career. I let my food sit on my desk. Between the few hours when I arrive and eat lunch the food won’t go bad.

You are more at risk off getting sick by putting your food in a dirty Petri dish of a refrigerator than leaving it on your desk a few hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never used the office fridge in my entire 26 years career. I let my food sit on my desk. Between the few hours when I arrive and eat lunch the food won’t go bad.

You are more at risk off getting sick by putting your food in a dirty Petri dish of a refrigerator than leaving it on your desk a few hours.

I don’t use the fridge. The issue is the smell is making the kitchen unusable

[Anonymous]

We just send out an office wide email and tape a note on the fridge saying I'm X date (usually over a little week out) any food without a label/date will get tossed.

If someone wants to make a stink about someone throwing out their food that they've left in the fridge for over a week, be my guest. They'll be seen as absolutely ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Work in a Fed office which has no cafeteria and no nearby restaurants so everyone brown bags.

We have shared fridges which are NEVER cleaned by maintenance staff.

They are starting to smell ; I use a cooler so don’t need the fridge, but the kitchen is starting to stink and I do need to use that to wash dishes , get water etc.

Maintenance said I could post a note for people to empty the fridge by a certain date

On that date, can I go through and throw away expired and unmarked food? Some of it will be Tupperware containers that have been here for months (it could be people who RIF or retired for example) but who know its history.

Can I get in trouble for throwing away things, I can’t get a clear answer from the staff (the people who used to manage them VERAed).

How do other people handle bad fridge etiquette?

That’s how we do it. Put up a notice saying after x date, all will be trashed and then just do it. It’s not maintenance folks job to clean out your refrigerator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just send out an office wide email and tape a note on the fridge saying I'm X date (usually over a little week out) any food without a label/date will get tossed.

If someone wants to make a stink about someone throwing out their food that they've left in the fridge for over a week, be my guest. They'll be seen as absolutely ridiculous.

I’m just nervous in our current DOGE error to rock the boat.

[Anonymous]

Can I get in trouble for throwing away things,

Just do it. Nobody will care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just send out an office wide email and tape a note on the fridge saying I'm X date (usually over a little week out) any food without a label/date will get tossed.

If someone wants to make a stink about someone throwing out their food that they've left in the fridge for over a week, be my guest. They'll be seen as absolutely ridiculous.

I’m just nervous in our current DOGE error to rock the boat.

If you’re that nervous give two weeks notice. But whatever is making the fridge smell the person who left it there probably forgot they left it.

[Anonymous]

Idk if it violates any rules or not but if possible, all pitch in to collect tips to give maintenance crew to deep clean it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Idk if it violates any rules or not but if possible, all pitch in to collect tips to give maintenance crew to deep clean it.

I strongly suggest you don't do this. Not in Govt.