You Should Never Store Yogurt On The Door Of Your Fridge. Here's Why

For the most part, there aren't many refrigerator rules. It's your fridge after all, so you can do what you'd like with it. Besides keeping your potatoes out of the vegetable drawers, you're pretty much free to organize and use your refrigerator in the way that works best for you.

However, there are some guidelines (courtesy of The Organized Home) that can help maximize the longevity of your food and the efficiency of your appliance. For starters, you should never put your yogurt in the door of your fridge. The logic is definitely there to do so — some fridges even seem to fit the little container perfectly as if they were specifically designed to be in that exact spot. But, in reality, putting your yogurt in this tempting spot is more damaging to the food than it is convenient for you.

Because yogurt is such an easily spoiled item, it requires extra storage care and placement than other items in your fridge — and it turns out, there's a better place for saving it until you're ready to indulge.

Next time you pick up some yogurt at the grocery store, make sure you immediately unload it and place it in the back of the refrigerator. Anyone who's purchased the dairy product knows it can go bad fairly quickly, and nothing ruins your morning breakfast like opening up a carton and smelling something sour.

The truth is, yogurt is a very delicate food, and even slight changes in temperature can affect it immensely. When you put it in the door of the fridge, not only is it a little warmer there than in other places, but every time you open the door, the yogurt is going to experience a slight increase in temperature.

According to Respect Food, "Due to its delicate nature, small changes in temperature can affect the longevity of [yogurt]." So, to solve this issue, put it in the back of your fridge — not only is it cooler back there, but it also maintains a more consistent temperature.

There are also some other best practices, says Dairy Farmers of Canada, like never eating it after the "best by" date, keeping the packaging sealed tightly, and always using a clean spoon when dishing it into a bowl to avoid contamination.

It's also worth noting you should keep your fridge at or below 40° Fahrenheit (4° Celsius) to keep all foods fresh and safe to eat, according to the FDA.