Food isn’t the only thing that can benefit from being stored in a refrigerated environment! In fact, there are plenty of household items that can benefit from being kept cold for a variety of reasons. Here are the most unexpected items you may want to consider making room for in your fridge!
Fresh Cut Flowers
There’s a good reason why you often see flowers stored in refrigerated cases at florists and floral departments! The cold environment helps prevent the petals and stems of fresh cut flowers from wilting like they tend to do at warmer temperatures.
You can use this fact to your advantage the next time you buy flowers for someone, because you can buy them a day or two beforehand and keep them fresh in your fridge. That’s one less thing to worry about!
Eye Cream
While most eye creams are perfectly fine to store at room temperature, a lot of people prefer to store theirs in the fridge. Applying a cool eye cream in the morning can feel really refreshing, and it will help reduce puffiness and redness around your eyes too!
Lipstick
The oils in lipstick can eventually spoil and render your favorite shade unusable! You can avoid this unfortunate scenario by storing your most expensive or treasured lipsticks in your fridge.
Refrigerated lipsticks do have a tendency to “sweat” when brought back to room temperature, which isn’t necessarily harmful—the moisture beads can leave marks, but it’ll still be perfectly wearable. I recommend refrigerating “special occasion” lipsticks you don’t wear all that regularly, because they’ll last a lot longer that way!
Eyeliner
Warm, slightly softened eyeliner might be easier to apply, but it’s almost impossible to sharpen! When your eyeliner needs to be sharpened, stick it in the fridge for a while to firm up, and you’ll have no problem achieving the perfect point!
Pillowcases
Sleeping during the summer can be challenging for me because I have a hard time relaxing when I feel hot or sweaty. I often find myself seeking refuge on “the other side of the pillow” to feel some relief, if only momentarily.
Nail Polish
Storing nail polish in the fridge can extend its lifespan dramatically. Refrigeration can make nail polish more viscous and tricker to apply smoothly, but it thins out a bit as it starts to come back to room temperature. As with lipstick, I recommend refrigerating shades you don’t wear very often to help preserve them.
Homemade, Organic, And Natural Cosmetics
If you own any organic or natural cosmetics, or have a few of your own homemade concoctions, you definitely want to store those in your fridge! Many of these types of products are made without preservatives, and refrigeration is your best bet at keeping them fresh so you can actually use them before they spoil.
Metal Kitchen Tools
One of the keys to making a good, stiff whipped cream is keeping everything as cold as possible. The easiest way to do that is to just toss your mixing bowl, whisk, or whisk attachment in the fridge for a while before you want to make some.
You’ll find that it’s much easier to achieve those stiff peaks with chilled equipment. (This tip is something you can use any time of year, but it’s especially useful during the heat of the summer!)
A Sealed Envelope
Ned to add something to a letter you’ve already sealed? Pop that envelope in a plastic bag in the freezer for an hour or two to loosen the adhesive. Once it’s room temperature again, you should be able to re-seal it.
Tights & Pantyhose
Possibly an old wives’ tale, but some people swear that freezing your tights and hose strengthens the fibers against runs and pulls and makes them last twice as long. You only need to do this routine every once in a while (like at the start of the fall tights season): Get the tights damp, fold them into a plastic bag and freeze them overnight. Let them “thaw” the next day and they’re good to go.
Jeans
Good jeans get to look and feel really good if you never wash them. When they (inevitably) start to feel dingy and saggy, a quick stint in the freezer will help them feel fresh.
