9 Storage Mistakes To Avoid On Top Of Your Fridge

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When it comes to expanding the storage space in your kitchen, it doesn't hurt to get a little creative. Sometimes you need to add a floating shelf above the sink or pick up a tiered cart for extra pantry items. Unfortunately, there are some space-saving "hacks" that are not just inconvenient but ultimately dangerous. While it might be tempting to toss a few items on the top of your fridge for convenience, this move is typically not recommended.

It may feel easy to toss extra products up there, as it keeps them out of the way and out of sight. Items like unopened food, extra appliances, or bags of produce may seem harmless enough to store on top of the fridge, but you'll more than likely end up damaging your items. Some products, like plants or baskets, can also become fire hazards. Plus, any sort of fragile or heavy object can easily fall due to the fridge's vibrations, which can be dangerous. To keep you and your home as safe as possible, avoid storing these nine items on the top of your fridge.

While we can't blame you for wanting to store food on top of the fridge–as it's an incredibly convenient place for them to live–we recommend you move them to a cabinet. Anything sitting on top of the fridge might interfere with its ventilation, and this location also exposes your food to multiple pests, like mice and ants. Items like bread, produce, and cereal are tempting to toss above the fridge, but the heat and condensation from the appliance can quickly dry out your groceries, causing them to go stale.

As tempting as it may be to pick up aesthetically pleasing storage baskets for the top of your fridge, you should find a different place to keep your containers. The contents of the containers aside, these types of storage can not only heat up sitting on top of the fridge but will also risk halting the appliance's ventilation, which can also cause the fridge to overheat. Either way, you're looking at a pretty significant fire hazard. 

Unfortunately, the top of the fridge isn't the perfect spot to store a few extra bottles of wine before opening them. Since bottled wine requires very specific temperatures, above the fridge won't do any favors for your wine's distinct flavors. In fact, the heat from the appliance, as well as the slight movements of your fridge, can quickly age and ruin your wine. With so many creative ways to DIY your own stylish wine rack, you can easily move your wine bottles off the top of your fridge and to a safer spot.

Maybe you want to keep your medication bottles out somewhere you can see and remember to take them, but storing them on top of the fridge is never a good idea. No matter the type of medication, prescription drugs typically require storage in cool, dry places, and the top of the fridge is not going to be your answer. Heat and moisture can alter the efficiency of your medication, so it's best to keep them away from an appliance like the fridge so as not to risk your health. 

Avoid making the common mistake of storing house plants above your refrigerator. They may look aesthetically pleasing, but most plants will not thrive in the conditions above your fridge, with the unwanted heat and total lack of light. Not only will they be a pain to water when so high up, but the heat from the fridge could dry out the plants, making them a bigger risk factor for a fire. Opt for a safer alternative like a tall plant stand instead. 

One of the biggest rules of storing cleaning products is to keep them away from heat and sunlight, opting to store them in a dry and cool space. Thus, having a basket of various sprays and disinfectants sitting on top of your fridge is a "hack" we would avoid. These products should not be near any heat sources for the risk of decreased efficacy or dangerous reactions. If you want to keep your cleaning supplies away from kids and pets, store them in a dark, cool cabinet with a stylish child-proof lock. 

If you don't have a ton of storage or countertop space, you might stack appliances on top of the fridge. Not only is this a hazard for you if they fall off the edge, but the excess heat coming from the fridge can harm the smaller appliance itself. Electronic components are susceptible to the heat and vibrations of the refrigerator, and the small appliances could become overheated. Plus, appliances are much more likely to obstruct the fridge from ventilating properly. We recommend storing these items on a tiered cart, countertop, or kitchen island instead.

We advise against using the top of your fridge as a makeshift shelf for decorative or precious objects, as vibrations may slowly knock items off, causing a hazard for you, your floors, and even your food. The heat from the appliance could also cause damage to these items. Instead, you can easily DIY a floating shelf for your kitchen as a much safer way to display your favorite trinkets and decorations — especially if you stick them down with museum putty, such as Quakehold.

Now that you're aware of the amount of heat the top of your fridge can generate, you should definitely avoid storing any type of flammable object up there. Matches, lighters, aerosols, and oil should never be placed above the fridge due to the risk of fire. Instead, keep these in cool and dry spaces away from heat sources and leave the top of your fridge empty.