If you store your milk in the fridge door, we hate to break it to you but you’ve been doing it all wrong.
A new guide to storing food correctly has revealed that, actually, milk belongs on the middle shelf of the fridge along with its dairy counterparts: yoghurt, cheese and butter.
According to Good Housekeeping’s fridge guide, the door should be stocked with foods that have natural preservatives, such as condiments, jams and juice. This is because it’s the warmest area of the fridge and is prone to temperature fluctuations, so storing your milk there is likely to make it go off quicker.
The upper shelves of the fridge should be home to foods that don’t need cooking, such as deli meats and leftovers.
Meanwhile your milk cartons should be stored on the lower and middle shelves, along with other dairy products.
The bottom shelf is where raw meat and fish should be kept. This is because it’s the coolest part of the fridge, which helps the meat stay fresh.
Additionally, placing meat products at the bottom prevents juices from spilling out onto other foods and contaminating them.
Meanwhile the bottom drawers should be stocked with vegetables, salad items, herbs and fruit.
Good Housekeeping advises people to set their fridge temperature to between 1°C and 4°C, and adds that you should never put hot food into the fridge, as it causes the overall temperature to rise and can lead to food poisoning.
For those who keep tomatoes and garlic in the fridge, we have some equally life-changing news.
According to Buzz60, if you keep tomatoes in the fridge they begin to lose flavour. Meanwhile you should avoid storing onions in there, as the odour can affect the flavour of other foods nearby.
Honey, bread, garlic, cake, melon and coffee should also be stored outside of the fridge.
What’s quite possibly the most surprising, though, is avocado, which should be stored in an open brown paper bag.
10 Foods That Will Stain Your Teeth
White Wine(01 of10)
Open Image Modal“White wine is more acidic than red, which may cause more damage and discolouration to the teeth. Its acid and tannins make your teeth fair game for other types of stains. Cutting down will definitely help to keep your teeth white.” (credit:Hemera Technologies via Getty Images)
Pasta Sauce(02 of10)
Open Image Modal“Tomatoes in pasta sauce can leave your teeth vulnerable to staining because of their acidity, bright red colour and tendency to cling to the teeth. You can protect your teeth beforehand by dining on some dark green vegetables - broccoli, kale, rocket or spinach - to create a protective film over the teeth. The film will ward off tomatoes’ staining effect, so opt for a green salad as a starter.” (credit:EzumeImages via Getty Images)
Soy Sauce & Balsamic Vinegar(03 of10)
Open Image Modal"Soy sauce and balsamic vinegar are a nightmare to get off your clothes if you spill them while eating a Chinese takeaway or a salad. They are best avoided if you want to keep your smile bright." (credit:Maximilian Stock Ltd. via Getty Images)
Curry(04 of10)
Open Image Modal"All Indian food which is rich in colour is bad for your teeth. It tends to be made with lots of artificial colouring. Go easy on turmeric when you are making a curry at home or doing other spicing." (credit:Andrea Pistolesi via Getty Images)
Ice Lollies(05 of10)
Open Image Modal“Lollies contain colourants that will transfer to the teeth and embed in the porous enamel.” (credit:Iryna Melnyk via Getty Images)
Fruit Tea(06 of10)
Open Image Modal"We all know that tea and coffee can stain our teeth but this is not just confined to regular teas and coffee - all types of tea stain your teeth, particularly fruit based teas: green tea and strawberry and raspberry teas. They are rich in colour and rich in tannins which leave surface staining on your teeth." (credit:beyond foto via Getty Images)
Pickles(07 of10)
Open Image Modal“Again it is the acid - which makes your teeth vulnerable to staining.” (credit:meteo021 via Getty Images)
Berries(08 of10)
Open Image Modal“Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries - all berries rich in colour should be avoided if you want a bright smile. The acid and the strong colours easily stain your teeth.” (credit:FlorianTM via Getty Images)
Cola(09 of10)
Open Image Modal“They are highly acidic and rich in colour - very bad for staining.” (credit:Judy Unger via Getty Images)
Tomato Ketchup(10 of10)
Open Image Modal“Ketchup is acidic and rich in colour - not good for teeth staining. Just think how tough it is to get a ketchup stain of a t-shirt. It’s the same with your teeth.” (credit:Ryuhei Shindo via Getty Images)