It's hard to imagine a time when refrigeration didn't exist. Most of us probably don't remember a time when we stored our food in a hole in the ground, or having to salt and smoke everything to make it last.
These days, we're spoiled with our fridges. In fact, many families have more than one fridge, which just goes to show how important they are.
We all know to keep things like meat and milk in the fridge. But there are plenty of items that are just taking up valuable space and don't need to be there, like root vegetables or butter.
On the other side of that coin, though, there are also a lot of things that might benefit from being kept in a dry, cool environment — like your refrigerator.
What might surprise you about these items is that they aren't even food at all. Check out the things you should be keeping in the fridge in the list below!
Photos: Laura Caseley for LittleThings; Flickr / Rebecca Partington
1. Eye Cream
Eye cream is made to help soothe puffy eyes. There is nothing more soothing than a cold cream to do that.
This makes sense when considering that people even use cold spoons to get rid of their under-eye bags.
Chilling the cream in your fridge will make it all the more effective!
2. Eyeliner
Most people keep their eyeliner in their makeup bag. However, it might find a new home in your fridge.
According to Women's Health, eyeliner sharpens a lot more smoothly when at a cold temperature. Now, we can finally stop wasting chunks accidentally eaten by our sharpeners!
3. Nail Polish
It might be time to transfer your bucket of nail polish into the fridge.
Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, the executive vice president at OPI, tells OWN that a very cool storage place like your fridge helps slow down the discoloration process that happens to our favorite shades.
4. Tights And Pantyhose
Tights and pantyhose are just about the easiest things to ruin after wearing them once.
Luckily, an old wives' tale reveals that storing them overnight in the fridge, or even the freezer, will help make the fibers firmer and less likely to run, according to Shoppist.
5. Jeans
If you're the kind of person who washes your jeans regularly, then the thought of putting them in the freezer instead probably sounds insane.
However, according to CNN, plenty of denim experts, including the CEO of Levi's, recommend freezing jeans to kill bacteria and keep their color instead of washing them.
6. Anything That Wax Has Spilled On
Getting candle wax on anything can be a real pain in the butt.
However, a quick little cool down in the fridge is sure to chill the wax and help it peel right off your clothes, or whatever the item with an accident on it happens to be.
7. Anything With Gum Stuck To It
Although it's embarrassing to admit, most of us have probably dropped a wad of gum from our mouth onto our clothes at one point or another.
Instead of trying to peel it off immediately and making a bigger mess of things, just take off your T-shirt (or whatever it's on) and stick it in the fridge or freezer.
The cold temperature will help the gum harden, and make the accident that much easier to peel off.
8. Unseal An Envelope
Of course, opening someone else's mail is a federal crime. That being said, we've all prematurely sealed an envelope before the full contents were inside.
Instead of wasting an envelope and your hard work addressing it, stick it in the freezer for an hour or two.
The cold temperature breaks the bonds of the glue, and will allow you to open the envelope right up without ripping.
9. Cut Flowers
Have you ever noticed how cold florists' shops are inside? There's a good reason for this.
As with any perishable item, the cold helps "slow down their metabolic processes," according to The Washington Post.
Therefore, if you're trying to keep your flowers as fresh as possible, you might want to keep them in the fridge at night.
10. Pillowcase
Do you like sleeping on the cool side of the pillow? If so, you should definitely start putting your pillowcase in the freezer.
According to Better Homes and Gardens, pillowcases should be washed "every second day without fail."
Most of us have to admit to not quite hitting that mark, but putting your pillowcases in the freezer is a quick, germ-killing fix that can easily be done every other day.
Be sure to SHARE this information with your friends!
