# Workplace refrigerators - tales from the front **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973 "2015-12-09T18:17:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/21 "2015-12-11T14:52:14Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > I once had to put up a [recipe](http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398)for ice cubes. The reviews are a hoot. This one sounds like a Doper born. > [@](#): > > I harvest my own free-range water, so the idea of putting it in a plastic tray and a commercially made electricity-wasting freezer disgusts me. I prefer nature’s method, waiting until the temperature outside drops below freezing. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/22 "2015-12-11T16:13:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Another issue are the insulated lunch bags or boxes people use now. They take up a lot of room, and some of the contents doesn’t even need to be refrigerated. We have a guy that use to put his cooler/lunch box in the frig. It was big enough to carry at least four 6 packs of your favorite beverage. Of course, it took up a big chunk of the frig space. It took a trip to HR to finally get the guy to quit putting the cooler in the frig. ---
**Author:** ![dizzee\_dee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@dizzee\_dee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dizzee_dee)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/23 "2015-12-12T06:01:23Z")
Why would you put _protein powder_ in the fridge? ---
**Author:** ![yo\_han\_go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yo_han_go/32/130_2.png) [@yo\_han\_go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yo_han_go)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/24 "2015-12-12T11:00:24Z")
At OP. I can see your problem. One fridge. 30 people. IT firm. Been there, done that. Secretary / receptionist was our food nazi (called by that name sometimes behind her back). Sweet thing, but yelling through 30 cubicles “who left yogurt with yesterday’s expiration date in the fridge” is not cool (if you are responsible). ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/25 "2015-12-12T11:21:36Z")
You proles are lucky. I started a job in glorious Sun Valley, Idaho. My first task was to clean the walk-in fridge. I have a feeling that it was a test to see if I was serious about the job. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/26 "2015-12-12T13:01:19Z")
> [@dizzee\_dee](#): > > Why would you put _protein powder_ in the fridge? I dunno, but I don’t think she’ll do it again. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/27 "2015-12-13T14:11:53Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > I once had to put up a [recipe](http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398)for ice cubes. The 2 “reviews” of your recipe were golden. 😃 That’s exactly the way people are in the recipe reviews. Thanks for the laugh. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/28 "2015-12-13T15:54:55Z")
I eat lunch in my car so I can read in peace and quiet. So I just leave my lunch in the car, even in the summer. I’ve been doing this for nine years now, and haven’t been killed by a ham & cheese yet… ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/29 "2015-12-14T06:36:04Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > I’ve been doing this for nine years now, and haven’t been killed by a ham & cheese yet… Are you sure? There are some really amazing morticians out there. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/30 "2015-12-14T08:50:44Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > You proles are lucky. I started a job in glorious Sun Valley, Idaho. My first task was to clean the walk-in fridge. I have a feeling that it was a test to see if I was serious about the job. Were you given an astronaut suit? ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/31 "2015-12-14T16:14:14Z")
So years back, I worked in the veterinary field. One of the rules (OSHA I believe) was that there was always to be separate fridges for holding food for human consumption and for holding lab specimens. Apparently one of the clinics I worked for didn’t get that memo or something. They had one big fridge for all things refrigerated. If you brought your lunch to work, you just pushed aside the blood samples or moved the fecal samples to another shelf. Hell, one time there was a communal cake in there sitting right next to a bag of dog feces. Needless to say that wasn’t the only place where they ‘forgot’ the rules. I didn’t work there long lol ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/32 "2015-12-14T19:24:12Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > Or you could skip the cold pack and eat a room temperature lunch. > You won’t die, I promise. Might even taste better. Some people think beer tastes better at room temperature. I’ll believe it when I see it. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/33 "2015-12-14T20:07:57Z")
I’m thinking a possible fridge cleaning system could work like this. Have two different colors of stickers (green and blue). Then: - On Tuesday, anything with no sticker or a green sticker is thrown out - On Friday, anything with no sticker or a blue sticker is thrown out This way, the longest an abandoned item will stay in the fridge is about a week. Most things won’t spoil in that time. Anyone who wants to keep something longer has to switch the sticker to the other color or else it will be thrown out on the next cleanup day. If you wanted a longer time between cleanups, you could say one color is for even Fridays and the other is for odd. A freezer cleanup procedure could work like this: - On the first of the month, put a rubber band on everything - After one month, anything with a rubber band still on it gets thrown away - Put a rubber band on anything left. This way people will need to take the rubber band off if they want it to stay another month. I know we all wish people would be responsible, but sometimes people forget. Even I forget and I’m the fridge cleanup guy! I’ve found my own restaurant leftovers that I forgot about. So pretty much any workplace fridge will need some type of system to keep it clean or else the abandoned items will eventually take over. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/34 "2015-12-15T19:37:39Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I’m thinking a possible fridge cleaning system could work like this. Have two different colors of stickers (green and blue). Then: > > - On Tuesday, anything with no sticker or a green sticker is thrown out > - On Friday, anything with no sticker or a blue sticker is thrown out Ehhh that’s way too complicated. The place I work at now just has a flat policy. Fridays at 11pm the janitors completely clear out the fridge. Anything in there is trashed, container and everything. Works pretty good lol understandably. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/35 "2015-12-15T19:44:08Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > I once had to put up a [recipe](http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398)for ice cubes. > [@Honey](#): > > The 2 “reviews” of your recipe were golden. 😃 > > That’s exactly the way people are in the recipe reviews. Thanks for the laugh. There are a lot more than two. Click on ‘See All Reviews’ and the laughs keep on coming. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/36 "2015-12-15T20:49:32Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > There are a lot more than two. Click on ‘See All Reviews’ and the laughs keep on coming. 🙂 More than two?? There’s more than a thousand!!! Those folks are worse than 'Dopers about long threads on inane topics. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/37 "2015-12-15T20:54:57Z")
I can top all y’all. Many years ago I worked in a Pet Store. For some reason when a small animal, bird or expensive fish died we were told to put it in a plastic bag then in the freezer. I have absolutely no idea why. Let’s just say that the freezer got pretty full after a short time. Picture rearranging a dozen or so small furry frozen dead animals so you can fit your Lean Cuisine in. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973/38 "2015-12-15T21:03:37Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Some people think beer tastes better at room temperature. I’ll believe it when I see it. Beer is part of your work lunch? Are you German? Or is your comment only tangentially related to the topic, in that you’re mentioning items that get consumed by mouth? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-refrigerators-tales-from-the-front/739973.md?page=1)