Store salad dressing in a separate container. Dressing should be drizzled on each serving, not over the entire salad. If you store them together the salad will absorb the moisture from the dressing, becoming soggy.
Use a salad spinner to reduce the amount of water in your salad before storage. Excessive moisture causes lettuce to wilt and other vegetables to become soggy.
Lay paper towels on top of your salad, if the salad will be stored in a bowl. You can also transfer the salad to a plastic refrigerator storage bag and place a paper towel inside. The paper towel will continuously draw moisture away from your salad. Make sure your storage container is sealed tightly to reduce exposure to air.
Store the salad in the refrigerator with a temperature of 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using bagged salad, be sure to make sure it isn't past the "Use By" date on the package.
Give your salad room in the fridge to keep it from getting smashed. Lettuce leaves bruise easily and you should remove any spoiled or damaged leaves from your salad before eating. Damaged leaves have an increased risk of contamination with microorganisms.