Under Sink Organization In The Kitchen
Struggling with a messy cabinet under the kitchen sink? In this post, we'll explore practical tips and clever kitchen sink
organization ideas to help you transform that cluttered space into a tidy, efficient storage area, making your kitchen more efficient and stress-free.
It's January - also known as home organization month. Are you busy cleaning
out closets, cabinets, and drawers? I know I am! Today I'm sharing one area
I've never really organized: under the kitchen sink.
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Under Sink Organization
I'm happy to say our kitchen sink storage has become much neater with just an
hour of work. But let me show you the messy under sink cabinet we started
with:
This is definitely not the prettiest picture. You'll notice how cramped,
dark, dirty, and disorganized this cabinet is looking.
One of the reasons this space looks so small is that we have a 1-1/2 bowl
stainless steel sink. Previous owners had attached a garbage disposal unit
or garburator to the 1/2 sink which we took out. It would have a constant
smell that we couldn't get rid of and I'm just not fond of garburators in
the first place. That left us with low-hanging sink pipes that basically
render the back of the cabinet unusable space.
- a wall-mounted fire extinguisher which I learned was under a recall. We recently replaced it with an awesome fire extinguisher spray that is stored in a different (more easily accessible) cabinet so this extinguisher can go
- everyday cleaning supplies to wipe down counters and the stovetop
- stronger cleaning products for scrubbing the kitchen sink, cleaning the oven, cleaning windows and the stainless steel appliances
- insect spray, plant mister, plant fertilizer
- cleaning cloths, rubber gloves, dustpan, and scrub brushes
- dishwasher pods
- kitchen trash bags
- compost bin
- air freshener
- plastic bags. We weren't able to reuse grocery bags during Covid so sadly this pile of plastic has grown. The bags are quickly outgrowing this holder (and I hate to throw them away when they can be reused) so I'll store them somewhere else.
How To Organize Under The Kitchen Sink
What is the best way to tackle a space like this? I like my cabinets to
be efficient, pretty, and minimal. There's nothing worse than filling a
small space with organizational solutions yet the cabinet still feels
overstuffed and cluttered. The best spaces are edited
and efficient.
1. Clear out and clean the cabinet
How to Deep Clean A Kitchen Cabinet:
- Move everything out and away from the cabinet. Give yourself space to move.
- Use a vacuum to pick up crumbs, dirt, and dust. Vacuum both the floor and sides of the cabinet.
- Detach any removable elements. In this case, I removed the fire extinguisher and plastic bag holder.
- Fill a spray bottle with warm water and a few drops of dish soap. Spray and wipe everything down with a soft cloth.
- Scrape away hard dirt with a heavy duty sponge
- Use a disinfectant cleaner to remove any remaining grease, food spills, or grime.
- Use Zep Wall Cleaning Swipes to get your cabinet interior and exterior looking bright and new
The bottom of our kitchen sink cabinet is lined with a metallic liner.
It's in good shape, is wipeable, and seems resistant to water so I've
kept it. Alternatively, you can line your cabinet with a
plastic under sink mat
or
waterproof shelf liner.
Just make sure you don't leave the cabinet bottom bare. Many cabinet
interiors are made of particleboard and are susceptible to water
damage so add a protective layer, especially under the sink!
2. Assess and Edit
Narrow down your items to only those that absolutely need to be kept in
the kitchen. If you have room elsewhere in the kitchen for seldom used
items, take this opportunity to move them. If you don't use a product,
toss it. If an item is worn and ineffective, replace it with something
newer that does the job.
I moved our bulk cleaning liquids to our basement storage, brought
garden supplies and rags to the garage, and put general household
cleaning sprays under the bathroom sink where there was more room.
3. Select Your Storage Containers
There are many types of
under kitchen sink organizers. The type you should use depends on how much space you have and how
many items you need to store. You might be tempted to just pick up a
variety of containers at the dollar store or on Amazon, but a little
planning can get every inch of your cabinet space working hard.
Whether you DIY using baskets or containers or buy a ready-made
solution, here's a few kitchen storage ideas to consider:
- Cabinet Door Storage: You can use door mounted or over-the-door hanging baskets to hold sponges, spray bottles, brushes, or some of your dish cleaning supplies for easy access.
- 2 Tiered Shelf Organizers: An under sink expandable shelf organizer or rack like this one will make the most use of the vertical space in your cabinet and double your storage capacity. The panels are re-positionable allowing you to work around awkward plumbing pipes.
- Tension rods: A tension rod can be installed horizontally between the side panels as in this cabinet. Use the rod to hold spray bottles or rest wet cloths, and keep floor space clean.
- Pull-out Organizer: Do you find that your supplies are always getting lost at the back of your cabinets? Or maybe you hate having to bend down and dig around looking for things? A pull-out organizer can make your kitchen cabinet more efficient and tidy. The sliding shelf allows you to utilize the full height of the sides of your cabinet, typically 'dead space' around the sink and plumbing.
- Sliding Basket Organizers: Standalone tiered organizers with slide-out baskets or drawers can be very effective in small spaces. The drawers allow you to separate and organize smaller items. These units come with multiple drawers and can be stacked, ensuring you find one suited to the size of your cabinet.
- Self-adhesive hooks: Self-adhesive hooks are a damage-free way to use up the space on your cabinet door or walls. Use them to hold lightweight items like dish cloths or rubber gloves.
4. Install and Organize
Knowing that our compost bin had to stay, here's the kitchen sink storage
I decided on:
I consciously chose not to add more storage on the door or fill the
space with organizers. The more drawers and command hooks you have to
fill, the more you'll find things to store!
These organizers are more than enough to satisfy my needs for now. The
only change I might consider is adding a holder for paper towels on the
door. For now, they're sitting on the kitchen counters.
You might not have noticed it in the Before photo (it's on the far
left), but I already had this metal basket under the sink.
I like its long, narrow shape and how you can easily carry it wherever
you need it. I've put the cleaning supplies we use less often in here.
The scrub brush and rubber gloves rest on the handle. The set
comes with two smaller baskets which I've used similarly in our
bathrooms.
The
2 tier sliding basket organizer
is one of my favorite finds and it works perfectly in this space. I
didn't have room for the
3-tier version, but this two-tiered organizer is ideal for our needs. The pull-out
drawers are a great way to store various small items.
I've placed our dishwasher tablets on top, garbage bags in the top
drawer, and sponges and cloths in the bottom drawer. It provides easier
access to items you use on a daily basis and makes the under-sink area
so much more efficient.
The perforated metal design allows your supplies to breathe and dry.
It's affordable, sturdy and stable, and the drawers slide easily. I'm
very pleased with it and wondering where else in the house I can use
one!
I hope you've enjoyed this very extensive look at my under sink
organization. It's still not the prettiest picture but it's clean, neat,
and should stay that way for a long time. Now I can move on to
organizing my fridge
and the 32 other cabinets in this kitchen ;)
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