Organizing the Space Under Your Kitchen Sink

The cabinet under the kitchen sink often turns into a black hole of clutter. Cleaning supplies, sponges, garbage bags, and tools end up stuffed inside with no rhyme or reason. Before you know it, reaching for a bottle of dish soap turns into a game of Jenga. Get ahead of the chaos with these ideas for organizing under the kitchen sink.

An organized under sink storage area simplifies cooking and cleaning tasks. No more rummaging to find the scrub brush or spraying everything with an unidentified bottle. Supplies stay tidy and accessible for grabbing at a moment's notice.

Understand the Under Sink Area

Take some time to fully evaluate the space beneath your sink before launching into organizing. Understanding the parameters helps tailor storage solutions to your unique layout.

a. Take Stock of the Space

Start by removing everything from the cabinet and analyzing what you unpacked. Group like items together to gauge how much of each category needs storage. Measure the cabinet's dimensions, taking into account any pipes, electrical, or plumbing. Note particular trouble spots, like hard-to-access corners or narrow openings.

b. Identify Goals for Organizing

Consider how you want to use the finished space. Frequent access items should go in easier to reach areas, while emergency or rarely used supplies can have distant spots. Grouping task-related things in project caddies simplifies cleaning routines. Leaving room to grow helps prevent a recurrence of chaos.

c. Consider Specific Sink and Cabinet Layout

The sink and surrounding cabinetry introduces unique spatial considerations. Farmhouse sinks limit under-cabinet clearance. Apron front designs fully block cabinet access on one side. Measure, sketch your layout, and problem-solve any size constraints before arranging organizers.

Prepare for Organizing the Under Sink Space

With a full understanding of the area's parameters, prep the space for organizing. Thorough cleaning and gathering supplies lays the foundation for creating functional storage zones tailored to your needs.

a. Remove All Existing Contents

Take everything out before wiping down shelves and surfaces. Go through items as you unpack, discarding anything expired, damaged, or no longer needed. Group like things, whether by category or project. This gives you an overview of what needs organizing.

b. Clean the Sink Base and Pipes

Use an all-purpose cleaner or diluted bleach solution for any mildew or grossness under the sink. Getting grime and splatters off shelving helps new organizers or bins stay cleaner. Carefully wipe down pipes and plumbing to remove dust and dirt.

c. Gather Organizing Supplies

Measure open areas to determine what size storage will fit best. Compile bins, racks, caddies and other organizers to sort contents once the space is prepped. Having everything ready to put away prevents a messy overflow mid-project.

Maximize Vertical Storage Space

The narrow under sink cabinet leaves extensive vertical real estate. Install organizers that take storage up the walls over just placing containers on the floor space. Mounting systems also increase usable surface area within the confined parameters.

a. Install Shelf Organizers and Racks

Freestanding shelving units sit securely without hardware or drilling. Consider materials like stainless steel that resist moisture and dripping. Mounted racks take advantage of all empty wall space to double storage capacity.

b. Mount a Towel Bar to the Cabinet Door

Affixing a small towel rod to the inside of a cabinet door cleared floor space while neatly stowing cleaning rags. Spring loaded supports keep the bar securely in place when loading up linens or scrub cloths. Consider s-hooks as a removable alternative for hanging drying towels.

c. Use Wall-Mounted Pot Lid Storage

Vertically staggering hooks, rails and specialized lid racks above the sink maximizes unused wall space. Arrange by size or keep sets together for easy access. Wall storage keeps bulky, oddly shaped items from monopolizing precious floor space in an already crowded under sink area.

Sort Under Sink Contents by Category

Group like items to simplify finding what you need when tackling tasks. Designate organizers by function or project instead of strictly by category. Keeping related products together is an actionable way to corral supplies.

a. Grouping Cleaning Products Together

Arrange all-purpose cleaners, disinfecting sprays, powders and scrubs in easy to access areas. Store them together in bins, shelves or hanging bags. This assembles everything needed to quickly grab cleaning caddies for tackling projects.

b. Keeping First Aid Supplies in One Box

Bandages, antibiotic ointments, burn treatments and gloves have their own dedicated kit. Tuck it into an easy to reach spot in case of minor kitchen mishaps. Include cold packs and ace wraps for sprains alongside basic first aid tools.

c. Having a Sponge and Scrubber Caddy

Designate a container just for sudsy cleaning tools like dish brushes, sponges and scrub pads. Use mesh to allow airflow and drying to prevent mildew. Situate near the sink faucet within quick reach when washing dishes or wiping counters.

Use Containers to Corral Loose Items

Plastic bins, buckets and lidded totes containing related products cut down on rummaging through a jumbled mess. See-through bodies make locating gear easier. Having dedicated storage keeps things accessible yet organized.

a. Plastic Bins for Task-Focused Kits

Assemble cleaning caddies filled with all necessary products to quickly tackle projects. Sort other items, like light bulbs or baking pans, into categorical groupings inside bins for fast access without sorting through a pile.

b. Mesh Buckets to Tidy Pipes and Odd Shapes

Flexible mesh construction conforms around plumbing or oddly angled items unlike rigid bins. Breathable sides allow airflow to prevent moisture retention and mildew unlike solid plastic. Use them to neatly corral awkward items like funnels or cleaning tools.

c. Lazy Susans to Easily Access Items

Spinning organizers make items tucked against the back wall or way back on shelves easier to reach. Avoid constantly shifting things from the front to access loose food storage lids or infrequently used spray bottles way in the rear corner.

Maintain Organization

Preserving a clean, clutter-free under sink space requires upkeep and occasionally reassessing storage efficiency. Start by labeling organizers so everyone knows where things belong for quick clean up.

a. Label Bins, Baskets and Shelves

Use printable stickers, insert cards or stenciled lettering to identify what goes where. Consistent labeling helps household members put supplies back in the proper spot to maintain groupings.

b. Put Things Back After Using

Develop the habit of immediately replacing items instead of setting them on the counter or floor after completing tasks. This prevents a gradual descent back into disarray after initially organizing everything.

c. Regularly Purge Unneeded Items

Do an occasional reevaluation of under sink contents to ensure you are not storing unnecessary things. Toss expired products, chipped containers or unused duplicates crowding organized space.

Creative Solutions for Tiny Spaces

Even well organized under sink spaces struggle with limited dimensions. Specialty items maximize every inch to keep things tidy in cramped quarters beneath the sink.

Retracting rails with stacked mesh shelf bins double storage capacity. The vertical design fits narrow spaces between pipes. Bins slide out at different levels to access all items without unpacking everything.