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In this post: Under the kitchen sink can become a messy catchall for everything from rags to cleaning supplies. Here’s how to organize under the kitchen sink so you can tame that mess!
The cabinet under the kitchen sink often becomes a catch-all for all sorts of things. But this mini disaster area can make it difficult to find anything. Tackle your under-the-kitchen-sink mess and learn how to organize under-the-kitchen sink here!
Why Should You Organize Your Under-Sink Space?
The cabinets under your kitchen sink can be a very handy place for often-needed and much-used kitchen supplies. You know the things you don’t necessarily want to have out on display on the kitchen counters all the time, but that you need to grab often.
Having a well-organized under-the-kitchen sink cabinet can really help the feel and function of your kitchen and home. And this organization project is an easy weekend or even afternoon project! #quickwin
What Should You Keep Under Your Kitchen Sink?
Well, that depends entirely on you and your kitchen space.
Many people keep these items under their kitchen sink:
- cleaning products
- sponges or scrub brushes
- dishcloths
- dishwasher tablets
- trash bags
- a garbage bin
Some people also have a garbage disposal beneath their kitchen sink, which takes up some room too.
We keep some of these things, but not all of them under our kitchen sink. Under our kitchen sink area, we store:
- dishwasher tabs
- dead batteries (we drop them off at our local municipal waste facility)
- a kitchen fire extinguisher
- fruit and vegetable cleaner
- rarely used stainless steel cleaner (for the appliances)
- glass oven top cleaner and scraper
- a small recycling bin
- a roll-out compost bin set from Ikea
We also have a drawer to the right of the sink that holds garbage bags, dishcloths, tea towels, and scrubbies above the large recycling and garbage bins.
Things I don’t keep under the kitchen sink
We don’t really store cleaning supplies under our kitchen sink, as most of those live in our laundry room. But there are a few.
And our dish soap, hand soap, and all-purpose spray cleaner are decanted from their original packaging into amber glass bottles on a tray on the kitchen counter beside the sink.
Keep detergents out of reach of kids and pets: If you have young children or pets that can get into your under-sink cabinet, don’t keep cleaners there at all, or make sure you have a really good child/pet-proof locks for that cupboard.
How to Organize Under the Kitchen Sink in 7 Steps
You should organize under the kitchen sink to fit your needs and how you use your kitchen. There’s definitely no one size fits all solution, but there are many easy ideas you can use. Here’s how to organize under the kitchen sink, step-by-step:
01| Empty everything out of the cupboards
As with all organizing projects, you want to start by emptying out the space you’re going to organize. Take everything out from underneath your kitchen sink.
02| Clean and refresh
Next, you’ll want to wipe down the inside of your under-sink cabinet. Use wipes or all-purpose spray and paper towels to clean up any spills. Use a magic eraser on tough scuff marks or stains.
If you’d like a fresh start, you could also line the bottom of the cabinet with a pretty shelf liner. Or give the inside of the cabinet a fresh coat of paint (if your cabinet material is paintable) to brighten it up.
03| Declutter and sort
Now, purge any unnecessary items from the things you’ve removed from beneath the sink. Any obvious trash, duplicates, broken sprayers and the like should be tossed. Put away anything that doesn’t belong under the sink.
Then sort what’s left, like with like. Cloths, garbage bags, sponges, cleaners – keep them all with their similar category of items.
04| After sorting, measure the space
Once you’ve sorted what’s to be kept under the kitchen sink, measure the space. Be sure to measure the width, height, and depth of the cabinet under the sink, so that you know how much space you’re actually working with for organization and storage.
Work around obstructions
Organizing under the kitchen sink can be a challenge if you have a large garbage disposal or awkward pipes taking up valuable cupboard real estate under there. So be sure to measure these as well.
05| Choose under-sink organizers wisely
Choose organizers for under your kitchen sink that you will actually use. Make sure you keep it simple and choose organizers and containers for easy access.
06| Remove extra packaging
Once you’ve got your organizers, remove extra packaging to save space and make your organization look prettier.
Decant things like dish soap into prettier bottles. Place dishwasher tabs in clear acrylic drawers. Stack dishcloths or sponges in a small basket. Put scrub brushes in a small crock. Keep your things accessible for ease of use. There’s no point in organizing and making your under-the-kitchen-sink cupboard look pretty if it’s not functional!
07| Add labels
Finally, label everything so you and your family or housemates know where everything goes. You can find pretty labels on Amazon, the Dollar Store, or Etsy. Or you can DIY your own on a basic home printer or Cricut.
What Products are Helpful When Organizing Under My Sink?
As I mentioned, you want to keep the organization simple and easy to use.
Remember to shop the house and even repurpose items you already have. You can use crocks, pottery, baskets, dollar store bins, small bowls, and even old food boxes wrapped with gift wrap or wallpaper.
Here are a few options to customize the under-sink storage in your kitchen. You can also check out my favorites for stylish home organization on Amazon.
Lazy Susan Organization
Lazy Susans are a handy tool in the kitchen. They can be used to organize the pantry, the fridge or any cupboard. Use them under the sink for storing cleaning bottles.
Pull-Out Trash Can/Recycling/Compost Bins
Under the kitchen sink is a common place to store garbage cans, and compost or recycling bins. Having pullout bins is the best and makes cleanup easy.
Pull-Out Shelves
You can also employ pull-out shelves or drawers to store dishwasher tablets, dishcloths, and more under your kitchen sink.
Over the Door Organizer
Make use of the space right behind closed doors with a small over-the-door organizer. We’ve used these before to hold scrubbies and smaller cleaners.
Clear Plastic Bins
The space under the kitchen sink tends to be a little bit dark so using clear plastic bins for some of your organization will help you see what’s there at a glance.
Hang Things on Hooks
You could also hang hooks – 3M ones work great here – on the inside of cabinet doors or even on the side of the cabinet to store dish towels, scrub brushes, gloves, and more.
Use a Cleaning Caddy
If the majority of your cleaning products are going to live under your kitchen sink, consider using a cleaning caddy to organize them. That way you can just grab the whole caddy when you need to go clean another area of the house.
Tension Rod for Spray Bottles
Another smart method for hanging spray bottles is to place a tension rod (like a curtain rod) under the sink. Then you simply hang the spray bottles by the handles/nozzles. Be sure the tension rod is strong enough to hold the weight of the full bottles.
Install an Under Sink Shelf
You can easily double your under-cabinet storage space by installing an extra shelf. There are even shelves designed to work around most plumbing.
More Kitchen Organizing Ideas
- 25+ Quick and Easy Kitchen Organizing Tips You Can Really Use!
- How to Organize a Junk Drawer in Just 7 Steps and 30 Minutes
- How to Organize Under the Kitchen Sink: Organizing Ideas to Tame the Mess
- How to Organize Kitchen Counters: Kitchen Counter Organization Ideas
- How To Organize Your Fridge: A Step By Step Guide to Fridge Organization
- Pantry Organization Ideas: How to Organize Your Pantry in 5 Simple Steps
So, that’s how to organize under the kitchen sink. Do you have any other tips or ideas that I missed? If so, share them in the comments below!
Hi Shannon – are there sources anywhere for the products you used under your sink?
Hi Lori,
Yes, in the post there are links to the amazon items with the photos near the bottom of the post. And the rollout bins are from Ikea.
The Container Store has a large round lazy Susan that fits perfectly under my sink as I have a garbage disposal under there. I place all bottles and spray bottles about 2” away from the edge. This allow the caddy to spin unobstructed. In those inches around the the diameter of the caddy I layer my lint free hand cloths that I use for drying dishes and wiping down cabinets. This allows me to use all the caddy space!