If someone asks me for a sponge or a cleaning product, I am always hesitated to open the doors under the sink. The only obvious reason is the messiness. Everything got toss in there and forgot. As long as there is room, household supplies find their ways to under the sink. Sponges, dish washing liquid, scrub pads, rubber gloves, and many more little knick knacks made an untidy home there.
Four steps to get organized:
- Take everything out, and clean the entire area. Scrub it thoroughly. After it is dry, line the bottom of the cabinet with waterproof mat to protect it from spills.
- Separate your contents into categories such as daily items, cleaning supplies, and miscellaneous. Your daily items should be dish washing liquid, scrub pads, and rubber gloves. Cleaning products include all other household supplies such as all purpose cleaner, carpet's deodorizer, etc. The miscellaneous contains grocery bags, jars or plastic cups.
- Install your organizer gadgets such as turntables, grocery or garbage bags dispenser, vinyl holders with suction cups or hooks, metal shelves that mount to the door, and stackable crates. These are a few of very useful gadgets. Choose organizers that are detachable, and easy to take in and out to take advantage of the vertical space.
- Restock your cabinet with accessibility in mind. Things that you don't use often (ants repellent, oven cleaner) go in the back, and things that you use daily (dish soap, hand soap, scrub pad) in the front.
The space under the sink is often the most unorganized space in our house. I found flower vases, oven cleaning products, my son's collections of rock, shells, and marbles in small jars. People sometimes think that it is also the dirtiest place, especially if you keep your garbage can there. So it is wise that we keep our garbage can elsewhere, if possible.
Since this space contains many dangerous chemicals, you should install a child safety device if there are children and pets in the house. Keep the poison control hotline numbers by your phone.
