The area under the sink is often an ignored and neglected storage space. With all the pipes and other hardware under there, it’s the last place you really want to store items. Other than a few cleaning products and possibly a grease trap, you might not be keeping anything under there, and that is a waste of space. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Here are some great tips to help you finally organise under your sink.
Hanging hooks and baskets
You can find most of these products at a hardware store and easily install them under your sink. Your mess will de-clutter itself once you have a place for everything.
With the hooks, you can hang scrubbing brushes for toilets and sinks so they can dry properly and not lay on any surface that might come into contact with food. The baskets can be hooked over the cabinet door so they hang on the inside part. This is a great place to put your cleaning bottles so they’re kept partially away from anything that you could possible ingest.
Install a lazy susan
You might think lazy susans are best for spice racks and pantries, but they’re actually great for keeping yourself organised in other places too. With a lazy susan, you won’t have to dig through all of your cleaning bottles to find the right one. You can simply spin it to find what you’re looking for.
Lined baskets
Your local home goods store should have plenty of lined baskets to choose from. These small baskets can hold towels and other items for easy access.
When you’re cleaning the house, you can pull out the basket full of cleaning supplies and carry it with you around the house. You’ll have everything you need in one spot, and when you’re done, the basket slides easily back under the sink.
Built-in shelves
The best way to maximise this space is to install several shelves, dividing the space in half, and better organise under your sink. This idea works best if you have a large area under your sink, and it looks neat and clean. Now you can store twice as many items and you can better organise it. Keep the clean towels, sponges and extra paper towels on one side and put the spray bottles on the other side.
Pull-out shelf
Having a pull-out shelf is a great example of how much space you could be missing out on. There are a few ways to design your pull-out draws. Of course, you have to go around the pipes so that should be taken into consideration, but remember that this will also keep the supplies stored underneath from sitting on the bottom of the cabinet. Some older sinks can get pretty nasty underneath, so it’s nice to be able to store them above the cabinet floor. First, you can install a silverware drawer. This drawer doesn’t have to go so far back under your sink and can fit snugly next to the pipes. Silverware and other utensils will fit nicely in this narrow drawer that pulls out so you don’t have to get on your hands and knees and search. You can also fit the drawer underneath the pipes, which will make it a little wider. Though you will have to fit everything around the pipes, you can easily pull on the drawer to see all of the cleaning supplies, extra paper towels and other items you have in stock. You can also use small, plastic containers to separate each item so you keep your dishwashing sponges in a dry spot away from any harmful chemicals.
Decorate the space
Your home has at least two sinks in it: the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Both are an opportunity to add a splash of colour and panache to your room whenever you open the door. You can line your cabinets under the sink with either colourful wallpaper prints or other types of non-stick prints. This can match the decor of the room and will make it easy for you to clean under there. All you have to do is run a towel over the wallpaper to clear away any dirt. More enthused decorators might even consider painting the inside of the cabinet. This can be a lot of extra work, but it’s great for rooms that have a very unique design. For an all-white bathroom, paint the inside cabinet blue or bright yellow to wake you up in the morning. You can add little trinkets, like sea shells or fake flowers to match the style of the room.
Acrylic Jars
If you’ve ever polished off a jar of jam or spaghetti sauce, you’ve probably thrown away or recycled the jar without a second thought, but these jars can be great organisational tools, especially for under a female’s bathroom sink. For the kitchen, these jars can keep sponges and towels away from your cleaning supplies, and they can also hold your homemade cleaning supplies if you like to mix them yourself. Bacon fanatics will love these jars because they’re a great place to store excess bacon grease. When the jar is full, you can toss or recycle it. Women (and men too) will find these jars great for organising their bathrooms. Bobby pins, cue tips, vitamins, razors and other loose objects will finally have a place where you can always find them. You can also paint the jars and create a design that will match the bathroom.
Trash organisers
Since garbage disposals are traditionally under the sink, many people like to keep their trashcans out of the way from guests, which also keeps the smell at bay. You can further make use of this idea by adding just a few more small trash bins.
