The cabinets under a kitchen sink are the least organized space in many apartments. Are the cabinets under your kitchen sink the last place you’d want people to look in your apartment? Is this space a disorganized jumble of cleaning supplies, garbage bags, brushes, and various assorted things you cannot readily name? If you’d like to transform the area under your kitchen sink into a neat and tidy supply storage space, here’s some helpful steps to get this often neglected space in tip-top shape.
1. Clear it out
Before you even decide how you’ll organize the shelves under your kitchen sink, remove everything stored on them. Assess the items you pulled off the shelves, making a list of everything you want to store in the soon-to-be-organized area. Dispose of anything you don’t need.
2. Clean it out
Use disinfecting wipes or a cleaning sponge to make the area under your kitchen sink look as clean as it did the day you moved in. Towel dry the shelf and walls before laying down some shelf liner.
3. Line the shelf
Improve your under-sink cabinet aesthetic with a colorful or patterned shelf liner. You can also easily make your own shelf liner using a gift wrap pattern you like and clear contact paper.
4. Use the doors
Part of what makes under-sink cabinets a trouble spot for many apartment dwellers is a tendency to toss, dump, or shove items you want in the kitchen but don’t have a place for under the sink. Starting with the doors, assign a specific space to every item you’ll store under the sink. Lightweight organizing tools like paper towel roll and dishwashing glove holders can be affixed to cabinet doors using Command strips.
5. Baskets, dividers, and drawers
Further tidy up under the sink by organizing other items with baskets, dividers, and drawers. Function and frequency of use are two categories that often work well for organizing.
6. Consider labeling
Labeling bins and drawers under the sink is a good way to avoid confusion around what should be stored where. It can keep everyone in your household on the same page. If you store waste and recycling receptacles under the sink, label them to avoid confusion. If you separate recyclables, get more specific and have different bins for glass, metal, plastic, etc. Kitchen towels can be separated into bins labeled “dry” and “wet.”
7. Use a lazy Susan
If you store several different cleaning supplies under your sink, use a lazy Susan to ensure they’re always easy to find. Items stored on lazy usans are easier to reach, and you’re less likely to knock standing items over when returning cleaning supplies if you use one.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst