Getting Organized Under the Kitchen Sink


I consider myself to be an organized person. I’m not a fan of clutter, I’m pretty darn good at purging, and a messy room makes me squirm. But I’m not SUPER ORGANIZED. You know…like the everything-labeled-perfectly-aligned-color-coded organized people out there? I’m certainly not in that category.Under the Sink Storage

While some closets, cabinets, and areas of our home are pretty tidy there’s one cabinet that has been on my to-do list since we moved in…disorganized-undersink

…underneath the kitchen sink. You can see my failed attempt at keeping it organized. I have some baskets in there and a big bucket for rags. But it really was not working for us and was far from functional.ย disorganized-cleaning-suppliesI’d take one spray bottle out to do some cleaning, and then fight to try to squeeze it back into this basket.ย undersink-mess-kitchen

I don’t always love keeping wet sponges out and about, so I’d often throw them under here and then frantically search for a clean sponge the next time I did dishes. This entire cabinet was just not functional and every time I opened it I was mad at myself for not making it a priority.

kitchen-sink-gif

So I finally decided to do something about it. Now let me forewarn you that you’re not going to see a cleaning cabinet color-coded to perfection. And you’re certainly not going to see things labeled or cleaning products put into pretty bottles or canisters. Yes, I like things pretty..but I also like to be a realistic with my organizing projects. So here are 3 EASY changes I made to make this cabinet work for our kitchen.

  1. Tension Rod for Spray Bottlesspray-bottles-on-tension-rod

I picked up a tension rod from Lowe’s and installed it in the front of the cabinet. The one I got wasn’t very heavy-duty, so I have it resting on the hardware from the kitchen cabinet doors. That way it can easily hold heavy bottles without sliding.

Here’s a link to a similar one on Amazon.ย tension-rod-undersink

They did have some tension rods that you can screw into the wood sides, and that would be great to hold a lot of bottles. Because I wanted to test out this new method before creating any holes in the cabinets, I decided to go with the less intense one. But the heavy-duty one is a great option too!spray-bottles-rod-kitchen

Ours holds the cleaners we use just about everyday or so, and it’s so easy to simple reach in and grab them!

2. Sponge Holdersink-sponge

I also found a little clear sponge holder and I attached it to the inside of the wood cabinet using command strips. It holds our wet sponge, scrub brush, and the sink stopper.

Here’s a link to a similar one on Amazon.

organized-undersink-supplies-cleaningHonestly, it’s been a game changer for me! I don’t have to keep the wet sponge out, yet it’s still easy to locate!

3. Pull-out Double-Decker Drawers

how-to-organize-undersink

Another great addition under here is this little double-decker pull-out organizer I found. I’m able to put gloves, extra sponges, and mop pads on the bottom.

Here’s a link to a similar one on Amazon.ย organized-undersink-drawers

Then on the top I have more cleaning supplies (seriously…why do we have so many?!), that we regularly use like our dish soap and pledge.ย organized-cleaning-supplies

In the back, I added another little compartment (I think it’s an old dish soap packet container) to hold items we rarely use.ย supplies-organized-basket

I can just simply move the big bucket o’ rags, and grab these items when I need them…which isn’t all that often. Speaking of those rags…rags-bucket

…they’re still hanging out in the bucket. Yes I could have folded them all nicely and gotten a cute little basket for those. But in reality, it would have become a big mess all over again. I don’t have time to fold our rags. That’s just life right? So instead they’re all in our big bucket…which honestly doesn’t bother me at all.

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All in all I think it’s a great improvement, as we were able to maximize all of the space in here and really make it functional for everyday use.ย organized-sink-kitchen-cleaning-supplies

And it’s crazy how one little organized cabinet can bring you so much joy! Maybe not so much that I actually look forward to cleaning, but at least I get a little smile on my face every time I open this cabinet.

Casey

Looking to get everything in your house organized? Check out how to organize a french door refrigerator and 6 ways to organize your receipts!


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.