Do you have issues organizing your under kitchen sink cabinet because of the pipes in it? If you’re feeling stuck, read on to find out how to organize your under kitchen sink storage into a space that’s functional yet pretty.
P/S: This method works for ANY cabinet in your entire house!
When I was thinking of how to organize the cabinet under my kitchen sink, the first thing I did was Google the subject. I was BLOWN away by all of the useful information the web provided, but something felt amiss.
Most of these articles gave great advice but barely anyone had written about their experience organizing their kitchen sink.
So, I gathered all the information I could find, tested them, and wrote this blog post for you. This is my real-life experience of organizing my under-the-kitchen sink storage (complete with photos!).
Since I tackled this on my own, I discovered a few tips and tricks that came in handy for this project. In this post, you’ll find a few ‘pro tips’ highlighted along the way. I hope these will help you just as much as they helped me!
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How To Organize Under Your Kitchen Sink
Take stock of what you’re storing under your kitchen sink
If you haven’t cleaned this area in a while, I know this will be the hardest step. Think of it like ripping a band-aid off – the sooner you do this, the less disgusting it’ll be.
The cabinet under our kitchen sink was fairly clean (phew), but it just wasn’t functional. Our cleaning supplies were blocking smaller items like sponges and brushes, which made them so hard to find. That’s also why you don’t see them in the photos!
We had a lot of half-used cleaning supplies as well, which I know is the result of being disorganized.
The cabinet under our kitchen sink was also severely underutilized. Because it was so cluttered, we stored our cleaning rags, bin liners, and kitchen towels in different cabinets around the house. This made cleaning the kitchen a total hassle because we often had to make separate trips to gather everything.
When I finally did this step, I sat on the kitchen floor, took EVERYTHING out, and made a list on my phone.
Once the cabinet was empty, I took the opportunity to wipe down all of the surfaces with a multipurpose cleaner. I didn’t have a shelf liner with me, but I recommend using a water-resistant one to protect your cabinet from water drips or spills from cleaning supplies.
Purge, keep, and sort
This step is inevitable in every organizational project. On the bright side, since most people don’t have anything sentimental kept under their kitchen sink, decluttering this space should be easy and quick.
We didn’t have much to purge except plastic packaging and empty bottles. This is a good time to discard anything that’s expired, nearly empty, and worn out.
If you have a lot of half-used cleaning supplies as I do, you should make a note to consolidate them during the organizing stage later.
Once we decluttered and laid everything out, we grouped similar items and sorted them into three main categories:
- Cleaning supplies e.g. glass cleaner, floor cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, laundry detergent, and baking powder
- Cleaning tools e.g. brushes, sponges, bin liners, and kitchen towels
- Pet supplies e.g. pet food and treats
Pro tip: Don’t have enough space for everything? Separate your kitchen cleaners from your bathroom cleaners! Bathroom cleaners belong in the cabinet under your bathroom sink.
Plan your space and measure everything!
People often mistake organizing for buying a bunch of pretty storage containers and dumping everything into them. Trust me, there’s more to organizing than buying a bunch of baskets and bins!
The key to efficient organization is to plan your space first and then measure everything. If you fail to do this, chances are you may purchase storage containers that do not even fit the cabinet under your kitchen sink. Remember, the winding pipes in that cabinet can be tricky to work with!
I measured our entire cabinet (length, width, depth) and kept the measurements before I started browsing. I had a tight space to work with, so I cross-checked the measurements of every storage container with the measurements of our cabinet before I purchased them.
Pro tip: When it comes to taking measurements, don’t forget to take note of any obstructions in your cabinets like pipes and garbage disposals!
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that are at no additional cost to you, and I may earn a small commission if you purchase any products via my links. I only recommend products that I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are my own. Read the full privacy policy here.
Shop for under kitchen sink storage solutions and containers
Smart space-saving storage solutions are essential for the cabinet under your kitchen sink. Additionally, I highly recommend buying water-resistant storage solutions just in case a pipe bursts!
Here’s a round-up of the best organizers suitable for the cabinet under your kitchen sink.
Two-tier sliding under cabinet organizer
Let’s address the biggest issue with my under-the-sink cabinet. First, I have a tall and relatively wide cabinet. However, it lacks depth due to the pipes. As a result, I often place my bulky cleaning supplies in front, but this kept smaller items out of sight.
With a slide-out system, I can easily access things hiding in the back of the sink. Plus, the tiered shelves give me more storage space.
My recommendation: White stackable 2-Tier Under Sink Cabinet Organizer with Sliding Storage Drawer
Clear stackable bins with slide-out drawers
Since our cabinet lacked depth, we only had sufficient space for one two-tier sliding organizer.
We liked the slide-out system for easy access, so we used these clear stackable bins with slide-out drawers to store our smaller items like bin liners, rags, cloths, sponges, and brushes.
Now, I usually go for opaque storage solutions, but I wanted the ones under my kitchen sink to be clear so I can easily identify what’s inside each bin. Believe it or not, our stackable bins were refrigerator organizers, but hey, they do the job well!
The stackable feature saves space, and they look so sleek. They completely elevated the look of my under-the-sink cabinet!
My recommendation: Acrylic stackable all-purpose drawer
Over-the-door and wall storage
When it comes to under-the-sink organization, it’s a MUST to utilize over-the-door and wall storage.
We used floating wire shelves on our cabinet doors to store pet food. Since we prepare our dog’s meals by the sink, this was the perfect spot to keep her food. The best part about these floating wire shelves is that there’s NO drilling required. They come with self-adhesive clear pads, which makes them barely noticeable!
There are so many different types of over-the-door and wall storage. From over-the-door bars and cabinets that come in all kinds of finishes to metal or plastic hooks and grommets, you are spoilt for choice.
Pro tip: If budget is a concern, you can also use clothes pegs or a spice rack to maximize your vertical storage.
My recommendation: White hanging/wall-mounted wire baskets (no drilling required!)
Lazy Susan
One storage solution that I didn’t have the space for BUT wished I did is the Lazy Susan. We opted for the two-tier sliding cabinet instead to give us more space, but a rotating Lazy Susan is a great way to store and access all of your cleaning products easily.
You can see all of the products at a go, and you don’t have to move all of your stuff just to reach for the cleaner that’s stowed right at the back of the sink!
My recommendation: Acrylic Lazy Susan
Organize and label
This step is the most fun and rewarding for me. Now that you have all of your storage solutions, it’s time to organize all of your stuff!
Here’s how we organized everything according to the storage solutions we bought:
Two-tier sliding under cabinet organizer
Top drawer: Baking soda
Bottom drawer: Glass cleaner, multipurpose cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, extra spray bottles
Clear stackable bins with slide-out drawers
First bin: sponges and brushes
Second bin: Bin liners
Third bin: Cleaning cloths and rags
Kitchen towels (A plastic caddy is helpful because it is easy to grab and go. We can fill it with cleaning supplies if we have to clean another area in the house)
Laundry detergent and floor cleaner
Wire shelves on the cabinet door
Pet food
I haven’t gotten the chance to label them yet, but that’s next on my to-do list. Given that I know what’s inside each bin, I know my husband will need some help!
Pro tip: I’m prone to wasting cleaning supplies if they come in big bottles. It’s difficult to pour the exact amount I need when the bottles are heavy. If you’re like me, consider switching the existing packaging to smaller bottles or containers.
What do you think of my under-the-kitchen sink organization? I hope you learned a thing or two about how to organize under your kitchen sink!
If you’re just getting started, all the best, and let me know if you have any organization tips to add!
Like this post? You may enjoy these other organization projects:
Where did you purchase your organizing things?
Where did you get the two tier sliding organizer? This is exactly what I have been looking for.
Hi there! I bought mine locally, but I’ve added a link to a similar organizer in the post. It’s from Amazon, hope that helps!
Hello,
I like your under sink organizing blog very much. But I could not open the link to the products. Can you send it to me?
Hi Nancy! I’m sorry you couldn’t access the link to the products. I bought my organizers locally, but I’ve added some links to similar items on the post itself. Hope that helps!