I know there have been a lot of organizing posts lately.
I get it.
I understand.
Maybe you are happy about it.
Maybe you are here for organizing tips and ideas.
Maybe you are like calm down KariAnne.
Just between us? I can’t help it. Before I had my first baby, I nested and organized and cleaned and rearranged and decorated.
It kept me busy.
It kept me distracted.
It kept my mind off the big changes ahead.
And now?
As the twins are about to leave for college? I find myself doing the same thing. I’m going through all the spaces in my house and tidying up and making small changes and cleaning up everything that needs to be cleaned.
So today I wanted to share my 7 simple tips to organize your kitchen sink.
If you want a space under your sink that is the envy of the neighborhood?
This is the post for you.
This is what my kitchen sink looked like before I started.
YIKES.
If you open your under sink door and shudder?
Come sit by me.
Tip 1: Assess and decide what you are keeping (and not keeping)
This is actually my new motto with everything.
Instead of letting the stuff decide where it wants to go? I decide for it instead.
Start by pulling everything out from under your sink and put it on the counter. Then clean the entire space under your cabinet (you could even paint it if you need to) and now you have a blank slate to work with.
Now before you can organize what’s under your sink, you need to decide what stays.
(total aside: if you have littles in your house, make sure and add a child-proof lock to the cabinet)
Here’s what I’m keeping under the sink:
- cleaning caddy
- countertop cleaner
- dishwashing soap
- dishwashing tabs
- sponge
- sponge holder
- flower vases
- trash bags
- paper towels
- rags
What I’m not keeping under the sink:
- bathroom cleaner (yes this was under this cabinet)
- anything that might get damaged if the sink leaks
- extra supplies (I moved all that type of thing to our new cleaning command central under the stairs)
- anything flammable
- random appliances (I created another cabinet for those)
Tip 2: Create your organizational system
I get so tired of digging around for stuff under my sink and I wanted something that pulled out so I could actually see what I had under the sink.
I found this 2 tier sliding organizer.
It comes with a slider that you install in the bottom of the cabinet and then you just add the organizer to the slider. It’s just skinny enough that it fits perfectly to the left of our faucet.
It is a GAME CHANGER.
Yesterday I needed to find a new sponge under the sink.
Normally, I dig around in the cabinet and things fall out and then I end up on my hands and knees on the kitchen floor trying to put everything back together.
Not now.
I just pulled this out, grabbed a new sponge and shut the cabinet door. It saved five minutes of my life.
Tip 3: Add a portable option
I already had these tubs, so I used them to organize the other side of the sink.
They are sold out now, but I found this option instead.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE anything with compartments under the sink.
When I get dishwashing tabs or SOS scrubbers, I take them out of the package and add them to a compartment. It saves so much space.
I have two of these and I’m planning on filling the other one with cleaners and rags so when I want to deep clean the kitchen I can just pull it out and everything is now in one place.
Tip 4: Address paper towel storage
I shared this paper towel holder on “What I Bought Wednesday” before.
I love it because it fits perfectly under our sink. It comes with an adhesive strip that you peel off and stick it to the roof of the cabinet. You could also attach it to the top with small screws for more stabilization if you need to.
There are TONS of different ways to store paper towels. You just need to choose one and stick to it.
Here are some available options:
- This option that slides onto your kitchen cabinet
- This standing option for the kitchen counter
- This magnetic option for the side of your fridge
- This option for your cabinet door
Tip 5: Have a place for wet sponges and SOS pads
I know this is so random, but I don’t like my sponges on my counter.
I try and get cute ones with white and brown sides, but the ones that work the best come in colors that aren’t cute.
Also, whenever I store them on the side of the sink, they leave little bits of randomness whereever they go and make the sink harder to clean up.
My solution is to keep a wooden sponge holder like this under the sink on the pull out wire rack. It keeps the sponge fresher longer and the holder allows it to dry straight without shriveling up.
I also use an organizer with compartments like this where I separate clean and used SOS pads.
(total aside: toss your sponges in the dishwasher when you run a load to keep them even fresher).
Tip 6: Keep hand soap refills under the sink
All I have on my kitchen sink is a clean/dirty sign for the dishwasher and a hand soap container.
We go through a LOT of hand soap around here.
There’s nothing worse than going to wash your hands and it’s the dregs at the bottom of the hand soap bottle.
You try and add water and you try to stretch it until the hand soap fairy shows up with extra soap.
Just keep a giant refill under the sink that you can use to refill it when you need it instead.
Tip 7: Keep a few flower vases or containers here
I’m always bringing home some sort of potted plant for the kitchen.
It’s not a trip to the grocery store without picking up an ivy or a blooming bulb or just a simple flower pot full of flowers.
Most of the time they are in NOT cute containers.
I love having a few extra containers here to change out as soon as I bring them home.
I keep most of my flower vases and containers in the hutch in the hallway, but it’s always a good idea to have some here within easy reach.
I hope these tips were a little helpful.
I’m busy right now organizing my craft room closet.
It’s keeping me busy.
It’s keeping me distracted.
Hoping to keep my mind off the big changes ahead.
Fingers crossed it works.:)
disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post.
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