Kitchen cabinets tend to get messy. But the cabinet under the sink has its own unique way of becoming a cluttered cave of castoffs.
In any case, for these storage spots to become the functional spaces they should be, our under-sink cabinets need to undergo an overhaul. First Step: Editing!You can start by taking everything out of the cabinet and taking inventory of what’s inside.
The following things should be given the boot:
1. The very, very well-used Magic Erasers.
2. Vases, especially ones you don’t even like.
3. Those several jars you stashed down there
4. The old, rusty pruning shears you’re hanging
5. The nicely-folded but never-used collection of sponge-y cloths.
6. Old multi-purpose cleaning sprays you never reach for.
7. The garbage bags that don’t fit your new trash can.
8. The dish washing gloves you never wear.
9. Electronics. One faucet leak could quickly ruin your handheld vacuum or slow cooker
10. Any more than one (or maybe two) extra sponges that you retired from dishwashing
11. Anything more than one bottle brush per size
12. More than two different-sized cleaning brushes
13. The scrubbers that you’re worried will scratch your sink and therefore sit unused.
14. The powdered plant food that’s saturated with moisture and has turned into a useless block.
15. The extra containers you’ve tossed under the sink because they seem perfect for organizing all that stuff under there, but they’ve actually just become clutter themselves.
16. Plastic containers you’ve saved that you thought might come in handy—but haven’t used.
17. Stain-removing supplies. Keep those with your laundry, so they’re at arm’s reach when you need them.
18. The same goes for OxiClean and other cleaners you use mostly on the laundry—put them in your laundry room or by your laundromat kit.
19. Tools and hardware, or anything else that’s likely to rust in moist conditions.
20. Pots and pans or cookware of any kind.
21. Extra sink drain plugs. You have one sink.
22. Paper bags. One drip would ruin them. Unless you’re reaching for and using them often, they’re better off in the recycling bin.
23. Refills and overstock. If you have a backup dish soap, it belongs in a more out-of-the way location, where it won’t get in the way of day-to-day kitchen-cleaning chores.
24. Extra paint, oily rags, or anything flammable.
25. Toxic chemicals, such as bleach. These belong out of reach of children, even if you don’t have any of your own.