It can be tricky to organize under the kitchen sink, am I right?! The pipes make the space awkward, and typically we need to store a variety of items under there. I recently decluttered and revamped the area under our kitchen sink, and I’m excited to show you the results today!
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How to Organize Under the Kitchen Sink
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
When we moved into our house about 9 months ago, I basically just took my cleaning caddy and bins that were under the sink in our old house and threw them under there.
It wasn’t terrible, but I knew it wasn’t the best configuration, so recently I finally took the time to come up with a better system, and (spoiler alert!) the new version is so much better!
The first thing I did when I decided to tackle the cabinet under the sink was to take everything out of the space so I had a totally blank slate.
From there I was able to get rid of anything we were no longer using and see what I had left so I could decide on a plan for getting it neat and organized. While I had everything out of the cabinet, I wiped it down and put in some patterned contact paper. Not only does it look pretty, but keeps the cabinet itself from getting stained or damaged.
When I had my remaining items organized and ready to go, it was time to refill my space. Let’s take a look at what I ended up with…
If you saw my pantry video a few weeks ago, you know that I used a lot of clear containers with aqua labels. To maintain consistency throughout the kitchen, I decided to go with a similar look under the sink as well.
The clear acrylic drawers were originally meant for cosmetics, but they were the perfect size to hold our sponges and cloths!
I cut the labels out of adhesive vinyl using my Silhouette machine, which makes it really easy to figure out what goes where.
I transferred my dish soap into a little oil container and gave it a matching label as well; it’s really easy to grab and dispense any time we need it.
I used some stackable OXO containers I had to hold some of our under-the-sink essentials. They were a little pricey, but I recently spotted a less expensive version here, and it would be a great option as well.
Dishwasher tabs are a must, of course, and I also keep a few pairs of rubber gloves in one of the bins in case we need them for a messier job. The final bin holds a few random pieces that we need to keep close by, like the stopper for the sink and the allen wrench for the garbage disposal.
I used the super tall container from my set to hold SOS pads, and since we don’t use those very often, I set it in the back out of the way.
This white container is actually a utensil holder, meant to hold things like forks, knives, and spoons, but I recently simplified my arsenal of cleaning supplies, so I wanted to get a smaller caddy for them. This was the perfect size and only cost a few dollars.
I have a few multi-purpose cleaners on hand in the front section, along with a homemade glass cleaner in a simple spray bottle. Then I stored a few more cleaning items that I use often in the back of the caddy.
So that’s our organized sink cabinet! In the past I’ve always felt like I had this space packed so full of stuff that it was hard to keep organized. When I really took it down to the essentials that we need and actually use, though, I was amazed that I even ended up with some extra space– I’ll never complain about that!
Of course everybody’s needs and setup will be different, but this is working well for us, so I’m going to stick with it for a while!
Sources
Patterned Contact Paper
Acrylic Drawers
Silhouette Machine
Oil Cruet (for Dish Soap)
OXO Containers
Better Homes and Gardens Containers
Cleaning Caddy
If you’re looking for more kitchen organization inspiration, you can also get more details about our current kitchen organization in these posts:
5 Tips for Creating a Beautifully Organized Pantry
How to Organize the Refrigerator
How to Organize Food Storage Containers
How to Create an Organized Junk Drawer
Working with a smaller kitchen space? These posts about the small-but-organized kitchen in our townhouse may be helpful:
How to Organize a Small Kitchen
How to Organize a Small Refrigerator
How to Organize a Kitchen Pantry
Do you have any tips or tricks for organizing under the kitchen sink? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Thanks so much for following along! Happy organizing!
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
Carrie Myers says
June 27, 2017 at 7:10 amThese were some very good ideas. I forgot all about underneath the sink and how we could make it look organized. I like the idea of putting the SOS pads in a container instead of in the box which always gets yucky after a while.
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 8:13 amYes! They really do get gross… this has been working great! Have a wonderful week, Carrie!
~Abby =)
Sharon Williamson says
June 27, 2017 at 7:17 amWhere can I find the recipe for your homemade glass cleaner.
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 2:33 pmHi, Sharon! I used this one: http://creativesavingsblog.com/cleaning-organizing/homemade-window-cleaner-with-vinegar/ . Have a great day!
~Abby =)
Randi @ A Fresh-Squeezed Life says
June 27, 2017 at 8:02 amGood ideas! I agree that this is a trouble spot for organizing! I recently saw where someone attached the trash can to the inside of one of the cabinet doors and it creates so much more space by doing that.
Thanks for the tips. I will be using them soon to tackle my own space!
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 8:11 amOoo, love that idea! Thanks for sharing, Randi! Have a great week! <3
~Abby =)
Diana says
June 27, 2017 at 10:02 amWhat is a cheaper alternative to the silhouette machine? I love the look of the lettering, but it’s really pricey.
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 2:32 pmHi, Diana! It can get expensive! Silhouette makes a smaller version called the Portrait, which is cheaper than the Cameo. Stickers could get you a similar look. I also have this label maker: https://www.amazon.com/Epson-LabelWorks-LW-400-Label-Maker/dp/B005J7Y6GS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499106693&sr=8-3&keywords=epson+label+maker that is much less expensive. I like to use the clear tape with black letters in it. I hope this helps!
~Abby =)
Charlotte Howard says
June 27, 2017 at 12:10 pmAwesome post as usual! Organizing and finding the perfect spots for things is really your niche! I love how you incorporated the video as well! Thank you so much for sharing
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 8:10 amYou’re too sweet! Thanks so much, Charlotte! Have a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
Tori says
June 28, 2017 at 2:32 pmHi Abby!
What a transformation! I love it!
It sounds like you managed to use containers you already owned… Where do you store them all being so minimalist!
And say you were doing a re-organising project where you didn’t have matching containers lying around, would you buy several types and then figure out which work best in the space before returning them?
Trying to get my organising groove on but living in tiny rented London accomodation I’d need them to all fit well!
Happy Wednesday 🙂
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 2:25 pmHi, Tori! I have a bin in our basement where I keep my extra organizers so that I can grab them when I need them. If I need to buy new bins, I usually measure the space to figure out what dimensions would work best and look at lots of pictures of other peoples’ organized spaces to get an idea of what would work well and what wouldn’t. Then I choose my pieces accordingly. I don’t usually end up buying a lot of extra items and returning them. I hope this helps!
~Abby =)
Lori says
June 29, 2017 at 10:27 pmI enjoyed this post very much. Neat clean lines and no clutter. Made me want to think about under my sink. Thanks so much for sharing Lori
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 7:59 amSo glad it was helpful for you, Lori! Happy Monday! <3
~Abby =)
Barbara says
July 1, 2017 at 10:58 amI wish I had so few cleaning supplies. My DH collects so many separate cleaners for each item we have. I’m trying to show him we basically only need vinegar and water lol.
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 7:58 amWe used to have more too! Definitely needed to purge! 🙂
~Abby =)
Tracie says
July 1, 2017 at 11:35 amThis looks great!! I’ve organized mine but not nicely like this. I need those little storage containers so it looks nicer. Great post thank you 🙂
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 7:56 amI really do love these containers! 🙂 Thank you, Tracie! Have a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
pkanita jones says
July 1, 2017 at 2:15 pmLove it! This is a issue in the bathroom also. I will be using this for all around the house.Thank you!!
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 7:54 amSo glad it was helpful for you! Happy organizing! 🙂
~Abby =)
Esther says
July 3, 2017 at 12:41 pmHi Abby,
I was interested in checking out the clear acrylic drawers but the link isn’t working( at least not in my iPhone. Can you tell me where you got them and the brand name please? I’ve had a hard time finding good quality drawers that glide easily. Thanks!
justagirlabby says
July 3, 2017 at 2:09 pmHi, Esther! They are from Amazon, and the brand is STORi. Have a great day!
~Abby =)
Amanda says
July 3, 2017 at 3:09 pmYou’ve done it again! Under the sink is one of the worst spots in our home! I love the drawers!! So neat and tidy!!
justagirlabby says
July 5, 2017 at 1:01 pmThanks so much, Amanda! Ours sure needed some work too! 🙂 The drawers are working great! Hope you’re having an awesome week! <3
~Abby =)
Cindy Goyette says
September 16, 2017 at 11:35 pmLooking for help w keeping dish scrubber n sponge neat next to the sink
justagirlabby says
September 19, 2017 at 8:52 pmHi, Cindy! I keep mine on a little cake stand next to the sink. It corrals all of the little items and keeps them tidy and off the countertop. I hope this helps!
~Abby =)
Cathy says
February 1, 2019 at 12:02 amGreat idea. It looks like you put a light under the sink to brighten it up. Id also like to see your counter cake stand idea.
Cathy
justagirlabby says
February 5, 2019 at 12:57 pmThanks, Cathy! You can see a close up of the cake stand in our last kitchen in this post: https://justagirlandherblog.com/our-diy-white-kitchen-renovation-the-reveal/ . I usually keep hand soap, a dish rag, and/or a sponge on it. Hope you’re having a great week!
~Abby =)
Kris says
June 7, 2019 at 10:31 amHello!
I recently moved into a home and so excited to organize it from top to bottom. I LOVE this idea for under the sink. I would like to know where you got the clear drawers from?
Abby Lawson says
June 17, 2019 at 1:03 pmHi, Kris! They are just from Amazon and are linked in the post if you click on “clear acrylic drawers” in the paragraph where I talk about them: https://justagirlandherblog.com/organize-under-the-kitchen-sink/
Thanks and have a great week!
~Abby =)