How to organise under the kitchen sink

With influencers showing us how to organise our fridge or pantry with picture-perfect rows of neatly labelled jars, it seems like everything but the kitchen sink has been thoroughly organised to within an inch of its life. 

So we’re ready to run through some organisation ideas for under the kitchen sink — an unglamourous and often overlooked area of the kitchen. Organising this area will save you time, space and frustration. Let us show you how. 
 

Where do you start when organising under the sink? 

Remove the contents

It’s tempting to organise a cupboard by simply putting the contents into newly purchased organisers and boxes and leaving it at that. But it’ll soon become jumbled again, because it’s not just about putting things in containers.

You need this area to be planned carefully for it to continue to work. So start by removing all the contents. You then need to relocate anything which doesn’t need to be in there or should avoid a potentially damp environment. Just keep the kitchen products that you need to hand so that the space works at optimised efficiency.

If you have children, then bottles of bleach, ant powders and drain unblockers, in particular, are best kept in an alternative location, out of reach (or make sure there’s a child-proof lock on the under-sink door). Relocate any DIY items to a shed or garage. And remove any items that don’t need to be kept there like candles or air fresheners — this is a key location in your kitchen that needs to be utilised effectively. 
 

Wipe up the spills

Once you’ve emptied the cupboard to sort all the items, you need to thoroughly clean the cupboard. Also wipe down all the bottles that you’ll be putting back in, to make sure there are no leaks. Once you’ve finished organising this area, you’ll be able to clean it more easily in future. 

To make the cupboard really shipshape you can buy wipeable, non-slip kitchen cupboard liners and kitchen cupboard mats. They serve to protect the wood, preserving the lifespan of the cupboard. If you want to save money, there are alternatives: wax paper, leftover wallpaper, good-quality wrapping paper (go for a stylish design) or leftover linoleum flooring.
 

How do I arrange things under my kitchen sink? 

Now that you have a clear, clean cupboard and the items you need to fit, how do you go about arranging it all?
 

Under the kitchen sink organisation ideas

One of the biggest problems with an under-sink cupboard are those pipes smack in the middle. They can prevent some containers from being used to organise cleaning products. And the pipework will immediately irritate you if you like to be able to organise the inside of your cupboards symmetrically (yes, pantry symmetry is a thing). 

Fortunately, there are plenty of under-sink organisers on the market that are designed with extendable shelves, which can be fitted around the pipework. You can also buy sliding shelves designed to fit around the pipes. These shelves are easy to fix onto the inside panels of the cabinet and they pull out like a metal grill would from an oven. This allows you to see and reach all your cleaning products. 
 

Remove extra packaging

We all know that products come with too much packaging nowadays. But until producers change that, it’s best for us to remove any packaging to create more cupboard space and to see things more easily. Dishwasher tablets and capsules and clothes washing capsules can become sticky and leak if they are kept in their cardboard box once it’s been opened. Plus, if they’re kept in their box it’s hard to see when you’re running low, particularly in a dark cupboard. Simply empty the different capsules into different labelled glass jars with airtight lids. 

Also, decant washing powder into a glass jar or metal container with an airtight lid — some containers come with handy scoops attached so that you can easily scoop out the powder into the washing machine drawer.
 

Add an integrated under-the-sink bin

Kitchen bins are an essential to keep your kitchen clean and hygienic and your recycling separated. But it’s hard to find a place in the kitchen that is unobtrusive and doesn’t cramp your style. This is where an integrated under-the-sink bin comes in handy, fitted behind closed doors for a discreet and streamlined design. 

The food caddy is also a nightmare — smelly and hard work to clean out and store. Many people end up trying to hide the food caddy under the sink. But then that ruins this area — a horrible smell every time you open the cupboard. And spills from wet tea bags going into the caddy will quickly make the area unhygienic and will rot the cupboard wood. Instead, fit a food waste disposer in your sink to upgrade your contemporary kitchen (they barely take up any room underneath) and you can dispose of your food caddy forever. 
 

Include a portable cleaning caddy

Gone are the days of juggling cleaning products around the house, going up and down stairs to go back and forth to the cupboard under the kitchen sink. There are some really trendy cleaning caddies around in different materials (scandi wood, see-through perspex, shabby chic metal). So you can store your most-used products in one caddy that you can carry from room to room and store under the sink — just grab and go. 

And a caddy also looks good in the cupboard, with everything neat and tidy. You can keep one side of the caddy for bathroom cleaning products, one side for other rooms and a section for cloths, brushes and sponges.
 

Label everything

One trend we can get on board with is labelling: it makes life so much easier. You can order labels on the internet that you simply stick down.

You can also decant cleaning products into clear containers and spray bottles, making sure to label them (some people prefer more neutral colours to the garish product packaging). And ‘chalkboard’ labels are easy to make with some chalkboard vinyl and a white Sharpie. 

By taking this time to organise the space under your kitchen sink, your kitchen will become a more relaxing space. It’ll also help you to quickly find what you need and to maintain clutter-free worktops, ultimately making your life more zen (without needing to rise at 4am to practice yoga moves — thank us later).