How to Organize the Awkward Area Under Your Kitchen Sink

After my craft closet organization project reached a painful standstill, I craved a quick organization win. A task that wouldn't take more than an afternoon, but would give me a boost of momentum to tackle the craft closet once again.

(FYI: I promise a craft organization post is coming—I'm just experiencing decision overload trying to organize all the little bits and pieces!)

It didn't take long for me laser in on my kitchen sink, or actually the cabinet underneath my kitchen sink.

Ugh. What a mess!

Cleaning products and trash bags and sponges were thrown everywhere. Okay, maybe not thrown—that may be a little dramatic—but there wasn't much of an order to anything.

As soon as I had a free afternoon, I plopped myself right on the floor to dig into this mess. Surprisingly, it took less than one hour to go through everything. I love it when projects don't take as long as you think they will!

Ready to see how I organized the spot underneath my kitchen sink?

Follow these steps for any cabinet—bathroom OR kitchen—you want to tackle so you can get a quick organization win under your belt too!

Step 1: Pull out everything. Yes, everything!

Remove it all from the space so you can see what you're working with and what you need to get rid of. I decluttered a lot of cleaners I don't use anymore, including nasty sponges that looked like they belonged in the garbage months ago!

I also designated a different spot for the items that belong elsewhere (like bathroom-only cleaners, etc.)

Step 2: Clean and add contact paper

Next, I scrubbed down the space so I could add contact paper to my squeaky clean surface. Even though I may be the only one who sees this cabinet (except for *cough* this post now being on the internet), I'm have a weakness for increasing the pretty factor whenever I can!

I was also pleasantly surprised when a leak of rusty water dripped onto my newly papered space and it wiped right off leaving no stains behind.

So now I'm convinced contact paper is a totally practical choice. 🙂

The design is kind of hard to see here, but I picked up my contact paper at Lowes. The name is Taupe Moroccan and was an inexpensive way to spruce up the space!

Step 3. Organizing under the Kitchen Sink to Maximize Space

How you want to use your space will determine how you organize it (i.e. what you store in the back won't be as convenient to reach as what you place at the front). I love me some pretty organized spaces, but function is just as important, if not more-so!

You'll also want to organize “like” things with “like” things (sponges with sponges, cleaners with spray bottles, etc.) in a way that always makes it easy to grab what you're looking for.

I nabbed these acrylic stackable containers on Amazon to hold my Cascade dishwasher pacs {my secret to how to do dishes—and fewer of them!} and extra sponges. They're technically for makeup, but when I saw Abby from Just a Girl and Her Blog use them in her own sink organization project, I just had to have some of my own!

Related: 11 Genius Products to Organize Messy Cabinets

I also used a white caddy to hold other cleaning supplies I wanted to keep. The caddy was one I already had on hand, but if I was buying new, I would totally get this adorable aqua one to match my kitchen mat. (I'm still trying to find an excuse to do so.)

But my favorite update of all is this DIY garbage bag holder Joseph helped me create. Isn't it brilliant?

We bought a cheap curtain rod and cut it down to size using a hacksaw (I let Joseph do that part), then attached two curtain rod brackets to hold the rod in place. The key is to buy curtain rod brackets that jut out far enough so the bags have enough space to fit.

It has been so nice to get these garbage bags off the floor and onto the door. I love being more efficient with space and now I'm tempted to add another holder so I can get my paper towels off the countertop!

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do much with those water filtration wires, but I am pleased with how much better this cabinet looks now compared to before.

(Oh, and in case you're wondering what that white basket is for on the far right, that's where I throw my recyclables.)

As I closed the cabinet door on this project, I thought about how often we assume a complete organization overhaul is the only way to get our home in order. And there are times when it can be more efficient to do that! But I want to encourage you to make time for the small, quick projects too.

Because they can have just as much, if not more of an impact on your everyday.

Instead of fumbling around for a clean sponge or pulling out dozens of cleaners just to find the one I need (which always seemed to be stashed in the very back!), I'm now able to grab exactly what I'm looking for in a matter of seconds.

Whether or not it's under your kitchen sink or just the countertop, small organizational wins can fuel and motivate you to conquer the bigger projects around your home. Enough that I might just be ready to face my craft closet once again. 🙂

I'd love to hear in the comments below what small organizational win you're going after this month!

What cluttered space has been frustrating you lately?

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