Decluttering Small Spaces - Under the Sink

by Susan McCarthy

​Everyday practice: Make deliberate decisions about what you store where.

Decluttering small spaces gives you a quick win. More important than the organized appearance of the space is your feeling of satisfaction and progress at becoming organized. So, why bother decluttering a hidden space?

Because, you know it’s there. I’ve met people with clean, organized homes … until you go into the basement and have to walk sideways through the maze of boxes. These individuals don’t feel organized because their attention is laser-pointed on the basement. And, worse, they feel like they’re living a lie every time someone standing in the immaculate living room or kitchen compliments them on being so organized.

So, even if you feel that cluttered, hidden spaces don’t make a difference, remember that it doesn’t matter whether the clutter is on the kitchen counter or shoved in a drawer, if you know it’s there, then it’s a task waiting for you. Obvious or hidden, decluttering a small space is all about your progress

Small Space Decluttering

Each sink in your home – kitchen, bathroom, laundry room – is its own task. If you don’t have a cabinet beneath a sink, give a quick sort through items that have gathered around this spot. And, it isn’t necessary to organize beneath every cabinet in single day or even on consecutive days.

Why Organize Under the Sink?

The cabinet (or other organizing tools) beneath your sink not only contains but also hides the items you have stored there, so you may not know what’s in this space. And, bonus, going through the items under the sink can save you money and time.
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Money – If you have a lot of supplies beneath your sink – house-cleaning or toiletries – there’s a good chance you have duplicates. Maybe you notice that you’re running low on shampoo so the next time you go to the store you buy more.
Only, you forgot that you already bought a new bottle of shampoo when you saw it on sale a few weeks ago. But, the bottle of shampoo was squeezed in with a lot of other items under the sink and “disappeared.”

Time – Decluttering under the sink can save you time. One, you won’t waste time looking for the bottle of glass cleaner that you’re certain is stored in a particular space. Also, you won’t spend time shopping for supplies that you don’t need. And, after decluttering and organizing, you’ll have an easier time maintaining order (putting things away).

How to Declutter Under a Sink

1. Pull everything out of the space.
2. Clean any stains, spills, mildew, etc. from the space.
3. Sort everything by type – be as specific as works for you – shower gel, body lotion, pedicure tools, etc.. (You can do this as you pull items from the space.)
4. Eliminate anything that’s expired or doesn’t appear to be in good condition.
5. If you have the same product by the same manufacturer, can you combine any partly filled containers?
6. Do you have multiples of products (multiple all-purpose spray cleaners)? You want to return them to the storage space together so the products with the least amount in their container are in the front and can get used first. (If you have more than one bathroom, do you keep duplicate cleaning supplies in each bathroom? Is this best for you and your family or could you keep supplies in a caddy that you carry from room-to-room?)
7. Are there products you disliked that you want to dispose, donate, or give away to people you know?
8. Are there products that could or should (based on your needs) be stored elsewhere?
9. As you return items to the space, keep the products you're currently using up front and group similar items together. ​Would organizing bins or drawers help separate toiletries used by different individuals and would caddies keep cleaning supplies together? Bins or drawers are useful if they help you access and use items. You don’t need to buy organizing tools because you have duplicates or surplus supplies.
10. If you have any flexibility issues, having items get shoved to the back of a low cabinet is only going to encourage messiness as you lose track of what supplies you have under the sink. Look for drawers that you can slide toward you or caddies that you can pull out from under the sink.

Don’t focus on the visual appearance of the space – a pretty “after” picture is less important than how you retrieve and then put away the items stored under the sink.

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