What is it about after the holidays that makes you want to claw your eyeballs out from all the clutter in your house!? That’s where I am at this very moment as I am packing everything away. Do you feel this way too? Do you find yourself wanting to super glue a trash bag to your hand and just throw everything and anything into it for the next week?
I decided that I needed to put my neurotic cleaning tendencies to better use then trashing everything in sight so I’ve been working on tweaking my organization in small areas around my house. Hopefully this will scratch the itch long enough for my sanity to come back. 😉
Under my kitchen sink area wasn’t terribly cluttered to begin with but the grossness factor was bothering me and there were a few items that were tucked under there that didn’t belong. I also had items like dishtowels in a drawer beside my sink that I wanted to be able to store down there so I could utilize that drawer a little better.
The first thing I did was purchase a few items like self adhesive shelf liner in a chevron pattern
In order to keep everything looking neat and uncluttered I decided to repurpose a tote I had in my closet. It has a faux patent leather material on it so I knew it would be perfect for a damp area like under the kitchen sink because I could wipe in down easily. Plastic would be the next best solution if you need to purchase one. I would NOT recommend getting one of those material ones or even a wicker basket.
You might also notice I painted the inside walls white. Something about crisp white paint makes everything look fresh and clean. I would’ve loved to do the back wall, but I’m going to wait until we replace our sink so it’s easier for me to reach behind those pipes. I also really adore the contact paper! It’s bright and fun, and completely unexpected when you open those doors! 🙂
I have plenty of room in my cleaning caddy to add a few more products if need be, but I have my staples that I love and use on a regular basis like my Mrs. Meyers countertop spray, glass top stove cleaner, and stainless steel cleaner. The products in this caddy are designated only for my kitchen, but if you keep all of your household cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink because you have nowhere else to store them then making separate caddies for different parts of your house might be the best solution for you. That way you can just grab and go when it’s time to clean the house. 🙂
I also keep our dishwashing liquid on the side where the dishwasher is. If you use the tablets, you could put them in a covered jar for easy access. I also always keep a bottle of distilled white vinegar in my caddy. Vinegar is a great for cleaning, but use sparingly since it’s very acidic and abrasive. It could actually damage your appliances if you use it too much!
The tote holds all of our kitchen sink essentials like dishtowels, sponges, fruit and vegetable wash, dish soap, extra hand soap, and the sink plugs. I even have a small pack of disinfecting hand wipes in there just in case.
I’m super pleased with how it turned out! Before, under the kitchen sink was a dark, dirty, and disgusting place to look through, and now it makes me happy every time I open those cabinet doors! I’m a big believer in making things not only functional for you and your lifestyle but pretty as well! I know for me, when something looks nice…I want to keep it that way. 🙂
Are you in clean up and organization mode at your house? What’s an area that you desperately need help with? I’d love to know in the comments below or on my Facebook page, maybe I can help!
Talk to you soon friends, take care!
XO
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I love this project, you did a great job! I need to figure out my recyclables as they are under the kitchen sink – it becomes an issue when there’s too much recycling and we open the door and it all comes tumbling out! I should move my cleaning items from the mudroom by the kitchen to under the sink and put a pin in the mudroom for recycleables! I’ll be using this tutorial. I’m nervous about prime with the price (I hate membership prices, although I do understand them!). I’ll have to check it out though, as I’m working to save my family more money with groceries and such. Thanks!
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what a great idea! everything in one place so you don’t have to run around the kitchen trying to find everything!
Today I pulled everything out from underneath our kitchen sink and tried to “Weed through” the products I don’t use anymore, there are some products that I don’t use often but am afraid to pitch them out because I “might need it.” I guess I should treat these seldom used products like I do some of my clothing..if it hasn’t been used in 1 or 2 year. out it goes.Does this Make sense?
Totally makes sense Betty, and I completely agree with that mindset. A lot of times we keep things because ‘what if’ we need it down the road? My rule of thumb is if I haven’t touched in 6 months it gets tossed/donated. Good luck cleaning and organizing! XO
Christine, I see you use Mrs. Myers products too. I use their dish soap and have their countertop spray and bathroom spray so far. I always loved the smell of honeysuckle when I was growing up but bought the honeysuckle bathroom cleaner and couldn’t take it; not even my cleaning lady liked it, plus there is not a window in our bathrooms, but skylights in the ceiling that do not open. I had an autoimmune condition in 2002 and was very sick and almost died. John Hopkins saved my life so I have to be very careful with cleaning products and my lungs..So I will give away the honeysuckle cleaning product, along with some other cleaning products and furniture polish I didn’t like. The same cleaning tote you bought, I found one like it at Value Village Thrift store for only $1.91. It is lighter weight than the other one I have been using for probably 20 years. I love thrift stores but don’t get to them often enough.
My problem is ADD; my brain never stops but I have a tendency to get side tracked very easily. I am very aware of my ADD but bad habits are hard to break, plus my DH is dependant on me as he has back surgery over a year ago and is still struggling with a lot of arthritis and poor balance due to a slight stroke he had a few years ago..I tell him he’s like a kid, he waits till I sit down for a few minutes and yells for me..Right now I have a rotator cuff injury and it slows me down, plus having to help him up/down..He has taken about 5 falls in last 3 months..I saw your large container of liquid Cascade. You save by buying the large quanity but as we age, those larger sizes are becoming more difficult to handle. I need to buy or look for one in the Thrift store, a funnel that I can transfer product to a smaller container. Even Mouthwash bottles, I am buying the smaller sizes when I can catch them on sale. I wished my DH would agree for us to try the dishwasher soap pods. We tried the liquid before and didn’t like it so we still use the powdered Cascade..We haven’t no idea how old these appliances in this house are. The previous owner left us no manuals at all and we had to send and paid for any manuels we needed. The dishwasher inside is showing signs of rust and I called Whirlpool the other day and they want $189 for a new bottom rack..so I went online and found a product called ReRack at Lowe’s..so have to wait for a good day to paint the rack until we can afford a new dishwasher.