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When I think about this space over time, it’s really transformed from a catch all when we first moved in (random cleaning products that probably never even got much use. You know how things tend to pile up, and you think ‘oh I’ll use that one day!’? That was us with a lot of things we were keeping in there over the years. And did you know a lot of these products actually have an expiration date? So it’s actually really not great to leave them sitting anyway.
Ok, so in the last 3-ish years I had cleaned up these two cabinets pretty well, but what they were really lacking was functionality. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that I talk about this often. Organization is not just about your space looking pretty. While this is a great benefit, what it really boils down to is creating a place for your belongings so that you can live your life easier. Functionality first is something I always say. If it’s not bringing in this factor, what’s the point? It needs to serve a purpose for you/your family. Yes, it often takes maintenance. But that becomes second nature once you see how these improvements can help your life. I can’t tell you how much time I save myself and my family because I’ve taken these steps to create order for us. You don’t have to be really rigid with everything either – life happens and sometimes it gets off track but having these sort of systems in place make it easy to pick back up and arrange.
The Plan
Back to these cabinets. I previously was using the y-weave baskets (which I use in other spaces I’ve organized in my home and they’re great! However, they weren’t really serving us well in this space any longer due to the fact I couldn’t see what was inside of them without getting almost all the way down to the floor). I took these out and plan to use them for another project at a later time.
I was able to do a quick reel earlier this month of the process of reconfiguring this space. The first thing I did was remove all contents and wipe EVERYTHING down. This included some of the bottles and products I planned to keep, too. I also took the hand vacuum to get any debris a lot quicker/easier. I took an inventory and tossed anything that hadn’t been used in the last 6 months or might have expired. Next, I grabbed one of these Gorilla Grip liners – they are washable (so helpful! especially in the event something leaks under there at some point) and we cut ours to fit the grooves and indents.
I had researched a bunch of containers and found that these 2 systems by The Home Edit via Walmart were the most cost effective and I knew I was going to need a lot of them because I intended to move several of the items that I had once stored under here to our (refreshed!) laundry room, and I wanted to keep them uniform looking between the two projects. The narrow bins come in a pack of 2 for $10 or 4 for $20. I opted for the 4 pack, because again, I knew I was going to need several of these and I didn’t want to have to place another order and wait to finish because I was short a bin or 2.
I also grabbed this 5 piece “laundry” system, because it was a better bundle deal than buying the few pieces separately. I also love that it came with a lazy susan (which I put some of my soaps and scrubbing powder on!)
Making sure I had a “home” for the things we reach for most (dishwasher pods, dish towels, and all purpose cleaning spray) and being able to keep them in the front was top priority to me. *Just a note* we do have a child safety lock on all of our cabinets so our kids can’t open them on their own.
I’m seriously soooo happy with this little re-organized space and already feel like it’s saving me time and hassle in my daily life.
Still trying to decide if I want to use my fave labels by The Talented Kitchen on these or not — I have some from previous projects but probably need to order more which is why I didn’t add them (didn’t want to leave it half way done). I think they look nice without, but labeling always elevates it a little more.
What’s one space you’re hoping to tackle and get organized this summer? Let me know in the comments!
For more ideas on ‘under the sink’ organization and how to declutter your home, see my featured article over on Apartment Guide!
