Tackling Under the Kitchen Sink

I am blessed to have a wonderful, functional kitchen. However, there are two spaces that are neglected --- and therefore -- not preforming up to par.

One of those spaces is under my kitchen sink.

Because what could be a great space to store, organize, and hide necessary but unsightly items, is really just a disaster zone of yuck and I don't even know whats going on down there.

When we moved into our house, the previous owners left a lot of their "household items"... including what THEY used in this area (which apparently in my giddy-moving-in-stupor I never bothered to toss?). So add that to my lack of effort in make this organized what-so-ever and you get a mess.

What's worse is that we haven't bothered to "baby proof" any of our cabinets yet and since I am standing at the sink all the time Will is constantly getting in here, pulling down the trash can, and trying to eat weird things...

Here's my reality:

Oh there's my large black trash bags I've been looking for!

Dear self, stop forgetting to bring the reusable grocery bags from the van INTO the store when you grocery stop.

Yikes!

Okay, admitting there is a problem is Step #1. Check. Next step, cleaning everything out and wiping it down.

There's actually a decent amount of space, huh! Oh and in case you noticed, no we don't have a garbage disposal.

Alright, I threw away/recycled all the previous owner's supplies (except for a yellow tub), condensed all the plastic grocery bags into one to save for bathroom trash cans, and prepared to create function.

Unfortunately, due to some poor plumbing, the right side of the cabinet has limited depth for storing things. I thought maybe if I can fit the trash can on that side in front of the pipe I could avoid having to reach behind so many things.

If I tuck it towards the center, it fit perfectly and left me room to store my garbage bags so I don't have to dig back behind the can! I usually have the pull the can out to throw things in anyways, and it slides sideways easily so I don't mind. Plus it will probably make it less likely Will can pull it out as easily!

Now, I tucked my newly discovered yellow tub, cleaning products/bottles in the back of the left side with my plastic bag collection.

Look! There's even extra space! What to fill it with?

This is where my newly organized space gets really functional.

 

I've been wanting somewhere to throw dirty clothes/dishrags/napkins in the kitchen -- since we don't use any paper products we go through a lot of rags every day!

(I don't like having an empty laundry basket sitting in the middle of everything, so my current method has been to pile everything on the corner of the counter and throw it to the bottom of the stairs when I need to space...)

Not even close to where the washing machine is...

Luckily, I found this empty 5 gallon bucket in the basement.

Which of course fits perfectly. Ahhh. Now I have an organized, functional, not so embarrassing space! 

I wonder how long it will take Tommy to notice I switch the side the trash can is on...

BEFORE

AFTER

What's going on under your kitchen sink?

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