How to Clean Out and Organize Under Your Kitchen Sink

sunken under-counter luxury sink in a beautiful kitchen — Essential Image Media/Shutterstock

Under the kitchen sink often becomes a catch-all for kitchen cleaning supplies, old sponges, dish soap overstock, and much more. It’s time to clean that space out and get it organized.

If you cringe anytime you open the cupboard under your sink, it’s time to pull all of that stuff out and start with a fresh look. You’ll need a few supplies, but we’ll go over that in each of the cleaning and organizing sections below.

Empty and Deep Clean

The first step is to pull everything out, no matter how gross it is. You need to clean up any water leaks, rust spots, and random gunk that’s under the sink. Make sure you have some space on your kitchen counter or on the floor where you can place everything.

Wipe down all of the cleaning supplies and bottles you pull out. Even if you don’t have any sink leaks, they may still be dusty. You want all of the stuff you put back in to be as clean as the cupboard itself.

Throw away empty or broken bottles and old sponges. If you have multiple open containers of the same cleaning solutions, combine them to save space.

Wipe down the entire cupboard with your choice of cleaning agent (warm soapy water will work). Scrub stained spots, get in the corners, and don’t forget to clean above, too. Let the cupboard airdry, or dry it with a rag.

Put in a Shelf Liner

If your under-sink area lacks a water-resistant shelf liner, put one in. This will make cleaning more manageable in the future (you should deep clean under your kitchen sink at least once a year), and it will protect the wood in your cupboard from wet sponges and leaky cleaning supply containers.

Easy Spill-Proof Liner