Under-sink organization

What It Means

Under-sink organization is setting up the cabinet beneath a kitchen or bathroom sink so the things stored there are easy to find, safe and dry. That space often holds the house's cleaning products, so safety comes first. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advises keeping chemicals in their original child-resistant containers, in a locked cabinet or box out of children's reach, and never stored alongside food.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Everything under the sink just falls out when I open it."
• "Did you put the lock back on the cabinet?"
• "Why is there a jar of pasta sauce next to the bleach?"

The Breakdown

How to organize it

1. Take everything out and wipe the cabinet floor.
2. Check the pipes and floor for drips or damp. EPA says areas dried within 24 to 48 hours of a leak usually won't grow moldMoldA fungus that grows indoors wherever moisture lingers. EPA says fix the water problem, then scrub it off hard surfaces with detergent and water. See more, so dry anything wet right away and get a leak fixed.
3. Put back only what belongs there, each product in its original container, as CPSC advises.
4. Move any food to the pantry. CPSC says food and cleaning products shouldn't be stored together.
5. Keep laundry packets in their original package, closed and out of a child's sight and reach.
6. Fit a lock to the cabinet, or keep the products in a locked box, if children live in or visit your home.

Buhata's own suggestions for the layout. Keep bleachChlorine bleachHousehold bleach made with sodium hypochlorite that whitens, removes stains and disinfects, but can fade colors and damage some fibers. See more on a different shelf or in a different bin from ammonia cleaners and acids such as vinegar, since Poison Control warns those pairs release toxic gas when they meet. A small bin or caddy keeps bottles upright and slides out in one piece.

Try it today. Do step 2 on its own: open the cabinet with a flashlight and feel the pipes and the cabinet floor for damp.

Good to Know

CPSC reports that nearly nine out of ten unintentional poisonings happen at home, and most involve children under 5. If a child swallows or is exposed to a cleaning product, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away, and call 911 in an emergency. Buhata's own suggestion: mention the same storage advice to grandparents and sitters whose homes a child visits.

Related Terms and Categories

• Mixing cleaning products

  Combining two or more cleaners in one bottle, bucket or bowl. Some pairs, such as bleach with ammonia or with an acid, give off toxic gas.

• Cleaning caddy

  A portable tote that holds your everyday cleaning supplies, so you can carry them from room to room and store them safely in one place.

• Mold

  A fungus that grows indoors wherever moisture lingers. EPA says fix the water problem, then scrub it off hard surfaces with detergent and water.

• Clogged drain

  A drain blocked by debris built up inside the pipe, so water drains slowly or stops draining altogether.

• P-trap

  The curved section of drainpipe under a sink or tub that holds a little water to seal sewer gas out of the house.

Chores, cleaning and home care