If you are a first time homeowner you may still be learning the ropes of how to maintain and manage your property. An area of your home that can be extremely useful and equally a missed opportunity is the kitchen. More specifically, use the space under the sink in the kitchen to organise essential items to help you maintain your home.

Essentials first time homeowners need under the sink

When you own a home for the first time, it can be difficult to know the best ways to keep everything organized, especially a place like under the sink. Whether it is the bathroom or kitchen, the cabinet under the sink is a notoriously cluttered, unorganized mess. However, it does not have to be this way, there are a lot of items you can use that will transform the bottom of your sink. With a few organizational tips, you’ll never have to worry about trying to find something down there again.

If you’re a first time homeowner and don’t know where to start, here are some essential items you need for under your sink that will transform its organization.

Add shelves

Adding a shelving system under your sink will help you keep things more organized and clean. If you are keeping a lot of cleaning products under the sink, they probably come in spray bottles that are impossible to stack on top of each other. With shelves, you can utilize twice the amount of space by creating additional flat surfaces perfect for all of those oddly shaped cleaning products. If you purchase shelves with a grated top, you can lay a piece of plastic on it so you can store smaller items there too.

Add baskets and bins

Just like a shelf helps you make more room, so do baskets. Baskets are a great way to organize miscellaneous items that can’t be stacked but are too small to stay out on their own. Baskets are good for items like hairdryers and styling tools that cannot easily fit into a bin. On the other hand, bins allow you to stack more stuff on top of them. By combining baskets and bins you can utilize a lot more space than you would have without them. It helps you keep all of your items organized.

If you struggle to find certain things when you need them, try organizing everything under your sink by category. For example, keep all of the hair products you use often in one bin, and all of the less used beauty products in another. For safety reasons, you also want to be sure to keep items like cleaning products in a separate bin from anything you use on your body or hair.

Labels

Labelling your containers clearly and correctly is also very important, for safety and organization. If you are planning to take some things out of their original packaging you need labels. It is handy to put stock items in containers or bottles to organise storage and aesthetically pleasing. But you definitely want labels that are going to stay on. The last thing you want is someone confusing vinegar and mouthwash, so make sure your labels are visible and clear.

Labels that can be removed, like stickers or wipeable markers, are also a good idea. Such labels give you the option of rearranging easily under your sink. Plus you can use them for something else in the future. Just make sure any markers you use aren’t going to come off too easily.

A roll for the trash bags

Have you ever tried to pull a trash bag out of the box? You’re reaching over a bunch of other stuff awkwardly to the very back of the cabinet.  Stretching like this makes trying to twist one bag off of the heavy roll difficult. Often you find that three will come off with it while you are pulling. Then you have to messily stuff the extras back into the box, adding to the clutter. Instead of leaving your trash bags in the box or sitting on the ground, hang them up on a roll.

Getting your trash bags off of the floor will not only make pulling one off at a time a much easier, it also frees up more space on the bottom of the cabinet. Now you can utilize the floor space for something else, and it will look a lot more organized too. If you have enough room, try hanging anything else like brushes and tools on a hook. You can even purchase hanging baskets to put some smaller items that don’t really fit anywhere else.

An absorbent mat

As much as we’d like for it to never happen, sometimes sinks leak, even if you have an excellent plumber fix it. When water sits or is absorbed by the wood around your sink, it will lead to mold and mildew. Not only will these make your sink smell bad, it is also dangerous for your health. Instead of waiting until you notice a mildew smell, add an absorbent mat to the bottom to protect the cabinetry and anything else you are keeping down there.

Not only will an absorbent mat prevent mold, but it will also catch any product leaks that could occur. No one wants to clean greasy soap off of everything else stored down there. By adding an absorbent mat it can help you keep any leaks contained in one area.

First time homeowner under the sink tips in summary

If you ensure that your kitchen and more importantly under the sink in your kitchen is organised you and your home will benefit. The kitchen is a central focus in the home. All the essential cleaning items, and vital maintenance items can be stored in this central location for easy access. As a first time homeowner you will benefit if you keep this area organised and easy access.

Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beach goer operating out of Southern New Jersey.

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