It’s a Jungle in There: Tips for Better Under-Sink Storage By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team When I talk about prime real estate, I’m not talking about a fabulous suburban location for your new home. As a professional organizing expert, I refer to prime real estate as the best storage locations in your home. These are the superior spaces that provide the easiest access. Topping the list is the cabinet under your kitchen or bathroom sink. Most of us struggle with these spaces because we want to store so much in them that they become overfilled and frustrating to use. The other sneaky drawback of these ever-so-available cabinets is that they are usually quite deep. On the one hand, it’s great that they’re deep because you can store so much under there. But it’s also annoying, because you can’t reach the back of the cabinet very easily. When these cabinets are a jungle of items piled or crammed in, we sometimes have to get down on our hands and knees, and practically crawl inside to locate and pull out our squeegee for the shower or our favorite vase. Not to worry, though — there are fabulous ways to bring order to your cave of cleansers. You can turn it into the serviceable, accessible and organized under-the-sink cabinet you have hoped it always would be.

Entry points

Before you get started on this mini do-it-yourself organizing project, hold off on deciding to install bins, racks or shelves. Instead, do these tasks first:

• Pull out all the items from under the sink.
• Wipe down the cabinet, which seems to collect more dirt than three kids playing in a sandbox.
• Take a moment to check for leaks, and tighten pipes so any stored items won’t get ruined.
• Be sure to group like items together, then check for duplicates. This is not the place to store three identical bottles of glass cleaner. It’s best to just have one sponge, one bottle of lotion, or one can of floor wax stored under your sink. If you have a lot of under-the-sink paraphernalia, relocate the duplicates to a nearby linen closet or shelf in the garage. If you don’t have that extra space, then keep your buying to a minimum.

Hold everything

Next, it’s time to think about your storage options. Use bins or shower caddies. Consider using small but solid storage bins to keep your bottles, cans, vases, bags and boxes upright. Shower caddies are perfect for this space because they have a handle at the top. If you opt for bins instead, don’t put lids on them — it will be easier and faster to grab what you want from inside. Make sure each caddie or bin is easy to take out of the cabinet and lift up to the counter. This allows you to bring your items up to eye level so you can easily see what you have, retrieve it and replace it. Get hooked on hanging storage. Try a small over-the-cabinet door towel rack for hanging dishwashing gloves, towels, and wash cloths. Hooks can accommodate these items, too. Repurpose storage tools from other parts of the house. Many families use a “Lazy Susan” to store salt, pepper and toothpicks on the dining room table or kitchen counter. Considering using this spinning storage unit under the sink, too. A Lazy Susan keeps all your items front and center. With just a spin of the wheel, you can see what’s in the back of the cabinet. No crawling into the cabinet to find what you need! And be sure to use all the space available to you. A spice rack attached to the inside of the cabinet door is a great solution for holding small items like sponges, tools, and plant food (in the kitchen), or hairbrushes, nail polishes, and vitamins (in the bathroom). Install a pull-out shelf under your sink. With just a bit of effort and a small hand drill, you can easily install metal pull-outs. This is a super solution for both the bathroom and kitchen. One important caveat: Be sure to account for the pipes. You don’t want to have taller items located in the back of the pull-out shelf, because they’ll hit the pipes when the shelf is being pulled toward you — and then everything falls like dominoes. Congratulations on investing in your prime real estate. It will definitely pay off. Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.