I Finally Got My Under-the-Sink Cabinet Under Control — Thanks to Organizers from Target

I have a new favorite area in my kitchen. It used to be my least favorite. I used to literally keep it behind closed doors because I would cringe at the very thought of having to look at it. Now, I find myself opening the doors just to admire my handiwork. If you read the headline to this post, you already know, of course, that I’m talking about my under-the-sink cabinet!

But it’s also prime real estate! It’s the most accessible place to store all of the things you want close at hand when you’re cleaning at the sink. Where else would you store your Bar Keepers Friend, dishwashing pods, disinfectant spray, and extra scrub pads? 

While I somewhat had a semi-organized system under the cabinet (see my two baskets above), the supplies I kept inevitably got mixed up and toppled over, turning into a rat’s nest that really showed me that my system wasn’t all that much of a system. So when Target launched Brightroom, the store’s first dedicated storage and home organization line, a few months ago I jumped at the chance to test the products in my tricky under-the-sink cabinet. Spoiler alert: I really love them! Let me show you why.

I’ve learned from costly mistakes in the past to measure twice and buy once when it comes to purchasing organizing supplies. With all of the awkward-shaped plumbing pieces hiding in this cabinet, I was extra careful to do my research and make sure things would fit before shopping. From the new Brightroom line, I ended up selecting a two-tiered, slide-out organizer, two stackable drawer units, and cute medium and long storage trays. (The drawer unit and slide-out organizer come in three colors: black, brushed nickel, or white. To keep things looking clean and neat, I decided to stick mostly to white for the organizational pieces.) Armed with my nifty new supplies, I immediately got to work to organize it all.

First, I emptied out the entire cabinet. I wiped down the interior with an all-purpose cleaner and a rag and then used a Magic Eraser on some stubborn sticky spots. 

Next, I sorted through the items I’d taken out of the cabinet. While I was tidying things up, I combined multiples of the exact same cleaners. For example, I combined the contents of two bottles of my favorite stainless steel cleaner and two bottles of Dawn Powerwash. I pulled out items that were ruined, expired, or no longer needed. Then, I loosely combined what was left into categories, such as brushes, scrubbers, and tubs of cleaning magic. I placed a few of these odds and ends into the storage trays.

Finally, I got to the good part. I slid the organizers into my cabinets and loaded them up. I corralled smaller items in medium and long storage trays before placing those in the drawers, which I arranged side-by-side. Everything fit perfectly right under the bulky garbage disposal. I kept my most frequently used products in roughly the same spots (the dishwasher pods on the left, tall bottles of cleaning sprays and garbage bags on the right) so my family wouldn’t be too caught off guard by the makeover. 

I know I’ll probably tweak the system a bit as I use it, but, man, I have to say I am so happy with how it all turned out. With just a few inexpensive pieces, I made my cabinet pleasing to look at rather than a source of stress. (The total came out to around $42.) Plus, the new organizational system gives me convenient access to things without having to dig, and it allows my busy household to easily keep this hardworking space in order.

Have you recently given your under-the-sink area a makeover? Which organizational products did you use? Tell us about it in the comments below.