10 Items to Declutter from Under the Kitchen Sink

Is the space under your kitchen sink a jumbled mess? Let's declutter and create a space that's manageable and efficient. Hi friends, I'm Simply Sherry and this is the last video of a four-part series where you focus on decluttering just 10 items. We talked about clearing out your closet with those unused clothing items, expired makeup in your bathroom, and the worn out towels in your linen closet. I've created a playlist for this four-part video series where you tackle your closet, your bathroom, your linen closet, and now under the kitchen sink. So if you want to watch that after this video, it's right there for you. Today we're focusing under your kitchen sink which can easily become a black hole where things go to die. So let's declutter so that you have only what you need under your kitchen sink. Number one, empty or nearly empty product bottles. Examples are a window cleaner bottle with just a few drops left, dish soap that you've already replaced, a bottle of all-purpose cleaner with a dried out nozzle, old floor cleaner that you just don't like anymore, nearly empty hand soap refills that just take up space. Why this matters. Half-used or empty bottles just take up space. You're not able to access quickly the things that you need and you have to rummage through the empty ones to find the ones that you actually have. Why this matters. Well you need to stop taking up all that prime real estate. Under your sink there's not a lot of space anyway and it's filled with let's say the garbage disposal or lots of pipes and things hooked up to it. So you have to be conscious of what you want to put in there. So take out all those empty bottles and recycle them or throw them away responsibly and the ones that are half used or half empty, go ahead and decant those and put them together. Make sure that they're safe. Example, window cleaners can be put into one bottle. Number two, worn out sponges or scrub brushes. Examples are a sponge that is falling apart, a scrub brush with bristles that are bent or worn down, a steel wool pad that is rusted, a kitchen sponge that is starting to smell, a scrubbing pad that is no longer effective. Why this matters. When it's worn out or it's about to fall apart, it's no longer effective and it can harbor bacteria making it opposite of what it's being used for. What to do instead, get rid of them. You're not going to use them. It's rusted, worn out, bent and replace them with new ones and make sure to only replace the ones that you actually use. Number three, expired cleaning supplies. Examples are a bottle of disinfectant that expired months ago, old floor wax that you haven't used in years, a can of furniture polish that is not being used and you just feel guilty so you just keep it. Expired bleach that is no longer effective, old drain cleaners that you forgot you had. Why this matters, expired cleaning supplies can actually be hazardous or harmful and they just take up space. What to do instead, check expiration dates and the ones that are expired and just way too old and you know you're not going to use. Get rid of them, dispose of them according to your local guidelines. For us, my city, we have a website where they accept hazardous materials so I just follow that. So check your website, put in your city and do and write hazardous materials disposal. While you're working on getting organized and decluttering, sign up for my weekly newsletter called Tuesday Transformations where I give you more tips and resources and tools on how to really make your home a home that you love. When you sign up, you receive six free printables to help you declutter and get organized. Number four, old or unused cleaning tools. Examples are a mop head where you no longer have the handle, a broken broom handle, extra scrub brushes you never use, old flimsy dust pans that are just not working for you, tools that you bought that looked really great on paper but they just don't work for you. Why this matters, why keep tools that you're not going to use. They just take up space and then you have to keep rummaging underneath your kitchen sink to get to the ones that you actually use and they just add visual chaos. What to do instead, throw out the tools that you just don't use, replace them with high quality ones that you actually use. Number five, excess plastic bags. Examples are a massive grocery bag stuffed with grocery bags, plastic bags with holes or tears, takeout bags that you've been holding on to thinking just in case but you just have never used them, old produce bags that are just crumpled and torn, bags that are too flimsy or too small to use. Why this matters, plastic bags can quickly pile up and they just take up space and while they're taking up space they're often forgotten and unused. What to do instead, you only need so many plastic bags. Recycle them, bring them to your grocery store, they usually have a bin there for plastic bags to be recycled and only keep a certain amount, you don't need that many. Number six, broken or duplicate spray bottles. Examples are a spray bottle that leaks when you use it, two identical bottles of window cleaner, a spray bottle where the nozzle doesn't even work, extra spray bottles that you purchase but you've never filled them, spray bottles with cracks or they're hard to squeeze. Why this matters, broken ones can actually spill or leak and cause a mess and ones you don't use just take up space. What to do instead, test every spray bottle and keep the ones that you like that feel good when you spray it and that are not broken. Make sure to label them clearly so that you use them regularly. If at this point you know at least one item you're going to declutter from under your kitchen sink, go ahead and subscribe to my channel because we will talk more about decluttering and getting organized. Number seven, cracked or damaged storage containers. Examples are a bin with a cracked corner, a storage caddy with a broken handle, a plastic drawer with missing sections, an organizer with warped or bent sides, a tray that no longer fits your space. Why this matters, again that space under your sink is prime real estate. There's not a lot of space available there and it's an awkward space so you've got to have containers or bins or organizers that actually make sense and that fit within the space and organize the things that you need. What to do instead, get rid of those cracked and broken containers and ones that don't fit your space well and get ones that are good quality and are sturdy that specifically fit underneath the kitchen sink or underneath a sink. It's a little bit of like playing Tetris but you're going to find the things that will fit in there and fit the things that you need. Number eight, old rubber gloves. Examples are gloves with holes or tears, gloves that have become stiff or brittle, a mismatched pair of gloves, gloves with a lingering odor, extra pairs that you haven't used in years. Why this matters, old gloves that are brittle, that don't fit well, that smell, they're basically useless and they just take up space. What to do instead, only get gloves that you love, that fit your hand well, that are durable and high quality. The gloves that I use, they last for about six months so I only need two and then I have one pair for guests who want to wash my dishes. Those are the guests that can come back. I'm laughing because I have one guest, we have a bible study group at my house once a month and he absolutely loves to do our dishes. So when he's there, I just know that my kitchen is going to be clean after the 15-20 people have passed through my house. So he's very welcome in my home. You also want to make sure that those gloves are in an accessible spot. When they're wet, make sure you don't put them on your marble or granite countertop, just make sure they're in the sink or they're hanging maybe on the inside door of your cabinet or in a bin. Number nine, unused or expired air fresheners. Examples are air fresheners that have lost their scent, aerosol sprays with barely anything left, plug in air fresheners that you never use, expired gel fresheners that have dried out, scented sachets that just don't smell fresh. Why this matters, when air fresheners don't freshen the air, they are useless. You do not need them anymore, don't let them take up that valuable space. What to do instead, toss them. If they cannot be revitalized with a new fresh scent, let's say with essential oils, then they're useless. Let them go, it's okay. Instead, go ahead and get ones that you know will last long and smell good. Number 10, rusty or broken dish racks. Examples are a dish rack with peeling paint or rust, a rack with missing parts or doesn't stand up well, a rack that no longer meets your needs because example it may be too small, a drying mat that is smelly or warped or worn out, a collapsible rack that no longer collapses and so no longer saves space for what it was intended to do. Why this matters, broken rusty dish racks again are rendered useless. They don't do what they're supposed to do. They can be unsanitary or even hurt your dishes and they take up space. What to do instead, replace them, the rack and the mat with ones that are functional and high quality. If you no longer use a dish rack, then let it go. 10 items to declutter from under the kitchen sink. 1. Empty or nearly empty cleaning product bottles. 2. Worn out sponges or scrub brushes. 3. Expired cleaning supplies. 4. Old or unused cleaning tools. 5. Excess plastic bags. 6. Duplicate or broken spray bottles. 7. Cracked or damaged storage containers. 8. Old rubber gloves. 9. Unused or expired air fresheners. 10. Rusty or broken dish racks. This wraps up our four-part video series 10 items to declutter. If you missed any of the previous videos, make sure to check out the playlist and watch those so that you can tackle the other three areas. Remember you can do this at your own pace. Watch the videos and then decide which area you want to focus on and maybe from the 10 items you're going to focus on the first three for that day. Stay tuned for the next video where I'm going to show you kind of vlog style of an organizing project that I'm taking care of.