Sure, the trash can under the kitchen sink is the end of the line for your garbage. But what's with all the dried-out sponges and almost-empty bottles hanging out under there? Are they in, or are they out? Properly stocked and organized, this dumping ground can become a staging area that can speed up the cleaning of every room in the house. Here's how to do it in three easy steps.
Step 1: Sort Everything into Three Piles
Start by pulling everything out — trash bin and all — and making three piles: one for items you use every week (like dish detergent, cleansers, and garbage bags), the second for things you use every now and then (ant repellent, drain cleaner, paper bags), and the third for things you can't remember having used or that are congealed, rusted, or crusted beyond recognition.
Items in the first pile, the things you use every week, are the only ones that will go back in the cabinet. Move things you use sporadically to an out-of-the-way shelf in the garage or pantry. There's no sense cluttering this hardworking space with products you need only once or twice a year. Throw out items in the third pile.
Step 2: Clean and Corral
Wipe down the interior of the cabinet with all-purpose cleanser and a damp rag. To make cleaning the cabinet easier in the future, line the floor with heavy-duty ribbed rubber matting (sold at hardware stores for $3 to $15 a yard), which holds up well against spills and leaks. (The next time you clean, just pull the matting up, scrub it with a nylon brush and mild detergent, and hose it off outdoors.) Corral cleaning products and supplies on one side of the cabinet in a plastic caddy or bin to keep them from toppling over or drifting into the dark recesses; put the trash can on the other side. Items such as plastic wrap, wax paper, and foil are best kept in a plastic door-mounted organizer. And shed some light on your tidy, new niche by sticking a battery-powered fixture to the side of the cabinet (try the 12-inch fluorescent Utility Light by AmerTac, about $10 at Home Depot stores,
www.homedepot.com).
Step 3. Label Your Poisons
Safety comes first, especially under the sink. Although most cleaning agents have a poison-control-hotline number on the label, you should always keep additional poison-control information on hand. The American Association of Poison Control Centers (800-222-1222,
www.aapcc.org). can link you to the center in your area, which can provide phone stickers and pamphlets free or for a nominal fee. You should also keep syrup of ipecac, which induces vomiting, in your medicine cabinet, though you should never administer it unless a poison-control center or doctor tells you to. Animal poison-control information is available from the ASPCA, at 888-426-4435.
