THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER KEEP UNDER THE SINK AND THINGS YOU DO

Have you taken a look at the cupboard under the sink? It is possible that you prefer not to do it because you have so many things stored there that the order seems impossible. Follow the rules about what you can have down there and give it a nice change.

Let us guess. Under the sink, you keep products for the best dish drying rack, used and brand-new scouring pads, and an occasional cleaning bottle that you didn’t remember you had. There are sure to be plastic or paper bags too. You chose a designer sink and proudly display it to visitors but prefer to hide the microcosm underneath.

The basic rule of thumb for tidying up your under-sink cupboard is to reserve only for kitchen cleaning supplies.

Start by taking out everything you have in there and take inventory. If there are products you no longer use, like that industrial cleaner you never opened or moldy jars, get rid of them.

ITEMS YOU SHOULD NEVER STORE UNDER THE SINK

Your warehouse for cleaning products. Take out of this closet the roll of new garbage bags and other cleaning products that you do not use yet. The goal is to make space to find the products you use in your day to day more quickly.

Dangerous chemicals. Those powerful cleaners you need from time to time, such as bleach or corrosive cleaning supplies, should be stored in a safe area out of the reach of children.

Flammable products like solvents, varnishes, and some cleaners that can catch fire under the right conditions Remember that oil-filled rags after applying furniture polish contain linseed oil and are highly flammable. So it’s better to keep them away from the kitchen.

The kitchen towels. Although kitchen towels are essential, it is not advisable to store them under the sink since it is one of the most humid points of the room and favors the proliferation of bacteria. Find a closet or drawer nearby.

PRODUCTS THAT YOU SHOULD KEEP UNDER THE SINK

An absorbent mat. Before putting your products in order, place a mat at the base of the closet. Remember that the sink drain runs through there and will collect the water if it suffers any leakage.

Organization accessories such as shelves, hangers, or folding trays will help you keep the items you need close at hand. You can also put plastic containers to keep the products in the order. Remember that you must put these containers in the dishwasher every so often.

Kitchen cleaning products. The essential products that you should have on hand for daily kitchen cleaning such as white vinegar, soap and dishwasher tablets, or the usual degreaser/disinfectant. It is also the place to store your usual sponges, brushes and scouring pads, and garbage bags.

A plunger. Under the sink is the place to store that tool that we use to unclog the drain. So you’ll have it on hand when it gets stuck.

CLEAN RAGS

Do you know where in the kitchen the most bacteria accumulate? On the cloths and scourers. How do you read it! If you can’t remember the last time you changed it or can’t stand its smell, change it urgently. And we are sorry to tell you that if you are one of those who think that you do not have to worry because you clean them with hot water, you are not going to kill all the bacteria. 

The professor of microbiology at the University of Navarra and author of the book Microbiota: the microbes in your body, Ignacio López-Goñi, explains on his blog that the kitchen is the point of home where more bacteria accumulate. The book explains that boiling or microwaving cloths and scourers only kill 60% of the microbes, the weakest, while the most resistant remain and tend to multiply.

If you are one of those who use bleach to disinfect, López-Goñi explains that it kills fewer bacteria than boiling water. What is the solution? Simple. Change them regularly, at least once a month.