Under Sink Storage Solution

I've got a dirty messy little secret (and I bet you do to). Actually, I have a few but they've been hidden behind closed doors so my secret's been safe... until now.  It's time to fess up and get organized.  And, boy, do I have an endless list of areas that need organizing!  What about you?  I got the ball rolling with the closets in the boys' bedrooms.  Scary, I know.  My younger son is a mess (literally) and a pack rat!  I guess "messiness" tends to be a characteristic of the "baby" in the family.  It looked like a bomb went off in his closet.  I wondered if we would ever get to the bottom of the pile of stuff that he'd tucked away each week after "cleaning" his room.  After successfully sifting through all his stuff (and a few trash bags later), we finally got the job done.  Whew! There are still closets to be organized but I needed a break. So I moved on to a smaller job in the master bathroom - under sink cabinets.  The mess has been driving me crazy for weeks.  The transformation is pretty amazing (if I do say so myself) and the system is so functional.

Word of warning - this is one of those projects (like a house reno) where things get worse before they get better.  Just sayin'.  But the final outcome is worth the effort.  I had to pull everything (I mean everything) from the cabinet and sort the items that I intended to keep into respective piles. I used baskets for this part of the sorting process.  Think in terms of general categories - hair, skin, nails, etc.

I also had a big trash can at the ready for all the items that I purged (which was a lot). If I hadn't used an item in the last 6-9 months or it was "expired" like some old nail polish and sunscreen, I tossed it.  Other items needed to be relocated or donated.  After cleaning out the bottom of the cabinet, I had a clean slate to start the actual organizing.  Ta-dah! There's light at the end of the tunnel...

I purchased a few items at Target to help make my organization system come together - 3 plastic stackable drawers and 3 plastic baskets.  I already had a small 3-drawer unit for smaller items like nail care items, hair care products, and skin care.

You may already have something on hand to use for reorganizing.  I'm a BIG fan of drawers because they allow you to use the majority of the space.  I've utilized them in different places in our home - laundry room, pantry, office, and now bathroom.

Here's the right side of the cabinet which is home to most of my hair care items.  The basket on top holds empty travel bags for cosmetics or other items.

The left side incorporates another large drawer and the smaller 3-drawer unit on top.  I originally had the first aid and sports med items in two separate containers but I think this works better (and it's more easily accessible).

The middle section holds the two smaller plastic containers. The only rogue bottles are the extra body wash and mouth wash.

No organizing project is complete without labeling.  I can see at a glance what items are in each drawer/basket. I hope this post inspires you deal with your own messy little secret.  Go on...get that drawer, closet, or cabinet organized already!