5S Under the sink

I have to admit, this is the area I am least looking forward to organizing. I am not a big fan of cleaning. I do dishes and laundry regularly, but only because they have to get done. Everything else tends to get procrastinated, just like my 5S of under the sink.

1. Sort
Start by throwing out any trash, old sponges and useless items.

Evaluate what has been stored under the sink and evaluating if that is the best location.
I have another storage area for cleaning products, so I will only keep regular kitchen items under the sink. Tools I use infrequently, I can put in the general area to keep the sink uncluttered.

Also evaluate the sink area. Do you use all the brushes and sponges? Are some getting old and worn and ready for replacement?
I sometimes use old kitchen sponges to clean car tires or other dirty jobs. If you want to save old sponges for other work, then move them to an appropriate area for that (like a car wash kit in the garage).

Once everything is cleared out, it is ready to clean.
While it is empty, it is also a good time to inspect for leaks or rust. If your under sink cabinet is too crammed, you do not always notice when there is a problem, another reason to de-clutter this area.

2. Scrub

3. Set
After clearing and cleaning, we are ready to Set items back under the sink.

If you decide to keep some cleaning supplies, corral them in a bin or bucket. I have also seen shelves or bars to hang the handles of spray bottles on the cupboard door. Make sure the items you use daily are easily accessible in the front.

I store the garbage under the sink, to protect it from our toddler. He likes to drop his toys in bins and I am not excited about digging them out. This takes up space, but keeps it out of sight. Make sure you buy a bin that is sized appropriately.
I will also be adding a mini recycling bin under the sink. The plan is to capture cans and bottles after use, but to dump it daily, so that the pile does not build up too much.

4. Standardize
What do you need to label and make more visual under the sink?

First, I think it is critical to be able to see if you have a leak. Hopefully, in the process of de-cluttering, you have room to see the piping.

You can label where things go. You can also label bins (like cleaning supplies). I plan to label which supplies are for which purpose (counters vs stove top).

How will you know when you need to replenish supplies? Will you have a min/max system? I just ran out of my main dish soap. I happen to have a small back up bottle, but I will put dish soap on my shopping list.
How many spare sponges do you want? You can put a note on the second to last one to remind you to buy more.

Color coding is also a good visual. If you use your own bottles, you can have a different color for each area or cleaning purpose. You can get sponges to match.
Example: blue for bathroom, green for kitchen.
OR blue for disinfectant/bleach and green for natural or general cleaning.

The key is to try out a method that makes it easier to know where things go and when they need to be replaced.