8 Storage Problems SOLVED!

2 of 9

Mess #2: The under-the-sink cabinet

The Problem
"Between my garbage can, my cleaning supplies, and all the plastic bags I try to recycle, I can't find the sponges."

The Fix
For many of us, the under-sink cabinet is like a dark hole, harboring all sorts of mysterious things. When you reach in there for the dishwasher soap or a sponge, you're just as likely to come up with a scrub brush you haven't seen for a month or a handful of plastic bags. A good cleaning out is the only way to reassert your control over this space, the experts say. For starters, attach an over-the-cupboard door grocery bag organizer to rein in the plastic bags. Next, move out anything that's not related to cleaning the dishes or the kitchen. (You really don't want the oven cleaner next to the kids' lunch bags or the dog food, for instance.) To keep cleaners, sponges, and dish soaps upright (everything seems to tip over in this space), stowl them in baskets or bins. "You never have as much space as you need in this cabinet, but that's okay if you use the space efficiently," Pollack says.

2 of 9