Making the Most of Storage Space Under the Sink
March 26, 2022
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An affordable and easy way to install rolling storage containers in under the sink cabinets!
This is a great way to utilize ALL of the storage space under your kitchen
or bathroom cabinets. It makes the most of the vertical space in that
awkward spot as well.
I'm so excited about this easy alternative to more expensive rolling cabinet
drawers. I shared
the DIY rolling shelving version
I used in our new and improved pantry a couple of weeks ago.
If you have some do-it-yourself skills that is a great option you can
customize to the exact size and depth that you need. But if you'd rather not
DIY, I found a really affordable ready made version that may work for your
needs!
I started making these myself because most of the store bought options are
usually more money than I'd like to spend. But a reader shared this option
with me and I had to try it out. It's the
Hallbar pull out frame:
There are two bonuses to this product -- one, it's affordable. About the
same price as the drawer slides that I use for my DIY versions. But the best
part is it comes (pretty much) ready to go. You pull it out of the box and
the slides are already attached and ready to be installed.
It's marketed as a roll out tray for recycling bins, but I knew I could find
other uses for it. :)
I've been finishing up a couple lingering small
projects inside the new pantry cabinets
and almost used the Ikea option here:
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But I already had the drawer slides for this last roll out shelf, and had
just enough scrap wood left to make it:
It's perfect for our
pet food storage bins! These containers are nice and large and the lids seal really tight.
So instead I tried this Ikea pull out under our kitchen sink! The plastic
bin we had down there was too small and didn't keep things as organized as
I'd like.
I pulled everything out of the cabinet and cleaned inside well. I always
wonder HOW a space like this gets so dirty? I wiped down the bottom of the
cabinet and vacuumed out all of the mess.
Then I decluttered some random items that had found there way down there and
started figuring out how to store what was left.
Years ago I shared
this awesome metal pull out unit for under the sinks, but the wider version I wanted to use under the kitchen sink didn't fit.
Thankfully this IKEA option fit perfectly!:
Installation is easy -- just pull out the slides underneath and attach them
to the bottom of the cabinet with screws.
I like that these are nice and compact but use the vertical space better.
The width of the tray doesn't take up much room and yet you can store a lot
of stuff!
The base sits up just a bit, so it clears the frame on the bottom of our
cabinets nicely. The tray operates smoothly and fully extends out of
the cabinet:
The Hallbar has a concave base, so the small IKEA trash bins fit inside
perfectly.
It also comes with a frame that holds the cans:
The frame allows you to drop the trash cans in from the top. Unfortunately
the tall frame was hitting our plumbing in the back of the cabinet, so I
wasn't able to use that part.
Turns out I didn't need it! I fit everything we keep under our sink on the
tray. The taller items like extra dish soap, fruit wash and long scrub
brushes fit perfectly:
I placed the items we reach for most often --
my FAVORITE dish sponges/scrubbers
and cleaning spray bottle -- in front for easy access.
I put one of
my favorite plastic bins
in the back to hold the excess dishwasher pods, since the pipes were
slightly in the way of the trash can and I had to move it forward just a
bit.
We keep most of our dishwasher tablets in
the tip out drawers in front of the sink, so the extras aren't something we need often.
These
small trash bins from Ikea are awesome -- the lid stays open when you need it to and
they have a handle for easy carrying:
I think this under the kitchen sink organizer would be useful for so many
things!:
- I already had the bins for our pet food, but wouldn't these be great as well? They aren't air tight, but the lid does stay put. They would be great with a scoop inside for easy pet feedings.
- They would make for great cleaning caddies to store cleaning supplies! You could store rags in one and cleaning products in another and carry them around the house. They clean up very easily.
- Take trash bags out of the boxes and stand them upright inside the bins for easy access.
- You could use these without the bins for pantry drawers -- keep packaged snacks or food in the base and they won't fall out. Without the frame they are only a few inches tall.
- Of course, they'd also work well as intended for recycling. But the three gallon bin I used would be really small for that. You wouldn't be able to fit much in there.
If you have a basket or bin that fits inside the concave base, this option
makes for an easy pull out you can tailor to your needs. You could even
install a cabinet pull to grab when pulling it in and out! (Do this before
you install the tray so you can screw it in underneath).
By the way, the trash cans come with a little insert that holds your trash liners in place.
They even include a small label for the lid so you can keep track of
what's inside. :)
This was the final result after the clean out, declutter and with the new
pull out tray installed:
Here's what we keep under the sink along with the supplies in the rolling
tray:
- An inexpensive trash can works as our recycling bin. We empty it into the garage bin a couple times a week.
- We keep our paper towels underneath the sink -- I use paper towel bar with an open end, installed at an angle for easy access.
- There is always a fire extinguisher within reach!
- Watering cans are under the sink to feed my fiddle leaf babies.
- The plumbers who installed our sink used a thick rubber band to hold the tools for the disposal -- I love that! Check out this easy broken garbage disposal fix if you ever have issues with yours. :)
I swear I can go into IKEA one hundred times and there's still so many
items I never see!
I love that my reader suggested this as an alternative to the pull out
drawer -- I had to share it with you. With a couple tweaks and out of the
box thinking, there are SO many ways to use this inexpensive pull
out.
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Nice share, Sarah! I'm already measuring, as I can see this used in more than one cabinet. Will be added to my Ikea list, for when I make that long trek back to Indy.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I started putting peel and stick vinyl tiles under out sinks for easy clean up. Also - if we do get a leak under a sink, it keeps the wood from getting damaged. Hope it helps!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this recommendation! I just bought the Ikea Hallbar and am about halfway through installing it. However, I'm super confused what the double screw / washer combo is for, and the pictorial instructions don't really give me much clarity. It looks like they are supposed to go in the same place as the screws I already put in to lock the base in place, and I don't see any other holes where they might possibly fit?? Here is a photo of the instructions that came with mine, along with examples of the screws: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wRBv7VjnGPwvWfPA8. I would love any tips you can provide; otherwise, I was just going to leave the double screw / washer combo off.
ReplyDelete