How to Organize Under Your Bathroom Sink

The cabinet under a bathroom sink looks like it should provide plenty of storage. Then you open the doors and remember there’s a sink basin, drainpipe, water lines and shutoff valves occupying some of the best real estate.

That doesn’t mean the space can’t work well. It just means you need to organize around the plumbing instead of pretending it isn’t there.

The goal isn’t to squeeze the maximum number of products under the sink. It’s to make the products you actually use easy to find and easy to put away.

Start by Taking Everything Out

Before buying an organizer, empty the cabinet completely.

You’ll probably discover products you forgot you owned, duplicates you don’t need and a few things that haven’t seen daylight in quite some time.

Sort everything into basic categories such as:

• Hair care
  
  
• Skin care
  
  
• Dental care
  
  
• First aid
  
  
• Feminine care
  
  
• Grooming
  
  
• Cleaning supplies
  
  
• Backup toiletries

Discard expired products and anything you know you aren’t going to use.

Then look at what’s left.

That’s what you’re organizing not what was previously stuffed under the sink.

Decide What Really Needs to Live There

Your under-sink cabinet doesn’t have to hold every bathroom product you own.

Give the most accessible space to products you use regularly. Larger appliances such as a hair dryer can also make sense under the sink when drawer space is limited, but give them a defined location rather than laying them across everything else.

Bulk packages, duplicates and multiple backups can often live in a linen closet or another storage area.

Keep one working supply conveniently located and store the overstock somewhere else.

That gives you more room for the things you actually reach for every day — and makes them much easier to find.

Measure Around the Plumbing — Not Just the Cabinet

This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make.

They measure the cabinet and order an organizer based on its overall width and depth.

Then the organizer arrives and meets the drainpipe.

Before buying anything, measure the actual usable space, including:

• Cabinet width
  
  
• Cabinet depth
  
  
• Available height
  
  
• Cabinet-door opening
  
  
• Drainpipe location and diameter
  
  
• Water-supply lines
  
  
• Shutoff valves
  
  
• Hinges and trim

Any other obstruction

Measure the space on both sides of the plumbing because those measurements may be very different.

And don’t block the shutoff valves. If you ever have a plumbing problem, you want to be able to reach them immediately.

Use Pull-Out Storage in Deep Cabinets

Deep under-sink cabinets are where products go to hide.

A pull-out or sliding organizer lets you bring the contents toward you rather than moving six bottles to reach the seventh one hiding in the back.

Two-tier and three-tier organizers can also take advantage of vertical space, provided they fit around the plumbing.

This is one place where more tiers aren’t automatically better.

A three-tier organizer that collides with the drainpipe is considerably less useful than a two-tier organizer that actually fits.

Use L-Shaped Organizers Around Plumbing

An L-shaped organizer can be particularly useful when plumbing occupies the center of the cabinet.

Instead of trying to build storage directly beneath the drainpipe, the organizer uses the available vertical space to one side while leaving room for pipes.

This is why measuring the plumbing first matters so much.

Choose the organizer for the cabinet you have — not the cabinet in the product photograph.

Use Handled Bins for Categories

You don’t need a separate organizer for every bottle.

A handled bin can keep an entire category together so you can pull everything forward at once.

For example:

• Hair products
  
  
• Skin care
  
  
• First aid
  
  
• Extra toiletries
  
  
• Cleaning products

This is particularly useful for categories containing several smaller items.

The handle matters. If a bin is going toward the back of a deep cabinet, you want to be able to grab it without unloading everything in front of it.

Put Everyday Products in Front

Organize according to frequency of use, not just product category.

Products you use every morning should be easiest to reach. Products used once a week can go farther back, while backups can go behind or beneath the working supply.

It’s easy to create a beautifully categorized cabinet that makes you move the backup shampoo every morning to reach something you actually use.

That may look organized.

It doesn’t work organized.

Many Kitchen Under-Sink Solutions Work Here, Too

Don’t overlook organizers marketed for the kitchen.

Much of the advice and many of the products from our Best Under-Sink Organizers for Kitchens and Bathrooms Buying Guide work equally well beneath a bathroom sink.

The plumbing configuration may be different, but the basic challenges are very similar: pipes consume space, cabinets are deep and products tend to disappear toward the back.

Some of the solutions I recommend include:

Sliding or pull-out organizers that bring products at the back of the cabinet forward.

Two- or three-tier organizers when there’s enough vertical clearance around the plumbing.

L-shaped organizers that take advantage of space beside drainpipes.

Turntables for bottles and frequently used products.

Handled caddies or bins for categories you want to pull out together.

The important thing is not whether an organizer says “Kitchen” or “Bathroom” on the package.

If the dimensions work, it fits around your plumbing and it solves the storage problem, use it.

Don’t Forget the Cabinet Doors

Depending on your cabinet and plumbing configuration, the inside of the doors may provide useful storage.

Small door-mounted organizers can work for lighter products and frequently used items.

But measure carefully.

Make sure anything attached to the door clears the shelves, bins and plumbing when the door closes.

Closing the cabinet door shouldn’t be the final step in a complicated spatial puzzle.

Protect the Bottom of the Cabinet

Under-sink cabinets and water occasionally become acquainted.

A washable liner or shallow waterproof mat can help protect the cabinet bottom and make small spills easier to clean.

But don’t let organizers completely conceal the plumbing.

You want enough visibility to notice moisture or a leak before the bottom of the cabinet becomes your first notification system.

Don’t Overorganize It

You don’t need to fill every square inch with drawers, bins, risers and racks.

Leave some breathing room.

You need enough space to remove products easily, inspect the plumbing and accommodate the occasional larger item.

An organizer should create access, not simply increase capacity.

Products That Can Help

Many of the products from our Best Under-Sink Organizers for Kitchens and Bathrooms Buying Guide are just as useful in the bathroom.

Rather than buying everything, choose the product that solves your particular problem:

Pull-out cabinet organizers for deep storage

L-shaped organizers for working around plumbing

Sliding multi-tier baskets for vertical storage

Turntables for bottles and frequently used products

Handled caddies for portable categories