Although kitchens come in a variety of different sizes, the amount of storage space in the room doesn’t always reflect the square footage.
But even in kitchens with no shortage of storage, certain locations are more convenient for stashing stuff than others—including the prime piece of real estate under the sink. On top of that, in some households, the space beneath the kitchen sink serves as the primary storage area for everything from cleaning products, to light bulbs, to batteries.
Unfortunately, the conditions under the sink are not ideal—or, in some cases, safe—for storing many of the items that tend to end up down there. Here are a few examples of household goods that you shouldn’t keep under the kitchen sink.
Don’t keep these household items under the kitchen sink
Let’s start with the good news: There are still plenty of things that are perfectly safe to keep under your kitchen sink. Go ahead and put a small garbage can or recycling bin down there. Garbage bags and spare sponges? Not a problem.
However, for a variety of reasons, you should probably find somewhere else to store these items:
Anything that plugs in: A leaky sink could render them useless
Anything flammable: This includes rubbing alcohol, aerosols, varnishes, solvents, thinners, polish, and some cleaning products
Human or pet food: If someone or something is going to eat it, it doesn’t belong somewhere prone to moisture and the potential for mold
Anything you cook with or eat out of: It’s gross down there and not the place for pots, pans, plates, baking sheets, etc
Light bulbs: All of the activity down there could cause them to break
Paper towels: They could end up damp and dirty
Here’s hoping you have other options for stashing this stuff.