18 Common Items To Avoid Storing Under Your Sink At All Costs

The space under your sinks can seem like a bit of a goldmine for storage, particularly as so many of us struggle to find space to keep things hidden away in our homes. Utilizing this space to store various household products and items seems like a sensible option, but it's not always the right idea. From batteries to insecticides, there are common items that you should avoid storing under your sink. These items can become damaged, and, in some cases, storing things under the sink can actually be hazardous to your health. 

The dark and damp conditions under a sink can be a perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew, which can destroy or damage certain products. Mold and mildew can cause health problems, as they produce allergens that can lead to allergic reactions. And, if you have a leak or a drip under the sink, anything that isn't protected by plastic packaging is likely to be damaged as well. Of course, this is an area that should be cleaned regularly, but with so much of the space taken up by pipework, it can be hard to keep things sparkling. We'd recommend following tips for decluttering under your sink, followed by consulting this list to make sure you're not storing things under the sink that aren't safe or sensible.

We all keep electronics in the kitchen, so under the kitchen sink could seem like the natural place to store some of the smaller items. But in fact, you'll want to avoid this mistake when storing your handheld vacuum cleaner, blenders, and slow cookers. As under sinks can be damp, you run the risk of moisture damaging your electronics or even making them unsafe or dangerous to use. Instead, store safely in other kitchen cupboards away from the sink area.

Paper towels are an absolute necessity for the kitchen, mopping up accidental spillages, cleaning surfaces, and helping with food prep. But the rolls are bulky and take up room, meaning it's often preferable to store them out of sight. But again, any moisture or leaks under the sink will destroy them and turn them into a pulpy mush. Instead, store them either on a paper towel rack, or why not try a brilliant kitchen drawer design that keeps paper towels tucked away within reach.

With countless gadgets and appliances needing batteries, it can be a challenge to find a place to store them all. Under the sink can seem like a great option, but there's again a risk of dampness and moisture damaging batteries. Hot water pipes can also create heat and temperature changes that could lead to a loss of performance and even battery leaks. Instead, try easily organizing and storing your batteries with a Dollar Tree storage box.

Under the kitchen sink might seem like an obvious place to store light bulbs, as it's an easily accessible spot, along with being in a room that traditionally uses a fair amount of lights to keep it illuminated. But stop for a moment and think about how often you access the under-the-sink storage. With everyday items such as garbage bags often stored here, you're likely to be moving stuff in and out regularly. And this makes it far more likely that delicate and fragile light bulbs will accidentally get dropped and smashed.

Under the kitchen sink might seem like a great environment for onions and potatoes, as it's dark, with darker environments helping these vegetables to last longer. But alongside darkness, these root vegetables also need a dry and cool environment, neither of which your under-sink storage is going to provide. Instead, you'll want to keep your potatoes and onions fresh and out of sight by storing them separately in breathable bags or storage boxes.

You might be storing your cleaning products all wrong if you're keeping them under the kitchen sink. First, this area is easily accessible to children and pets, and if you're storing liquid cleaning products, these could obviously be hazardous if ingested. There's also the worry that containers could be damaged if you have a leak, which could then lead to your cleaning products leaking and spilling.

Although it's something we probably don't think about much, there's a certain amount of heat generated under the sink, thanks to appliances, pipes, and water heaters. So, it's important not to store flammable products such as cooking oil, lighter fluid, and hand sanitizer in under-the-sink cupboards. Flammable products left under the sink could therefore be at risk of igniting if they're exposed to too much heat. And, as with cleaning products, flammable liquid products could leak or spill, also increasing the risk of a fire.

It's natural to want your dishwasher pods easily to hand when you're ready to put the dishwasher on. And, as dishwashers need to be plumbed in, you'll typically find them near the kitchen sink. This is all very well and good, but again, if you have a leak or water drips, your pods could well end up starting to dissolve. Instead, try an in-cabinet storage solution that keeps excess kitchen clutter at bay in the form of a plastic dishwasher pod storage unit.

The dirty truth behind your kitchen sponge is that these useful cleaning products are a magnet for bacterial growth and germs. Because they're always damp, they can harbor all sorts of nasties. This can be a problem wherever you store a sponge, but by placing it under the sink, you're increasing these risks by giving bacteria and mold an even more productive breeding ground. With the area under the sink often being damp, sponges will deteriorate faster.

You wouldn't store human food under the sink, so why would you put your beloved pet's food there? Spills from other products could sully pet food, and any drips or leaks will make dry kibble inedible. Instead, look into storage ideas to keep your pet supplies in perfect order and consider different storage containers to keep food fresh and sealed away from any damage.

Food storage containers are one of life's useful little products, but even though they keep leftovers sealed away, it doesn't mean you should store them in the wrong places. If you put food storage containers under the sink, you run the risk of condensation from the pipes contaminating the containers and, therefore, your food. It's not worth running the risk of food poisoning — keep containers in your kitchen cabinets instead.

If you're lacking in storage spaces, finding somewhere to store small tools such as screwdrivers can be a challenge. These are items that are useful to have on hand for small jobs around the house, but unfortunately, storing them under the sink isn't a good idea. Tools can easily be damaged by any moisture, which could cause them to rust. Instead, store them in a cool and dry place. A simple storage box could be a far better solution.

The main danger of storing hazardous products under the sink is that this area is easily accessible to children and pets. As you'd imagine, these products could be dangerous if swallowed or inhaled. In addition, they could easily be knocked over under the sink, potentially spilling and causing further issues. It's far safer to store these types of products in the garage or basement, utilizing a high shelf that's out of reach of curious fingers.

The kitchen is the natural place to keep vases — if you're lucky enough to be gifted flowers or have simply purchased them for yourself, you'll be cutting stems over the kitchen sink to arrange them. But storing vases under the sink isn't a great idea, as the glass tends to be fragile, and as this is generally a space that you'll be moving things in and out of regularly, it's easy for vases to fall over and shatter.

If you've got a Costco membership or similar, you'll know it can make financial sense to bulk buy household goods such as toilet paper and cleaners. But it's not such a good idea to try to store all these bargains under the sink. Multiple buys of any household backstock item are going to take up a fair amount of room and will quickly fill up all the space available. In addition, many of these products will be on our list as unsuitable to store under the sink in the first place.

Bathroom mirrors are perfect for styling your hair, right? So, you might want to have your hair tools, such as straighteners and curling irons, to hand in the same room. But it only takes one leaking or dripping pipe to damage the electrics and ruin your expensive hair tools. Instead, store them in an overhead bathroom cabinet.

Makeup needs to be stored at a consistent temperature, in a place that's cool and dry to prevent deterioration. The fluctuations of temperature under a bathroom sink due to hot and cold water pipes, combined with the humidity this can create, could mean that your makeup starts to degrade. This can mean that products aren't as effective anymore or could even make them unsafe to use. Instead, keep your blusher and bronzer out of the bathroom.

If there's no space for a linen closet in your home, you might consider storing sheets and towels under the bathroom sink for easy access to your bedrooms. But this would be an error. Piling linen too close to the plumbing fixtures means they could easily be damaged if there's a leak, with materials becoming soiled or even contaminated from water that isn't clean. For smaller houses, the clever linen closet storage alternative that sits right at the end of your bed is an ottoman or storage chest that won't take up too much room.