Hide Ugly Sponges With This Brilliant Kitchen Storage Solution

Kitchens are a notoriously difficult place to keep clean. Notably, you'll be cooking multiple meals a day here, which will result in a pile of dishes and a bevy of grease stains that encourage bacterial growth on the countertop. Dirty accessories, like your well-worn sink sponge, might similarly harbor harmful bacteria. In addition, they will be an eyesore to any guests who visit, regardless of how much you've cleaned the rest of the kitchen. If you aren't at the stage of replacing your sponges just yet, one solution might be to hide them. Some kitchens hardly have enough space for a full set of dishware, let alone sponge storage, though. Luckily, a number of hacks exist to add more secret storage space to your kitchen. One such hack is to invest in a tilt-out tray for the faux drawer in front of your sink. Here, you can discreetly store your unsightly sponges.

Adding a tilt-out tray beneath your sink may not require as much work as you'd expect. Another great thing about this project is that the hardware for it is affordable and readily available at many big-box home improvement stores. You can also find these kits online. The set of Tip Out Tray Kits from Umigy, for example, is perfect for this project.

The piece of wood beneath the faucet is typically little more than a flat panel designed to mimic the surrounding drawers. There isn't anything that can go in this spot, but it's perfect for your tilt-out tray. Chances are, the false drawer front is screwed directly into the cabinet's frame, which means you will need to remove everything from the cabinet below so you can crawl inside and access this plate from the back. It may also be glued. If this is the case, you can use a box cutter or sharp knife to break the seal; otherwise, you risk damaging the cabinet frame. Tapping the drawer gently with a hammer or some other blunt object may make it easier to remove.

Once the faux drawer face is gone, you'll be able to measure the space between the cabinet and sink to see how shallow your tip-out drawer needs to be. When you've got your measurements, you can then purchase a kit and get to work. You'll need to attach hinges to both sides of the cabinet frame. Then, mark the areas on the faux drawer panel where the hinges will connect. Now, screw the basket onto the back of the drawer front, taking care that it's loose enough to be removed for cleaning. Before affixing the panel to its hinges, attach a handle to the outside, like this renter-friendly, quirky DIY kitchen cabinet drawer pull.

Having a tip-out drawer to hide your ugly kitchen sponges is great in and of itself, but there's more you should consider when installing this secret storage feature. Most notably, you're adding an enclosed, dark space beneath your sink that's designed to hold wet objects. This is a great way to encourage mold growth. That's one reason it's important to make sure your tilt-out drawer's basket is removable — you'll need to take it out for periodic cleaning. There are other preventative steps you can take, too. For example, drilling a few holes in the basket will allow more airflow, which in turn will reduce the moisture level. It might also be worth lining the tray with some paper towels to absorb excess liquid, as well. It's also a great idea to let your sponges dry out as much as possible before tossing them in the basket.

One fun thing about this storage solution is that it doesn't have to be relegated just to your kitchen. It can also be used to increase your bathroom's cabinet storage space. Here, you can use it for extra toothpaste or other daily personal care supplies, for example.