Let’s be honest: “out of sight, out of mind” tends to be the mentality when it comes to organizing certain areas of our home. Especially under the sink, since it remains invisible most of the time.

But if you’re tired of opening up your cabinets to be greeted with a constant overwhelming mess of cleaners, cleaning tools, and other odds and ends, then a decluttering spree might be in order.

Thanks to these expert tips, keeping your under-the-sink area tidy will become the norm in your household for good.

Take Everything Out

Before you start keeping your under-sink storage tidy year-round, professional home organizer Devon Fegen-Herdman says you need a total declutter. Remove everything from under your sink in order to sift out the random, out-of-date, long-forgotten items that don’t belong there.

Now you can also clean under the sink, go through your stock and throw away anything that is old or expired, and start the actual organization process.

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Sift Unrelated Items

With all your items out from under the sink, Fegen-Herdman says it’s time to figure out what is worthy of being stored there at all.

“To me, under the kitchen sink is for cleaning supplies such as dish soap, dishwasher pods, trash bags, and other cleaning supplies, so I always make sure these are the only items I have below my sink,” she says.

Anything that doesn’t fall into these categories should be put in a more appropriate place, like a hall storage closet, laundry room cabinet, or different room.

Group Similar Items Together

For the items you plan to keep under your sink, Fegen-Herdman’s best tip is to group your inventory by similar items—all cleaning supplies together, all dish items together, and so on.

“Then, as you see the categories, you can find containers or bins that fit each category of what you want to keep under the sink,” she says.

Find Helpful Storage Solutions

Now that your items are grouped, Fegen-Herdman suggests finding storage solutions to house the different groups and organize your items.

“They make simple ones that you can just place in the cupboard, or heavier duty ones that you screw into the bottom of the cupboard and then they slide out like drawers,” she says.

Another solution Fegen-Herdman likes are over-the-door organizers for cabinets.

“I like a plastic grocery bag dispenser on one side and then a bottle holder where I can put dish soap and a few sponges in the bottom,” she says.

Or you can always opt for the classic plastic or decorative bins; they have adequate space and keep your under-sink area from becoming a total, chaotic mess.

Place Frequently Used Items in Front

Our expert says the best way to stow your items to to place the items you use the most in front with your lesser-used items in the back. That way it’s easy to grab and you don’t have to hunt (or potentially disorganize your space) to get what you need.

Strategize Your Bulk Supplies

Lastly, one of the easiest ways Fegen-Herdman says you can keep your under-sink space tidy is to be realistic when it comes to any bulk cleaning supplies you have on hand.

“You probably only want to keep 1-2 bottles of each cleaner under your sink,” she says.

According to Fegen-Herdman, you really only need to buy cleaning replacements when you’re most of the way done with your current cleaner.

For other items you have in excess that you normally place under your sink—paper towels, toilet paper, and extra cleaning supplies—Fegen-Herdman recommends finding another area to place them in for the time being until you need them.

“Consider a lesser-used storage area—basement, garage, possibly pantry if there’s space, pantry overflow area, or guest room—then ‘shop’ in that area before you go to the store,” she says. “Try to reduce the amount of back-stock you are keeping.”