When I became a grown-up and moved into my own apartment, my roommates and I kept all our household cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink, because that’s what grown-ups do, right?

When we realized we couldn’t remember the last time we sprayed cleaner on our kitchen counter, I opened the cabinet doors under the sink to find the most disgusting mound of mass I’d ever seen.

I would describe it as a cross between the green Slimer monster from the Ghostbusters movie and a pile of yellow half-eaten Easter Peep candy. A big blob of yellowish, greenish sticky something plastered to the bottom of my kitchen cabinet.

Don’t let this happen to you.
Here’s your reminder (or warning) to “Spring Clean” that space under your kitchen sink, aka home sweet home for your cleaning supplies.

1. Remove everything from under the sink, including cleaning supplies, tools, and any other items stored there.
2. Once everything is removed, clean the area under the sink thoroughly. Use a disinfectant cleaner to wipe down the cabinet, pipes, and any other surfaces that may have accumulated dust and grime.
3. Discard any unwanted items. Throw away expired or unused items, as well as anything that is broken or no longer needed.
4. Sort items into categories. Group similar items together, such as bathroom cleaners and floor cleaning solutions, or sponges, gloves, and other tools. This will help you see how much of everything you have.
5. Organize the remaining items. It may be helpful to use bins, baskets, or trays to keep items separated and easy to find.

Here’s a useful product that holds cleaning supplies and tools, and doubles as a caddy. Use the sturdy handle to help carry these items while you clean other areas of the home.

Bamboo Multi-Purpose Caddy with Handle

So, what was that nasty blob of mess? Your guess is as good as mine! We just named it Fred and made sure to say hi once a month, whenever it was time to pull out the cleaning products.