Organizing the mess under the sink without spending any money!

I've been staring down the same few places in our home that have been driving me crazy, trying my best to ignore them, wishing them clean and organized.

Well, the under-the-sink fairy didn't get the memo. Or take the hint. And the mess just got bigger and bigger and bigger!

So while some adorable people (& pets)... 

 ...were soaking up the sunshine, I got to work!

Enter Exhibit A:

Gross.

Exhibit B isn't looking so hot, either.

I actually had 2 goals in mind for tidying up these spaces- the obvious, tidying up; and...I wasn't going to spend one penny on new boxes, containers, bags, things that attach to the doors- nothing! - because I knew I had some things in the basement that weren't being used.

The main problem under the sink was lack of containment. Bottles, cleaners, detergents and such were all just thrown in there without any real home. Not to mention, the stuff in the back that I always forget is there, so I buy more. And more. Of the same thing.

Emptied out.

Okay, now that's really gross!

But this is better, right?

See that white garbage bag holder in the front?

It's an old (as in, dried up, yellow wipes inside) Clorox wipes container- fits perfectly!

Those empty bottles won't be empty for long...I'm not replacing any cleaning products after these run out so I'll be forced to make my own non-toxic, natural ones. This time I'm sticking with it!

As for the hall closet...

Ahhhh, so much better! The only things I got rid of in here were a green frog humidifier, some old hot rollers, and one expired anti-itch medicine, so I was pleased about that. I've been trying so hard to only buy what we need to avoid having to toss stuff out.

 Bill and I don't have an extra drawer for washcloths & hand towels, so we put ours in the closet. It works for us.

I keep dusting cloths with the "Swif-ter" (according to Caleb, ha) stuff, and as much as I'd love a sleek container to hold all those bags we re-use for trash can bags, nothing has ever worked up there except a big ol' bag o' bags. The kids take care of the trash, so why ruin a good thing?

Those extra tubs above will get brought down to the porch for foot-washing duty pretty soon, ha!

This is how I keep medicine and other necessities organized. I sort like items (band-aids, gauze, ointment, etc) and assign them to a small box. It's great because you can simply pull out the box you need, get your stuff, and put it right back. Everything's right there, nice and neat.

I have one other box for adult medicine, and one for children's. In the middle of the night when you're exhausted and facing an emergency, it helps to reach for the box of kid stuff and know everything in there is safe for them. That's also where I store the thermometer and covers. I've learned to stick with the basics, such as Tylenol, Advil or Motrin, Vick's Vapo-rub, Benadryl, cough drops, and that saline stuff that gets water out of your ears (I can't remember the name of it!). There's very little to throw away since I don't "stock up" anymore.

I didn't include a before shot of the kids' bathroom, but this is the after. I found another large container in the basement that is now holding the cotton balls, Q-tips, and soap. The green container holds extra hand soap and dog shampoo. No more stuff just "floating" around!

 I use the same container system with all our toothbrush stuff. It's easy to tell when we're getting low because it's all right there...though going to the dentist so many times each year for cleanings keeps us pretty well stocked!

Nice and tidy, just the way I like it.
Now I'm off to start dinner...I think my food cabinets are next on the list!  =)