I was just reading some tips about what NOT to store under the kitchen sink (www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com), and thought I’d pass on her research. Her short list includes:

HARSH CHEMICALS. Obvious, right? But advice from the medical world (especially folks working in hospital emergency rooms) say maybe it’s not that obvious. Drain cleaner and bleach are the two most common things found under sinks—found most often by children. Best to store them way out of reach of inquiring minds and busy hands.

TOOLS. While it’s nice to have them handy, storing rust-prone tools directly under a water source is just asking for trouble! Leaks or drips cause rusting, so it’s just not worth the risk! There are better places for tools.

BACK-UP ITEMS. Think Costco’s giant packs of anything—paper towels, etc. Under-sink space is premium real estate and you want it set up to be very user friendly. As with tools, there are better places for back-up supplies.

PET FOOD AND TREATS. If you feed your pet in the kitchen, then storing its food and treats under the sink seems sensible. But because this area tends to be on the humid side, and runs the risk of leaks and drips, there’s just too high a risk of pet food and treats going moldy. Best to err on the side of caution.

FLAMMABLE ITEMS. Are you inclined to say “DUH!”? Me too. But in my 40-year career as a clutter and space-management consultant, I can tell you I’ve seen flammable products under lots and lots of sinks.

Human nature is such that we tend to shove and stuff things “just for now,” to be put away “later.” Trouble is, things tend to stay where they land. And to be specific, the list includes solvents, thinners, polishes, paints, certain cleaners, and anything else that has could potentially burst into flames.

THINGS YOU DON’T USE. Take an inventory of the items under your sink. Remove containers of non-labeled mystery solutions, cleaning gloves that have rips or that don’t fit, mangey metal scrubbers, and etc. You know what I’m talking about—things tossed into a cleaning bucket that you haven’t touched in who knows how long!

ANYTHING THAT SHOULDN’T GET WET. While it isn’t necessarily inevitable that under-sink pipes will start to drip or spring a leak, it is a common occurrence. So maybe give the possibility a nod and store anything that would be negatively affected from moisture, somewhere else.

Lastly, I’ll close with something you DO want to put under your sink: a waterproof mat. Back to my consulting days—stained and warped under-sink cabinet floors were a common sight. A waterproof mat does a pretty good job of protecting cabinet from damage.

Amazon.com sells a wide variety in all price ranges. I prefer the ones with lips, so if there is a plumbing leak, or if anything under the sink happens to spill, the mat not only protects the cabinet floor, but keeps the leakage contained. This is the one thing that absolutely SHOULD be under your kitchen sink!