July 7, 2010

Sink Situation



While at my parents house a couple of years ago, I was helping out with some tidying in the bathroom. When I went to grab cleaning products under the sink, I noticed that way in the back, their sink lines had been leaking for some time. The cupboard was somewhat warped and the drywall was water stained. Not that my parents are cluttery, but with the usual amount of items stored below in the sink cupboard, they had not been able to see that the lines had been leaking.

Ever since then, I have been pretty diligent about keeping the area under the kitchen and bathroom sinks clean and clear. This allows for visual leak checks and also limits bumping into PVC piping that can easily loosen or dislodge.

I recently repurposed this wine basket into a slim, simple cleaning caddy for under the kitchen sink. Window cleaner,squeegee, counter top spray, baking soda (for cleaning) and compost bags fit perfectly.

The next time you do dishes, take a look under your kitchen sink:
  • Can you streamline the items stored?
  • Can excess or bulk cleaning supplies be moved to the laundry room or garage?
  • Grab a flashlight, run the water and check for leaks
  • Clear out all items, wipe down the cupboard and restock only necessary items
  • Repeat above steps in each bathroom

While not the funnest chore, it may save you water damage headaches down the road.

3 comments:

Pat Brookes said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pat Brookes said...

Remember that was the guest bathroom and not used very often! The main culprit was the cheap hose put in by the builder. I suggest everyone check to see if they have cheap gray hoses under the sink and replace them with wire reinforced hosing, it's easy enough to do and will save cabinet replacement.

H Young said...

Yes, I agree about those crummy hoses, they are pretty easy to replace. The main point is to take a good look under your sinks and keep the area clean and clear.