The One-Use Tool You Should Actually Leave Out in Your Kitchen All the Time
My under-sink cabinets might be decently organized, but I’ve struggled to find a long-term solution for keeping my actual kitchen sink workstation tidy. This overlooked prep and cleaning area easily gets cluttered with my sponges, dish soap, steel wool, fruit and veggie sprays, and other must-haves.
However, Instagram creator Myquillyn Smith (@thenester) has found a way to remedy this situation and make the most of her sink’s layout with a $5 kitchen staple. In her video, she shares an ingenious storage hack: using an expandable sink colander (the perforated tool used to strain pasta and rinse produce) to keep her sink completely organized.
Why You Should Use an Expandable Sink Colander as an Organizer
The creator repurposed this over-the-sink expandable colander she bought from Target for only $5 to create an affordable caddy rack for her kitchen sink. “This $5 expandable sink colander is even better when you use it as a sink station, home base situation,” she argued, showing how she adjusted the narrow green colander to fit flush on both the lower lip and the top of her sink.
Smith displays soaps, a scrubber, a coffee spoon, and even some non-cleaning items like a tiny watering can and a small plant in the portable sink workstation — this creates extra storage space without taking away from any of the surface area around the sink.
It’s an easy, budget-friendly solution for anyone who doesn’t want to worry about metal caddies scratching their sink or their stone countertops while adding a fun pop of color — and viewers were quick to chime in with messages of support in the comment section.
One fan called the solution “stinking cute” and shared that they were going to copy the setup for their own sink, while another called it an “upgrade” for their large single-basin sink.
Smith also revealed that she is still a big fan of this “sink caddy” hack weeks later, when she replied to one comment, “The joy and function my sink colander has provided is disproportionate to its size and cost.”
The Target colander she purchased, which measures 3 inches in height, 19.8 inches in width, and 8 inches in diameter, currently costs $6 with an added soaking tray on the shop’s website (the influencer said the soaking piece wasn’t included in the one she bought for $5 in-store). You can check to see if it’s available for pickup at your closest location, or order it straight to your doorstep to create your own sink caddy display as soon as possible.