Why is the trash under the sink?

June 8, 2022 12:12 PM

When I'm in a home that I haven't been to before, and I'm looking for the trash can, I check the cupboard under the sink first. ~80% of the time, it's there. Why is this?

Is there a practical reason for this? Maybe you often need to use the trash during food prep, but I don't think it makes that much more sense to have it under the sink than under the counter, if that's the reason. If it's just tradition, when/where/how did it start? How widespread is this?

A cursory google only shows places to buy under-the-sink trashcans, rather than historical context, sadly.

posted by wesleyac to Home & Garden (14 answers total)

I grew up in a house where we kept the trash can under the sink (New England, 1970s and 1980s). I don't know if Mom gave things much more thought above and beyond "we need to put the trash can someplace" and "this is a discreet place to put it because a trash can sitting out in the open would look ugly and also be in the way".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:16 PM on June 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

It keeps animals and kids out of it, it helps contain smells, lots of us start with very small kitchens in apartments that don't have floor space for a trash can and the habit sticks, and the space under the sink isn't all the desirable for storing other things due to plumbing and the chance of leaks so might as well use it for something.
posted by Candleman at 12:18 PM on June 8, 2022 [34 favorites]

Two reasons. 1. A lot of people peel vegetables into the sink, so it's handy. Also, one of the things to be dumped is the stuff that collects into the strainer on the sink drain. 2. Due to the proximity of water, the cabinet under the sink is more likely to be damp and stinky anyway, and one icky closet is better than two.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:21 PM on June 8, 2022 [6 favorites]

Could the practice have started before in-sink garbage disposals became common to make it easier to clean out strainers?
posted by RonButNotStupid at 12:22 PM on June 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

Yeah, I always assumed it was to keep it from sitting out in the open. We have a fairly nice, lidded trash can that sits out in the open now, but for most of my life, my trash cans have been pretty ugly and/or overflowing, and you wouldn't want to have it out in the open. Especially in the house I grew up in, which had an eat-in kitchen.
posted by kevinbelt at 12:24 PM on June 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Best answer: 1. The cupboard under the sink usually doesn't have shelves (or better yet, drawers), because of the sink's plumbing, so there's more room for a garbage can - including space above it for a lid / tossing stuff in - than all of the other cupboards.

2. Cleaners and soaps are usually also stored in the cupboard under the sink, which makes sense -- a lot of them are used in the sink (or the dishwasher, which is next to the sink for plumbing reasons). Both chemicals and garbage are things that you don't want to store -- for obvious cross-contamination reasons -- with the other typical kitchen cupboard contents: food, cookware, appliances, servingware.
posted by Superilla at 12:34 PM on June 8, 2022 [26 favorites]

Best answer: A big part of it is that the space isn't suitable for other, cleaner uses -- ask SemiSalt mentioned, it can be damp and icky to start with and also, because of the pipes, shelves aren't that easy to install or that useful once they are installed. So the shape of the space also lends itself to something like a garbage can moreso than the other types of things you keep in your kitchen.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:34 PM on June 8, 2022 [4 favorites]

Best answer: In every kitchen I have had, the cabinet under the sink is the only full-height cabinet. All the other cabinets in the kitchen have drawers or shelves that would get in the way of any reasonable size garbage can. The need for access to the plumbing under the sink keeps that cabinet free.
posted by yuwtze at 12:35 PM on June 8, 2022 [9 favorites]

Best answer: Scraping food remains out of dishes before washing them. Even if you have a dishwasher, it's usually next to the sink for plumbing reasons.

I was at a house party once where the trash can was neither under the sink nor freestanding, just in a random different cabinet in the kitchen island. The amount of curses as people were trying to find the trash was quite impressive.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 12:45 PM on June 8, 2022 [8 favorites]

My trash can is right beside the sink because it's a large multi-bin thing and wouldn't fit well under it. The space under the sink is filled with various cleaning products as well as big things like the oil and vinegar jugs. But yeah I wouldn't be putting other stuff under the sink because it's a weird space and leaks do happen.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:36 PM on June 8, 2022

Not adding anything of substance, but I'm making an engraving for the under-sink space this summer that says
This place is not a place of honour. No highly esteemed deed is commemorated here. Nothing valued is here.

The garbage would be a good fit, but in our house it's actually just over there. Recycling and compost and cleaners all stay under the sink, though!
posted by Acari at 1:58 PM on June 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

In my experience? A tiny NYC kitchen that doesn't have room for a freestanding trash can.
posted by panama joe at 3:57 PM on June 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

Keeps the damn dog out of the damn garbage.
posted by rockindata at 4:59 PM on June 8, 2022 [2 favorites]

When I was a kid, the space under the sink had ventilation slats in the back. I just figured that's why the trash can was where it was.
posted by james33 at 5:40 AM on June 9, 2022 [3 favorites]