Food generally should not be stored under a sink. The Food Code bars food storage under sewer lines that are not shielded to catch drips and under water lines that leak or sweat, and the space under a sink holds exactly those lines. Cleaning chemicals can sometimes go there, but only if they are kept where they cannot drip onto food, clean dishes or single-use items.
Most freestanding sinks, including the 2 compartment sinks we sell, stand on open legs, so the space underneath stays visible and easy to clean. That open space is tempting for storage. Here is what the code says about it and what kitchens usually do instead.
What the Food Code says
The code does not mention sinks by name. It sets rules for storage under pipes, and those rules decide what can go under a sink.
- Food storage, section 3-305.12 (Virginia 12VAC5-421-620): food shall not be stored under sewer lines that are not shielded to intercept potential drips, under leaking water lines, including leaking fire sprinkler heads, or under lines on which water has condensed, or under other sources of contamination.
- Equipment and storage cabinets, section 4-401.11 (Virginia 12VAC5-421-1540): cabinets used to store food, clean equipment and utensils, laundered linens and single-service or single-use articles may not be located under unshielded sewer lines or leaking or condensing water lines.
- Storage of clean items, section 4-903.11 (Virginia 12VAC5-421-2000): cleaned equipment and utensils, laundered linens and single-service and single-use articles go in a clean, dry location, protected from splash, dust or other contamination, and at least 6 inches above the floor.
- Chemicals, section 7-201.11 (Virginia 12VAC5-421-3340): poisonous or toxic materials must be stored so they cannot contaminate food, equipment, utensils, linens or single-service items, by spacing or partitioning, and not above them. Cleaners and sanitizers kept in a warewashing area for convenience are allowed there if they are stored so they cannot contaminate anything.
A sink drain carries waste water toward the sewer, and the hot and cold supply lines can leak or sweat, so these rules can apply to the space under a sink. Your local health department has the final say, so ask yours how it treats that space before you plan around it.
What usually belongs under a sink
These are common practices, not code requirements.
- Nothing at all is the simplest answer. An open space under a sink is easy to mop, and leaks show up quickly.
- At a dish sink, a small stock of detergent and sanitizer in closed, labeled containers, set on a shelf or tray and kept apart from anything else, fits the warewashing exception in many kitchens.
- Spare soap and paper towels for the hand sink stay in their packaging, off the floor, and away from chemicals. Ask your inspector whether the cabinet under a hand sink is an acceptable place for them.
What does not belong under a sink
- Food of any kind, including sealed cases and bottled drinks. Food stored at floor level is a separate problem: most food must sit at least 6 inches above the floor.
- Clean pans, utensils, glass racks, to-go cups, lids and straws. A drip from a trap or supply valve lands on them.
- Clean towels and aprons.
- Chemicals stored on top of, or next to, any of the items above.
Open legs or a cabinet base
Our freestanding 2 compartment sinks stand on galvanized or stainless legs with adjustable bullet feet, according to their product pages, so the plumbing stays in plain view. That makes leaks easy to see and the floor easy to clean.
Some sinks close the space in. Our underbar hand sink with cabinet base sits on an enclosed stainless cabinet with a hinged door, and our drop-in sinks set into a counter or cabinet. A cabinet hides the plumbing, so open it on a schedule, check the trap and supply valves for drips, and keep the floor of the cabinet dry and empty unless your inspector has approved what you keep there.
Check the space before you load it
- Run water in each bowl and watch the trap, tailpiece and supply valves for drips.
- Feel the cold supply line on a humid day. A line that sweats will drip.
- Look for stains or warped shelving that show an old leak.
- Make sure nothing blocks access to the shutoff valves.
- If a leak shows, fix it before you store anything nearby. A plumbing system has to be kept in good repair under the code.
Better places for what you were going to put there
- Chemicals: a dedicated shelf below and away from food, or the janitorial area by the floor mop sinks.
- Dry goods and cases: wire shelving with the bottom shelf at least 6 inches off the floor.
- Clean ware: a drying rack or shelf at the clean end of the dish area, away from the drain lines.
What to buy
If your sink area has no room for storage, a different layout can help. Compare 3 compartment sinks with drainboards for the dish area and hand sinks, including the underbar hand sink with cabinet base. Our Express KitchQuip sinks list NSF certification on their product pages, freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price, and non-powered items have a 14 day return window from delivery.