The kitchen is the heart of every home, which is why maintaining it is so important. This includes ensuring that it remains safe to use. For example, many people use the available space underneath their kitchen sinks for storage purposes. This can be especially useful in homes that have very little storage space. But even though this is common practice, there are a few things that should never be stored underneath your sink for your protection.

To ensure you and your family always remain safe, here are six household products you should never store under your kitchen sink:

Dish Towels

If you have a habit of storing your spare dish towels under the sink, you may want to reconsider it. The area underneath the sink can get real dirty real fast, and placing your fresh, clean towels there is a bad idea if you want to keep them in top condition. To ensure your towels remain in tip-top shape, use a hook to hang them up to dry after washing the dishes.

Cleaning Products

Next on the list and probably the most surprising is cleaning products. Many household cleaning products contain ingredients that can be harmful to humans. And if you have young children or pets in the home, storing cleaning products under the sink makes it easier for them to access. To protect your loved ones from harm, place cleaning products on a higher shelf or countertop where children and pets cannot reach them.

Sponges

If you always store your sponges under the sink after you finish washing the dishes, think twice. Sponges harbor a lot of bacteria. In fact, there are zillions and zillions of microbes crawling around your kitchen sponge right now. And many of them are responsible for causing a number of medical conditions such as pneumonia or meningitis.

Instead of storing them under the sink — the perfect environment for breeding bacteria — sponges should be stored in a cool, dry area that has ample ventilation.

Flammable Household Products

A lot of people think that storing their flammable products underneath the sink is safe, but this is actually not true. Products that are considered flammable should be kept in a dry, cool area with a lot of ventilation for your safety. This is especially true if you have an electric garbage disposal.

Spices

There are quite a few spice racks available on the market designed for under-the-sink storage. But unfortunately, the area underneath your sink is no place to store spices. In fact, storing them in a damp environment can quickly cause them to go bad. To ensure your spices maintain their quality, place them in a cooler, drier area such as a cupboard or countertop.

Kitchen Appliances

Kitchen appliances can certainly make the cooking process more convenient, but they can also take up a lot of countertop space. To declutter, many people move their appliances underneath the kitchen sink to save space, but this could do more harm than good.

There is a potential risk because storing items like electrical appliances that can potentially mix with water may cause moisture-related damage. To prevent such issues, homeowners should store their appliances safely in plastic bins located in accessible areas like pantries or cupboards.