It's not often that I come across an organization hack that I watch twice and save for later. But this clever under-sink storage hack for kitchen towels stopped me in my doomscrolling marathon on TikTok last night. Are we all in agreement that this is the messiest place in everyone's kitchen? Honestly, I've stopped trying to keep it organized under there, as it seems like in a few days after tidying, it's back to a Monica's cupboard of shame situation. Dish towels stacked so high that they tumble over every time? We've all been there.
Yes, you can buy special organizer shelves to slot into your under-sink cabinet—and storage bins to stack. But what I really need is some sort of organization for the countless number of kitchen towels that I own. Each has its own use, some for cleaning my countertops, the others for the bathrooms, and the rest for laying beside my sink, for my dishes to sit on as they dry. I don't like to mix these up, so instead of investing in separate storage bins, I thought I'd give this clever hack a go.
Essentially, all you need to do is color-code your under-sink textiles and assign them a specific task, and you'll easily be able to distinguish between them. And according to TikTok user @ledinner.party, it's also a lot safer.
Sounds simple, but what it lacks in effort it makes up for in convenience. Trust me on this one.
Organizing your dish towels forever
Thanks to this clever hack, which was shared by @ledinner.party on TikTok and currently has over a million views, you'll never need to invest in another storage bin for under your sink again. Unless you need it to separate your solutions, if you're anything like me, try to whittle yours down to just a few must-haves. Or you could make your own cleaning solutions.
Currently, I have a black wire storage basket living under my sink. This is where I throw (yes, I mean basically frisbee) my dish towels once they're out of the dryer. I do try to fold them, but I own so many that they just tumble over.
So, next time I'm doing a dish towel wash, I'm going to totally overhaul this spot and organize them by color — so that the ones I use as my dish drainer are all one color or pattern, and the rest that are for daily use, are easy to distinguish.
One of the main reasons to do this is actually safety-related. Setting some towels aside to be used hot— i.e., never wet, will mean you don't end up burning yourself when taking dishes out of the oven. Whereas opting for a larger and thinner cloth for drying — again, all the same color, will mean you never accidentally use a cloth for cleaning to dry your just-cleaned plates and bowls.
It also might be time to invest in some more dish towels — to help with the color coding and to finally bin those ones with stains. This big pack from Amazon ought to suffice, as you get 15 for less than $30, working out at under $2 each towel. They're white with a classic blue stripe design, made from linen and super absorbent. Triple win.
How to color code your dish towels
In the TikTok, Jen organizes her kitchen towels by:
- For cleaning countertops — Blue towels, thick cotton
- For drying (plates, hands, fruits, and veggies) — White cotton flower sacks
- For oven use — Green thick kitchen towels
- Miscellaneous — Cheesecloth towels, vanity towels (all differing in colors and patterns)
This will all depend on the size of your kitchen, your family, and your under-sink cabinet. And interestingly, Jen stores them under her workbench — so they are in easy reach — instead of under her kitchen sink and hidden away.
How else to keep this space tidy?
If you're looking for other ways to keep this kitchen corner easy to navigate, then don't look past these storage organizers, perfect for holding your new dish towels.
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