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The Often Overlooked Kitchen Essential: Dish Towels

Many people would be surprised to learn that although not a particularly modern or versatile piece, what was kept has proven to be true in hindsight.

Administrator

1 August, 2023

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Below is an article written by Laura Wheatman Hill, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, USA, specializing in topics related to women’s issues and everyday life. The article was shared on Apartmenttherapy and discusses a specific item that the author considers essential despite its seemingly trivial nature.

Although my kitchen is small compared to the rest of the house, which is divided among four bedrooms, I have made sure to reserve space for a specific item that I consider indispensable. This item is plastic laundry baskets, which I conveniently place in the empty space at the bottom of our coat closet. The kitchen area measures only about 30m2 and consists of a small cupboard on one side and U-shaped counters, with a small coat closet located next to it at the bottom of the stairs, where the entire family can store their clothing upon entering the house.

In this article, I will explain the reasoning behind my decision to keep these baskets in the kitchen and dispel any notion that they contribute to clutter in the space.

The kitchen area is quite small, only about 30m2. (Photo: Laura Wheatman)

The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic brought about changes in how we selectively store or dispose of household items. Wearing masks daily became a necessity, and used masks would end up scattered in backpacks and bags until they were collected and placed at the bottom of the stairs for washing. However, dealing with the mess as our dog would find and play with the masks, resulting in them being torn and rendered unusable, became overwhelming. Determined to address this issue, I devised a solution by placing plastic baskets at the bottom of the closet, where masks, rags, and other items requiring washing after use could be stored.

Additionally, my son has a habit of removing his socks and tossing them into this wardrobe whenever he returns home from school. To prevent these dirty socks from mixing with clean clothes, I placed a basket there specifically for his socks, making it unnecessary to repeatedly gather them up for washing on a daily basis.

Once the baskets are full or we run out of masks and dish towels, I simply gather them all and wash them in hot water, ensuring that all dirt, as well as any viruses and bacteria present in the clothes, towels, masks, and socks, are effectively eliminated.

An empty corner at the foot of the cabinet is used to store baskets like this. (Photo: Laura Wheatman)

Dedicating more space to this item has significantly improved the cleanliness of my home. Surprisingly, I discovered that my neighbor also keeps a similar tray in her kitchen, using it for storing clothes that her children tend to mess with after every meal.

Each individual or family may have their own indispensable item for storing miscellaneous items in their homes. However, for me, these storage baskets have proven to be incredibly useful. What about you?

According to apartmenttherapy