I have many dish towels, and they have a tendency to get quite dirty. But as my laundry basket is far from the kitchen—all the way in the bedroom—I often end up letting the dirty boys hand out in the food prep area far longer than is appropriate, telling myself I will “take them with me the next time I travel to that part of the house (which is not far at all).” Then I forget to do that, so a small pile of dirty dish towels starts to take shape. This, to me, is gross.
I hate the look of that dirty towel pile—clutter makes me uneasy—but it’s mostly upsetting because I have been known to accidentally use a dirty dish towel instead of a clean one, and chaos (i.e., mild frustration and maybe some light gagging) ensues. Luckily, this can all be solved by a small clothes hamper.
Keeping a clothes hamper in the kitchen seems weird at first—laundry should not be in a food space!—but kitchen laundry is different. It’s greasy, smelly, and often damp, and I don’t really want it co-mingling with my collection of union local t-shirts. (A greasy rag next to my ILWU tank? No thank you!) A kitchen hamper means you don’t have to go to another room to ensure your dirty towel is out of your kitchen wiping rotation. Just toss it in the hamper, grab a new towel, and continue with your culinary activities.
Where you put the hamper depends on the layout of your kitchen, but next to the trashcan is probably a good place. Just make sure you don’t accidentally throw your dish towels in the garbage, unless they’re really dirty. (Some messes can’t be washed away.)