The Best Way To Store Kitchen Towels

The kitchen towel is an indispensable part of cooking and cleaning in any busy kitchen. From drying hands to wiping spills and getting that little morsel of food from the side of a dish, one is always ready to use during any meal or prep time.

You can usually find kitchen towels stacked deep in a drawer with their numbers and styles unknown. Most people are surprised to see what is actually in that towel area when it’s time to clean it out—if it ever comes time to clean it out.

If the drawer system has failed you, or you just need other suggestions, we have some ideas to organize towels in your kitchen to make them easy to find and use. 

Ways To Store and Organize Kitchen Towels

One of these organization methods should fit your style and kitchen storage arrangements. Or you may find a combination of styles works for function and style.

The KonMari Method

The most popular kitchen towel organization ideas come from the current queen of decluttering. As a 19-year-old student, Marie Kondo started a business transforming homes into tidy, well-organized havens for her clients. After years of practice, her approach to tidying was consolidated into the KonMari method. She’s written best-selling books and starred on a popular Netflix show with her skills. 

Marie Kondo’s method for folding and storing kitchen towels makes every piece of linen visible by folding each towel to stand up in the drawer by itself. This particular stroke of genius results in an organized, visually appealing collection ready to use and easily seen. You are able to lay your hands on just the right option.

To start, fold the kitchen towel in half on the long side, making it look like a rectangle. From that point, take one end and bring it to meet the other, folding the towel in half. The final step is to fold the towel like a letter, into thirds. 

This YouTube video gives a great demonstration of the KonMari folding method. If the kitchen towel is smaller in size like a washcloth, it might only be possible to make that final fold in half. 

Display Them on Your Counter

If you have plenty of room in your kitchen, a nicely folded group of towels in a decorative container or basket can be conveniently located near your clean-up area. This will also be a great way for friends (and, ahem, family) to know where to grab a towel and clean up if they leave a mess.

Hang Them on Clips

These days, there’s a wide selection of adhesive clips and hooks that can make hanging kitchen towels under your sink incredibly easy. If you like the look, you can even install a wall-mounted coat rack in a bit of open wall space to hang towels for quick use.

Helpful Hints

Don’t reuse towels. Germs can spread from the cloth to your hands or kitchen surfaces. It’s a good idea to wash them after each use. 

If you’d like to get fancy with your folds, try this video by the Small Space Organizing YouTube channel.