Hi guys : ) In this post I’m gonna focus on some practical tips for running your home and the habits that I’ve found useful in the kitchen. I do love a well run kitchen : ) So let’s jump in with, you guessed it, dish towels.
Kitchen Towels, Placement is Key
If you do a lot of cooking, cleaning, well anything in the kitchen really, you’re probably going to be using a dish towel. I have one on my shoulder at all times, and currently have three hanging various places. One on the fridge door handle, over the handle on the oven, and one on a hook I installed above the sink. The reason I have so many is because those are the high traffic areas and you want to be able to grab one when you need it. Not walk across the kitchen with sauce all over your hands, touching every surface along the way : )
While I was living with my dad and step-mom we had one over the back of the chair in front of the sink. Super useful because we do the dishes by hand. But I noticed that the back of the bamboo chair at my dad’s was beginning to turn greyish black do to water damage and mold growth. When wood turns black it’s because mold is growing in the cracks and crevasses of the wood. Luckily the chair was from Ikea and inexpensive. But the chairs in my current kitchen are from Ethan Allen and probably made of maple or some hardwood.
The way I avoid this now is I use the oven and fridge handles because they’re steel, and the towel above the sink, I applied a small metal hook to the wall behind. It was cheap, $6.99 at my local grocery store, and the wall is tiled glass and stone so I’m not worried about water damage.
If you’re in a similar situation see if there’s a surface that won’t be harmed when subjected to consistently damp conditions. If all you have is something like wood, wallpaper or a painted surfaces, try using a paper towel holder that attaches to the bottom of a cabinet. Put it closer to the wall to avoid catching on it while not in use. Or try going vertical. Like a mini, countertop coat rack. That will help to keep them out of the way, but more importantly keep them from damaging your furniture.
Cut ‘n Pour
I have a cleaning problem. Where most people have trouble keeping up with their daily chores, I have a hard time stopping myself from cleaning. Some may call it ADD but I’m pretty sure it’s perfectionist at work. I’m uncomfortable with disorder : ( Regardless, I drink a lot of tea.
I make mine the same most mornings. I use the same 24oz travel mug with a sun and moon sticker, a large seven gram bag of Luzianne tea, one bag Celestial Seasoning’s Country Passion Peach Herbal Tea, two wedges lemon, and 3 1/2 Tbsp of sugar. I use a small hand carved wooden teaspoon my sister gave me to scoop the sugar which brings me a little joy when I see it : )
But most mornings I’m in a rush to leave the house. I’m running around the kitchen trying to make my morning beverage, I forgot to fill the sugar container and get super frustrated because I know when I open a new bag, chaos ensues in the form of sugar spilling all over the counter.
This happens because when you unfold the top, the bag is double lined so there’s sugar in between the layers. Just opening the bag produces a light sanding of sugar all over everything. That’s when I panic. I start cleaning up the sugar, one thing leads to another and I find myself wiping down the range, grates removed and with only five minutes to catch the train. As my friend Jenny would say, “none of the buenos”.
Luckily I found a simple solution to this problem. Take a pair of kitchen shears, and cut the top corner of the bag off. This way you don’t have to unfold the bag (unless your a masochist) and you can pour the sugar with more control. So simple yet so satisfying. But me being a perfectionist will still have to be addressed in therapy.
Cleaning Up
That’s it for this installment of Running Your Best Home. I hope you find these tips useful. If you’re feeling feisty and have any tips you’d like to share with the community leave them in the comments section below. I love hearing what others are doing to stay organized : ) And as always, Peace & Thanks for Reading : )🏔️🌙
Image Credits: “Cup of Coffee with Towel from Above” by markolaz is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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