Mmm over the sink... I use disposables so it's not an issue. You know, the old handi-wipes thing. The countertops get washed down, then any excess dishes and before I throw them out, I may wash the dog dishes, but usually the dog bowls (3) go into the dishwasher on their own!

I won't be of much help! I have a lower drawer where I keep all my clean, white kitchen towels. Each day I have one set on the counter next to the sink, to set anything on that might be drying. I usually have another one on my oven handle. And, then, I admit there is that one that is bunched up somewhere on the kitchen counter. So, that is why I'm of no help - mine are visible! But I change them VERY often.

Sheryl

I have a flat soap dish (probably for a bathroom, but it matches my kitchen) where I keep a small pan scraper and a sponge. The sponge is used at the sink only, for washing dishware, pots, etc. I donÂt find a sponge to be effective for countertops/table.

I use a washcloth for wiping down table and counters. That is kept draped over the faucet (or, on a good day when the dish drain is somewhat empty, I might drape it over that.)It's not an ideal look, but it's preferred to the balled up wet mess that DH and kids sometimes resort to -- that's presuming they use it at all.

Both of these are rinsed and squeezed-dry before retuning to their resting place. Both are retired to the laundry room at days' end. (Sometimes the sponge goes in the dishwasher.)

When clean/unused, both of these are stored in a small drawer to the right of my sink. I also keep baby wash cloths (not wipes, but actual washcloths) in there. These are useful for wiping little school-age faces before heading out.

My cats use dry food, so their bowl gets tossed in the dishwasher. If I had an aversion to that, I'd probably use paper towels.

I keep 5-6 "washcloths" (made from a cut up old bathroom towel) in the cabinet under the sink. These are a little more heavy-duty than my everyday wash cloths, and are useful for bigger messes (i.e. emergency spills at the table, or if mud was tracked in on the floor, that sort of thing.)

Ideally, IÂd rather not see these items around either, and IÂve entertained the notion of putting a small towel bar inside my cabinet under the sink but a) air-drying is key, and b) having these items on-hand is simpler that having to open a door to access them.

Good luck and let us know what you come up with!

Maura

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen towel bar

I just have one dishcloth for counters, dishes and the DR table - the dog dishes go in the dishwasher with everything else. I hang the current one over the faucet of the sink to dry during the day - mine are all crocheted (by myself or DH), so I like to think they don't look all that bad hanging there. :-) Since I cleaned and reorganized under my sink last weekend, I can just toss the dirty dishcloths into a basket under the sink (along with dirty potholders and kitchen towels) - clean ones go in a lower drawer next to the under-sink cabinet.

I always have a kitchen towel hanging on the oven handle too - I like it there, makes the room look "homey". :-)

Since I couldn't figure out where to put a towel bar in the new kitchen, I started putting the dishcloth in the dishwasher to dry. Since I change them every day, and run the dishwasher at night, this is working very well for me. (Surprised and happy to report.)

Maura - I like the idea of a towel rack inside the cupboard, could hang 3 cloths easily. I don't mind having ONE hanging over my faucet, but I have THREE, and don't want the others in sight all the time.
Claire - If you change your dishcloth every day, then how come you dry it in the dishwasher? I've never heard of doing this. Do you wait until it's on dry cycle then just throw it in? I don't run the dishwasher every day, there's only 2 of us here, so sometimes takes a few days to fill the dishwasher!

Oh, I just hang it in there, so I don't have to leave a wet, yucky cloth in the sink. I don't actually run it through the dishwasher, it's just a place to hang it out of sight.

I just have one that I change each day and it just drapes over the the middle divider on the sink. I stopped buying "kitchen wash clothes" years ago in favor of much thicker bath ones. I like the all white terry towels and wash clothes at Costco. Nice and thick and they can be bleached so white!

I would avoid hanging a towel bar inside a cupboard. The reason they are out is for air to dry them. Eventually mildew could be a problem. Our old house had those old bars they used to put in narrow cupboards that you hung towels on (your house would have to be at least 50 years old, for you to know what I am talking about!) By the time we moved in that cupboard was full of mold and mildew and those were quickly removed. Air movement is important. I think some towels are nice looking and have some nice plaid ones that I just drape over my stove handle. As Jamie says, it looks "homey".

Brenda

"I stopped buying "kitchen wash clothes" years ago in favor of much thicker bath ones. I like the all white terry towels and wash clothes at Costco. Nice and thick and they can be bleached so white!"

Brenda, I think we had a conversation about this months ago and how you and I used those towels. They are the best! And they are so cheap that when they do start getting worn out, we just buy a new pack. (I love it when they are sparkling new!) They are so durable, too!

Sheryl

Claire - LOL, silly me, I guess I just thought you meant that because i actually saw a recipe where you bake something in the dishwasher!
bouncing pig: good point about hanging wet clothes inside cupboards. No wonder I have never found the perfect solution for my "multi cloth" habits in the kitchen.

$50 for a towel rack??? You've got to be kidding.

I use twoÂa microfiber and a dish towelÂand I keep them loosely in an antique crock on my counter. I got this idea from someone on the kitchen forum last year. Obviously, if one is very wet I don't put it in there. But if it's very wet I toss it in the laundry and get a fresh one. Works for me.

Susan