Don't Store Kitchen Towels Here — It Could Be A Moldy Mistake

The cabinet under your kitchen sink may seem like the obvious place to store your kitchen towels. After all, this keeps them close at hand, and there's usually plenty of extra space down there. Unfortunately, storing your kitchen towels under the sink can lead to several problems, including a persistent mildew smell and even mold.

The area under your sink is particularly prone to excess moisture. This is caused by issues like slow drips from your plumbing, as well as the condensation that tends to collect on the outside of pipes. Absorbent kitchen towels will readily soak this up, especially when they're positioned in the wrong place, like pressed against a sweating pipe. All of this means that your towels may no longer be clean by the time you actually use them, and you could end up inadvertently spreading illness-causing microbes all over your dishes, hands, kitchen countertops, and other surfaces.

There are plenty of better places to store towels than under your sink, but let's be honest — not everyone has a spare drawer, space in the pantry, or a dedicated linen cabinet in their home. If you absolutely must store your towels under the sink, there are ways to help keep them dry and mold-free. Something as simple as leaving the cabinet door open occasionally can help reduce moisture. Fixing leaks as soon as possible and installing a waterproof liner on the cabinet floor will also help keep mold and mildew away. You could also improve airflow by storing the towels in a wire basket, or only keeping a few towels down there and putting the rest somewhere else.

One of the biggest storage challenges is that kitchen towels are bulky and take up valuable space. One easy trick to get the most out of shallow drawers is the KonMari folding method, which lets you store more towels in the same amount of space. The basic strategy involves folding your towels into compact rectangles and storing them upright, like files in a filing cabinet, instead of stacking them. If you still don't have enough space in your kitchen drawer, file them in a rectangular basket instead. The basket can then be placed on a shelf in your pantry, on the counter, or in a cabinet. You can even create a decorative kitchen towel storage solution with a cute basket or bowl and folded or rolled towels.