Kitchen Towels Keep Falling? Try This Clever DIY

Perfect for grabbing hot pans, stabilizing chopping boards, and covering yeasted doughs, kitchen towels definitely earn their keep. Hanging a pretty one on the oven door handle also lends your space a cozy character, particularly if it features an eye-catching motif or striking color that elevates the existing aesthetic of your cabinetry and counters. However, these heroes are prone to slipping off onto the floor and getting dirty. The solution to this problem is to modify them slightly with some scissors and a little DIY stitch-work to create a slit along one side that keeps them in place.

Showcased in a TikTok by @emyxbudgetsahm, the crux of this hack is to draw a rectangle near the top edge of your kitchen towel (along the shorter side) that's about 4 inches in length and 1 inch in width. Next, you'll need to use a sewing machine to stitch all the way around that rectangle before making a slit through its center with a pair of scissors. You should be left with an opening that looks like a letterbox that you can put your fingers through. Finally, fold your kitchen towel in half lengthwise, hang it over a handle, and slip one end through the slit until secure! 

It's best to use a sewing machine for this quick job rather than doing it by hand. A zigzag or overlock stitch is the ideal option when stitching around your rectangle, as this will reinforce the edges, stop the fabric from fraying, and ensure your kitchen towels look neat and considered.  A professional finish will make your kitchen towels last longer until they eventually need to be replaced, so don't be tempted to cut slits into them without stitching first. 

Before tossing any shabby ones in the trash, bear in mind that you can repurpose old kitchen towels and use them for dusting or wet mopping by attaching them to your Swiffer. They can also be used to polish up mirrors and glassware.

A kitchen towel storage tip that's both functional and stylish for stowing your additional cloths is all in the way you fold it. According to home organizing expert Marie Kondo, you should fold each piece of fabric in half lengthwise twice and then fold it into thirds. As this move makes the towels compact, you can stack them vertically inside a drawer and see them all at a glance. For shallow drawers, roll your kitchen towels up after folding them in half lengthwise.