What Do You Do With Kitchen Rags?: Tidy Tips

As I stated in a previous post, the month of January gives me the itch to organize, so you are getting lots of tidy tips this month. We have also been having flashes of 40 degree days, which makes me ready for some spring cleaning! A few years ago, I live with a bunch of fun girls, most of which are still my friends today, and one is now a nurse. I remember her saying to wash your kitchen and bathroom rags separate, I don't remember the exact reason why, just that it could lead to some sort of weird health thing. Lovely explanation I am giving you. That has always just stuck with me and I have actually gone away from using rags in the bathroom all together, I usually just use paper towels. My kitchen rags, however, get stinky fast with all of the time they are wet, and I didn't have a place to store them. That is where this guy came in.....

Since I store my bags my own way (you can read about that here), I decided to use my plastic bag holder for my kitchen rags instead. It has worked really well, and here are the reasons I love it. First, it is open, so the rags can dry out fully, which makes them less likely to smell. Sorry my picture is so ugly, the lighting in the laundry closet is horrible.
Second, it hangs on my wall until it is full and then I can just pull it off and dump the rags directly into the washing machine. So simple.
I always wash my kitchen rags with either vinegar or baking soda (not together though!) to help get rid of that funky smell. I have found though kitchen rags just don't have a super long life, so I buy the cheap ones and rotate every couple months. What do you do with your kitchen rags??

Tidy Tips: How to Fold Bags to Save Space

I am not a fan of plastic bags, not only are they not good for the environment, they are a mess to have around the house. As much as I try to remember my reusable ones when I go to the grocery store, I have many times that I forget and end up with a bunch of plastic bags. They can be bulky and a pain to store, but they are good for sack lunches and dog duty. My Mom taught me this great trick which helps store your plastic bags without taking up a ton of room.

First, flatten your bag, then fold it in half twice. Next, start folding it in a triangular pattern, until you reach the end of your bag.

Once you are at the end, tuck the end tab into the folds, and you have your bag in a small triangle. I store them in one of the Tupperware containers that I don't use (remember THIS?) and put them in my drawer with all my other bags. Then my drawer stays tidy!
Easy to use and easy on the eyes!