Keep Kitchen Tea Towel Clutter Organized With A Clever Thrift Store Solution

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There is a truth universally acknowledged that no matter how precisely you organize a tea towel drawer, it will be in disarray by the end of the day. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but if you know, you know: Tea towels have a well-earned reputation for getting messy. This makes it harder to pull out your favorite holiday or seasonal ones for display, or even to just get one out to dry your hands without the entire collection spilling out of the drawer. But one clever TikToker, @musclemaddie97, found the perfect storage solution: laying her folded tea towels in a stylish thrift store basket so she could easily see (and reach) the one she wanted.

Sure, there are designated tea towel holders, but they often cost around $20 or more. But baskets are common at the thrift store and are typically priced well under $30, making them a budget-friendly, creative way to style your kitchen towels. How do you find the right thrift store basket? Start by taking a few measurements. Fold a tea towel in half twice for a flat fold, and measure width and length. Then, roll the tea towel up, and measure width and height. These dimensions will help you pick a basket that fits your towel collection, how ever you decide to fold them. Baskets made of natural fibers (like willow or wicker) are ideal because they can easily blend with your kitchen decor. If any have holes, loose handles, odd smells, or a droopy base, put them back; they'll likely not have the durability you need. 

First, give your new basket a good clean. If you'd like to disinfect it first, spray it lightly with your favorite disinfecting spray, such as Seventh Generation Disinfecting Spray, let it sit for about half an hour, and then rinse off. Next, it's time to clean. All you need are a few common kitchen items that can get thrifted baskets squeak clean: dish soap and vinegar. Fill the basin about a third of the way with cool water, then add a few squirts of gentle dish soap and white vinegar. Whisk it around in the water to loosen up and remove any dirt, then rinse with cold water. Avoid letting it soak in the water to prevent any damage to the fibers. Then, set it in the sun to dry, turning it over midway.

musclemaddie97/TikTok

If your basket has delicate fibers, bright colors, or you're worried about water damage, dust it off with a soft rag. Grab a toothbrush or other small brush to reach tricky spots. Then, rinse lightly with a moist rag and dry outside in the shade.

Next, fold your towels and organize them in your basket. There are all sorts of different folds, including Marie Kondo's folding method to keep kitchen towels in check. The flat fold, the file fold, or a roll are good styles to try. The flat fold is great if you want to stack your towels one on top of the other in your basket. To try it, lay the towel face down. Bring the top corners down to meet the bottom, then fold the outside edges together like a book.

The file fold is a good choice if you have a square or rectangular basket, and want to see all your towels at a glance. For this fold, bring the bottom long edge a third of the way up and fold the top down to create a rectangle. Fold in half, then bring the far short edge a third of the way in, continuing until the end.

Rolling your towels is a good option if you have a lot to store in a smaller basket. Lay the towel flat, and the top corner to the opposite side of the towel. Then, fold the lower corners of the towel together to make a slim rectangle with a pointed top. Fold the bottom half of the rectangle up to meet the base of the triangle, then roll, starting from the bottom until you reach the tip. Tuck the tip inside the layer behind it and place it in your basket standing up or lying down.