Yes, I have OCD of some sort…even my dish rags and paper towel replacements are folded neatly in a drawer. Who wants to desperately be looking for one when you spill coffee all over the kitchen? 🙂
In all seriousness, keeping them like this does a few things for me:
1. Let’s me know when I am getting close to not having any more rags and I need to do laundry
2. Enables me to always have a rag on hand for any accidents in the house
3. Allows me to skip out on buying paper towels and instead reuse cloth over and over again
I used to have paper towels in the house when I had my cat, but since I put him to sleep a few weeks ago I no longer needed them. If I get another one, might have to go back to keeping a roll in the house, but for now – no more paper! My neatly folded dishrags will have to suffice.
🙂
Are you as OCD as me?
I’m not as tidy as you are, but I do have a basket of rags under the kitchen sink. And like you had, I have a roll of paper towels for cleaning up cat hurl and cleaning out the cast iron cookware (not as often as cleaning up after the cat lol). I am all for reusable whatever-we-can-reuse!
What a great idea. I’m thinking I could probably get rid of “the phone book drawer”.
I do this, too, but I have mine rolled instead of folded. Nice to have them accessible, yet out of the way, and I know I’m getting low when I have to reach waaay back into the drawer.
My next goal is to get the pot holders into a drawer by paring down the “miscellaneous kitchen implements” drawer and moving that stuff into a smaller space. I love the idea of completely clear counters.
Mine are in a cupboard, folded and stacked neatly. The kitchen in this flat is a little thin on the storage, so the drawers were already taken…
OCD isn’t always a bad thing
😉
I keep a lidded bucket full of rags next to my washer for spills and cleaning. (Also use them for cleaning up after the cats but toss them after one use.) My kitchen cloths are folded and my napkins rolled inside a drawer. I haven’t used a paper towel in probably 2 years now. To grease my cast iron cookware, I either use a coffee filter (left here by my son and I don’t drink coffee) or just smear some shortening on it with my hands …good moisturizer! I’ve found OCD to be a blessing. When something needs doing, it provides me the focus and perseverance to get it done.
If I didn’t have five children, I might be as OCD as you. Nice drawer! And your new kitchen looks great.
Oh, yeh I am there. Bought a flip fold to fold all my t-shirts. They are tucked neatly in my drawer – all uniform, just like at the store.
My wife and girls laughed when I bought it…now they like their t-shirts folded just the same!
Love your organizational skills and your website. I am trying to break our nasty paper towel habit and move towards towel usage.
Noelle – I hear you, I have a few of those I need to get rid of too!
Greg – I have considered one of those but I am afraid it will take up all my time 🙂
My flip fold actually saves time. As those T-shirts come out of the dryer I fold them immediately. Presto – ready to be put away and they won’t get all wrinkled in the laundry basket waiting to be folded. The only problem is I wished I had invented the silly thing!
I have a ridiculous amount of bar towels for the same reason. They live in a large drawer under the oven (where even the toddler can reach to clean up her spills). Instead of folding them, I just lay them flat. We’re also a nearly paper towel free family, I do use them to drain bacon.
I have a friend that claims he doesn’t have OCD, but rather CDO (must be in alphabetical order).
I discovered your site thru unclutterer and really enjoy your viewpoint – especially seeing the pictures of your kitchen and office – very relaxing. I am interested in the 10 things out the door challenge – I will try that also to help declutter. Anyway I just wanted to say I am sorry about your cat.