Tackle Potholder And Oven Mitt Chaos With These Simple Tips

While most of us only need about two potholders and oven mitts each, you may have way more than just four pieces total. Perhaps you own oven mitts with festive holiday designs or handmade ones that have sentimental value. After some time, your collection may be overwhelming. If so, there are two things you should do to tame the chaos. First, declutter your mitts, and then find the ideal place and solution for storing the ones you keep. Follow these simple tips to help you get one step closer to a perfectly organized kitchen.

To begin the decluttering process, gather all of your potholders and oven mitts into one area. Next, decide how many you really need to keep. If you live alone, you may only need just two of each type, or you could keep an extra pair just in case. Then, get rid of any that are easy to part with, like stained, burnt, ripped, or damaged ones. Instead of throwing them away, you could repurpose them if they are too far gone for the kitchen. Finally, only keep the ones that you really use on a regular basis. While you could still keep your holiday or sentimental ones, you may want to store them somewhere else and not with your everyday potholders and mitts. You could place your festive ones with the rest of your holiday decor and perhaps hang your sentimental items up on the wall as decorations, or keep them in a bin with the rest of your nostalgic belongings.

While many people store their oven mitts and potholders in a drawer, perhaps you don't have the space for that. If so, you'll want to consider some creative ways to store these items. The best idea may be to keep them on a hook. Since they often come with a loop, they can easily be hung anywhere. If you want them to be visible and easily accessible, try adding a hook over a cabinet. Check out the four-pack of InfantLY Bright hooks for $8 on Amazon. You could also place an adhesive Command Brand hook on a backsplash, a wall, or inside a cabinet door. Another option is a kitchen rail with an S-hook. If you want to hang them on the side of your fridge, repurpose a magnetic clip. A two-pack is available from Walmart for $4. 

Another idea is to use an under cabinet hanger or basket. If you want a basket, check out the Basicwise Hanging Under Shelf Metal Storage Basket from Target for about $40. Even a wall hanging coat hanger that's been repurposed in the kitchen could come in handy for this purpose. Trivets could also be hung with your oven mitts and potholders to keep all the similar pieces in one place so they're easy to find. If you're on a very strict budget, also check out our affordable Dollar Tree pot holder hack.