The Smart DIY Solution To Keep Kitchen Towels From Falling

Pristine organization is a must in the kitchen, where meal preparation relies on efficiency and proper timing. Everything needs to be accessible and ready to use to keep you from scrambling and making mistakes while you work. Even your kitchen towel plays several crucial roles, whether you need to dry your hands, grab a backup pot holder, or cover your bowl when letting dough rise. Unfortunately, the slippery hold that towels have on the average oven door too often sends them hurtling to the dirty kitchen floor in no time. It's hard enough for adults to keep kitchen towels from falling. And kids? Forget about it. A full house means you'll be replacing your towels at least a dozen times a day if you don't put a solution in place.

While you can style your kitchen towels instead of just hanging them, keeping them on the oven door is convenient and space-efficient. You just need a way to lock them in so they won't slip and slide to the floor at the slightest provocation. There are a few ways to do this, but one of the best comes from TikTok user @emyxbudgetsahm, whose husband found a clever workaround with only a sewing machine and a knife. By cutting a slit in one end of the towel, you can loop the towel around the handle and slip it through the slit for a secure hold. Your towels will be ready to use and keep their attractive looks without the risk of falling.

Start by folding your kitchen towel lengthwise to find the center point. You can then measure a few inches on either side of the center mark to define a cut line for the slit. The longer the slit, the easier it will be to tuck your towel in. Draw a box around the cut line to mark your sewing path. Stitch around this box with your sewing machine, using an overlock or zigzag stitch to prevent fraying. After that, you just have to cut a slit along your cut line for the other end of the towel to fit through. Pay attention to the orientation of the cut as well. Adding this fix still allows you to use your towels for display purposes, so be sure to make the cut on the correct end to show off the design.

Another way to build a similar slot into your kitchen towel is to add a hanging loop rather than cut a hole in the fabric. Hand towels typically include a small loop for hanging on a hook. Expanding on this idea, you could add a longer fabric strip along one end of the towel through which you can slip the other end of the towel. Stitch the ends of a length of twill tape, such as WILLBOND ½-inch twill tape, to the edge of the towel by machine or by hand, tucking the ends under the towel's hem, if desired, for a cleaner look.

Making this cut in your kitchen towel is a straightforward and sturdy solution to keep your towel in place. When done right with clean stitching, it can also maintain an aesthetic element. The centered slit lets the towel hang symmetrically, showing off its design in an attractive fashion. There's virtually no chance of it falling, and it's easy enough to take off and put back. Unlike using hair ties or a towel clip, another kitchen item that save your towel from the floor, this hack doesn't require any tools to keep track of. But there's more than one way to use the towel itself to keep it in place.

For a fuss-free approach, simply tie kitchen towels on the oven handle. It's quick and simple, though a large knot may eliminate much of the towel's usable area. With the cutout method, more of the towel remains available for hand-drying. If you don't want to cut a hole in your towel, you could consider adding velcro tabs for similar utility. Sew the velcro tabs on opposite corners of the short side of the towel. Then, fold it over the oven door handle with the velcro on the backside, so you can pull the corners forward and around the length of the towel to connect in front. Use these tricks for kitchen towels on your oven or dishwasher handle (or with a towel rack hack to make your small kitchen more functional), and you'll never have to worry about them falling to the floor again!