Master your bottles.
Dish soap, hand soap, hand lotion: How many bulky plastic bottles do you really need in your sink? “If you can reduce distractions and focus on what you need to do, it will make the job go faster,” says designer Betsy Barmat Steres of Frog Hill Designs in Alexandria, Virginia. “Heaps of kitchen cleaning tools are not what I like to see.”
Food52’s stylish Zone Danish Dish Washing Set with Squeeze Bottle is built for this purpose: “It looks better than the Dawn bottle and is great from a sustainability angle,” says Peter Themistocles, purchaser of Food52 cookware, kitchen and pantry. He says buying the larger bottles and refilling your smaller ones is more planet friendly.
Coral products you use the most.
Cavin-Winfrey likes to use a tray or small plate that can hold dish soap, a sponge, and a brush. You often have something like this in your kitchen, she says, and it’s nice to have ceramic so you can put it in the dishwasher. She loves to have a small dish near the sink for rings and watches; She says a simple dip or sauce pan in olive wood, copper, or white-and-blue china are good options.
Rethink the way you dry dishes.
If you keep the dish rack outside all the time, make sure it doesn’t look shabby. Cavin-Winfrey prefers to keep her Threshold Bamboo Stand from Target ($19.99) folded and stored until you need it. The Yamazaki Home Double-Dish Dish Rack ($78) from Food52 has two levels of storage and a small footprint, making it especially useful for small spaces where cabinet and counter space is limited. The faucet moves the water into the sink. “It’s simple and practical,” says Themistocles.
Give yourself a green focal point.
“I’m not really a houseplant person, but in the kitchen, don’t forget to water the plants, because they’re right in front of you,” says interior designer Liz Kahn.
Check for clutter frequently.
Make it a habit to sweep and wipe everything around the sink thoroughly, keeping only the things you use daily. Arrange boxes under the sink to store dishwasher detergent, counter sprays, and cleaning pads. Be vigilant about throwing away scary old sponges and inferior towels.
“When the kitchen sink area looks nice and tidy, you won’t be afraid to spend time there,” says Higerson. “It makes the chore less of an almost chore and becomes part of a gentle routine of taking care of your home and taking care of yourself.”