Organizing Cloths and Towels- Dirty and Clean

I can't remember if I have shared this or not, but currently I am a substitute teacher.  It pains me to not have my own classroom to organize and decorate.  And students to build relationships with and create fun/different lessons for.  But until that time comes again (after 5 years of subbing due to NO available teaching jobs here) I will appreciate the opportunity of visiting classrooms in various schools decorated/organized by a variety of teachers.  Here are 2 different ideas I observed in 2 different classrooms.  I love and appreciate each one.

I love the idea of separating the dish cloths and dish towels into 2 baskets.  I always gave a mini lesson to my students on the difference- dish cloths are for washing and are small.  Dish towels are for drying and are big.  Inevitably someone(s) would use a towel to wash or a cloth to dry.  I know that doesn't mean the world is going to come to an end but it is a simple concept that will aid them throughout the rest of their lives.  These 2 baskets help emphasize (not the word I am looking for but can't think of it right now...) the lesson you give at the beginning of the semester. 

It is hard to read the labels on these baskets- the blue one reads "dirty" and the white one reads "clean".  Love this.  The students know exactly where to throw the dirty/wet cloths and towels if the washer is full or running.  And there is a clear place to put clean towels when they come out of the dryer- before they are folded and put into baskets (like in the above photo) or into the individual kitchens- as I did as we had everything color coordinated to ensure equal number of towels/cloths and organization.  I also truly appreciate the fact that the dirty basket is dark and the clean basket is white. 

Soapy Solution

Holy Molies. Has it really been OVER a year since I last posted?!?

Never again.

In fact, I have a goal to post something a couple times a week.
Sometimes it will just be an idea... like today.

When I heard this idea I thought "why didn't I think of that... 6 years ago?!"

Such a simple idea, but in my opinion a GENIUS idea.

I am a fan of having a small bottle of dish soap in each kitchen. Small being the key word as I find students use more when they see more.

Instead of scouring the stores for those small dish soap bottles that are never in stock when you need them but everywhere you look when you don't and get all gunky, and the lids break off, and the paper labels get soggy/saggy/sticky... use these: Squeeze Bottles.

Easy to clean. Easy to refill. Easy to spot when they are in need of a refill. And easy to find at craft or restaurant supply stores.

I'll take 8 please.