# Do you hang a kitchen towel on the oven and/or refrigerator handle? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571 "2020-12-21T22:11:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/1 "2020-12-21T22:11:08Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/2 "2020-12-21T22:26:09Z")
I used to keep one on the oven handle until I caught my dog sniffing it. She uses that same nose to sniff outside dog turds, bird shit and other appetizing stuff. So now I keep it folded on the counter. ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/3 "2020-12-21T22:30:35Z")
We usually keep one on the oven or dishwasher handle. As a kid we had fancy towels that had a crocheted strip that would loop around the fridge handle and attach with a large button. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/4 "2020-12-21T22:31:32Z")
I’ve seen them on the oven handle but in both houses so far, I’ve had a specific hook for the dishtowels. I didn’t even know people used fridge handles. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/5 "2020-12-21T22:32:58Z")
I loves me a good [unclear antecedent](https://www.publicationcoach.com/unclear-antecedents/) AND I hope your dog either a) doesn’t wrinkle easily, or b) is a Shar-Pei where it may not be so easily noticed. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/6 "2020-12-21T22:38:25Z")
On the oven handle. That’s been my tradition for years. The current towel (which I didn’t specifically buy – it just came with a set of oven mitts I needed along with a pot holder) has a habit of slipping off and falling to the floor in the course of things that I do. Whether it’s opening and closing the oven door or moving around in front of the stove, I’m not sure. I’m thinking of just clamping one of those big alligator paper clips to the ends of it to stop this nonsense! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/7 "2020-12-21T22:39:36Z")
I don’t know what a kitchen towel is, but I hang tea towels (usually souvenir tea towels) from the oven handle. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/8 "2020-12-21T22:44:23Z")
Two on the oven handle. I used have one on the refrigerator also but don’t with my current side by side model. I"m scared a door might not close right since the handles are so close to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/9 "2020-12-21T23:23:47Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I don’t know what a kitchen towel is, but I hang tea towels (usually souvenir tea towels) from the oven handle. What’s a “tea towel?” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/10 "2020-12-21T23:30:24Z")
We have 3 kinds of kitchen towels. The 2 dish towels hang on the oven door, the thick hand towel hangs on its own hook next to the sink, and the “bar mop” towel used only for the counter tops generally lives near the coffee maker. They all get laundered once a week. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/11 "2020-12-21T23:38:31Z")
How about no! Increases fire hazard. Keep combustibles away from the oven. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/12 "2020-12-21T23:45:50Z")
Decorative seasonal kitchen towels are hung over the oven door handle. The kitchen towel that is actually used is hung over the dishwasher door handle (which is identical to the oven door handle - Samsung kitchen appliance set). ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/13 "2020-12-21T23:53:10Z")
The oven gloves are hung on the oven handle. I don’t know how you could hang anything on the fridge handle - sounds completely impractical - and the towels usually end up hung on the backs of the dining chairs. Maybe one day we’ll get around to installing some hooks… ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/14 "2020-12-22T00:19:46Z")
Hung on/in Cupboard Handles. Below the Stove and the Sink. Don’t use kitchen towels with the refrigerator or oven. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/15 "2020-12-22T00:26:27Z")
My kitchen towels kept falling off of the oven handle so I bought a gadget that installs snaps. I put pretty, pearl-capped snaps on my towels and now they stay put. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/16 "2020-12-22T01:01:20Z")
We hand two towels on the handles just below the sink, which kind of makes sense – that’s where we want a towel to be to dry our hands off after doing the dishes. It’s also convenient to all the countertops. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/17 "2020-12-22T02:22:18Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > What’s a “tea towel?” “Tea towel” = “kitchen towel” to UK and Aussie people - probably NZ’ers as well. (If you’ve ever wondered, “tea” can equal “dinner” in such areas. Depends on context. Being invited for tea could be either just a cuppa, or a full meal.) Anyway, I’ve a couple of kitchen towels - one on the oven handle, one on a hanger over a cabinet door. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/18 "2020-12-22T02:23:04Z")
We have been known to hang towels on the oven door, but we’re more likely to drape them over the pile of clean dishes in the drying rack. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/19 "2020-12-22T02:36:21Z")
Interesting. I thought this was something literally everyone did. They’re both just a convenient, built-in place to hang a useful item like a kitchen towel. I use the one on the oven handle a lot because it’s closer to the sink, and it’s right opposite the island cart. The refrigerator handle towel gets used less, but I’ve never regretted having one there. A lot of times it gets used to pull open the door. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571/20 "2020-12-22T03:08:36Z")
We have little towel bars on the doors under the sink. One on the outside is for the hand drying towel, one on the inside of the other door is for the dish drying towel. That way they are right near where they are needed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hang-a-kitchen-towel-on-the-oven-and-or-refrigerator-handle/928571.md?page=2)