4 Ways To Get The Most Out Of An Old Dish Rack In The Kitchen

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Repurposing household items is a feel-good endeavor on so many levels. It reduces waste and saves money while jumpstarting creative juices, leading to higher functionality and personal charm. That especially rings true in the kitchen, one of the most utilized spaces in a typical home. We're focusing here on a specific item, one that often gets tossed or recycled without a second thought: That old dish rack perched beside or over the sink. 

When a stylish new drying rack strikes your fancy and makes its way home, no worries. There are plenty of ways to give your old one new life, in both practical and aesthetically pleasing ways. Here are a few ideas ranging from cookware organization to storage solutions, extra display space, or even drying options for everyday cooking ingredients or food-prep items. 

There's a good chance your own creative sparks will fly when considering all these dish rack-inspired ways to improve kitchen efficiency. It's your domain, so anything goes — or at least anything that saves you time or money, improves productivity, elevates kitchen charm, or just makes you linger longer in the culinary heart of your home.

One of the easiest and most practical ways to repurpose a dish rack is to use it to organize pot and pan lids. Instead of piling them on top of one another and rustling to find the right one when needed, just place your former dish rack inside a cabinet or on the countertop. Slide the lids into appropriate slots where they'll be upright and accessible, organized by size or frequency of use, and easy to snag while whirling through cooking routines. Since rack slots are spaced separately from each lid, you're likely to have less surface scratching on lid materials as well.

Lids aren't the only things suitable for dish-rack storage: How about those variously sized flat cutting boards used almost every time you cook or prep meals? Like pot lids, they easily slide into the rack slots of many dish-rack styles and configurations. The same goes for flat baking sheets, serving trays, and platters. You'll be either saving cabinet space or better organizing it, while making the items visible and reachable on busy baking or entertaining days. 

Another unexpected storage solution is for kitchen towels, also known as tea towels or dish rags. Instead of stuffing them into overflowing drawers, just roll them up lengthwise and nestle them within the open spaces of the repurposed dish rack. Stack as needed for ready availability, and enjoy the splash of added color in your kitchen aesthetic.  

Insufficient storage space can be a bane of kitchen existence, or at least the cause of endless frustration or annoyance. A repurposed dish-drying rack isn't going to solve every storage issue, but it can at least provide one everyday solution: Creating extra storage space for small, frequently used items. Think coffee mugs, juice or wine glasses, cereal bowls, condiment holders like these DJZZ stainless steel ramekins on Amazon, and anything you need to grab-and-go on hectic days. Keep one dish rack dedicated to these things so that household members know where to find them for breakfast, afternoon snacks, happy hours, and more. 

Most dish racks have a cutlery compartment, which opens up even more organizing and access potential. You could use that cubbyhole container for storing a handful of basic eating utensils, but an even more useful trick is dedicating it to practical cooking tools. How many times have you scrambled to find the right spatula or wooden spoon when frying eggs, making gravy or pancakes, or stir-frying veggies? If the most-used ones are routinely stored in that dish-rack compartment, you'll know exactly where to reach them in the nick of time. You never want to lay wooden spoons flat when drying, as it could cause cracking or unwanted expansion. 

The same cutlery compartment works for whisks, tongs, food thermometers, measuring spoons, measuring cups, and similar essentials. Create a dedicated meal-prep station with your old dish rack, saving lots of precious time and cutting down on kitchen clutter. 

There's a reason why dish racks are also called dish "drying" racks: It's typically where washed dishes rest for open-air draining and drying. But once you've retired that trusty dish-washing companion, it still retains the same capacity — just not in the way you might imagine. The crooks, slats, and crevices are well-ventilated and spacious, making that old dish rack very useful for drying wet kitchen towels; just drape them over the rack to dry naturally for later use or to prevent bacteria buildup before laundry day. 

Have you made the leap from disposable plastic to reusable food storage bags? If so, you know they need rinsing or cleaning before the next use, potentially leaving a bevy of wet bags strewn across kitchen counters. Dish rack to the rescue once again! In its reincarnated form, the rack easily holds those little baggies as they dry evenly and safely for your next round of snacks, leftovers, or lunch sandwiches. It helps to place them over drinking glasses to keep them propped open for proper drying.

If you're forever washing fruits and vegetables, you now have the perfect drying station for that. Set the dish rack near your sink, and place the washed produce in the slots or on the rack surface, allowing air circulation and reducing the chance of moisture build-up. Remember that moist environments lead to bacterial growth in produce, which in turn facilitates decay and spoilage. Once dried, store fruits, veggies, and fresh herbs as usual.

It's important to note that different dish-rack styles exist, some more suitable for certain re-use applications. Setups such as this two-tier HBlife folding bamboo dish rack, available on Amazon, come with slanted vertical slots, making it capable of unique repurposing strategies. For example, the slanted design is perfect for resting wine, other bottles, or cans of food or sauces. Other dish-rack styles could work as well; just lay collapsible shelves flat and place bottles horizontally for stability. 

When following a recipe for baked goods or main dishes, an old-fashioned cookbook still comes in handy, especially when it's a family treasure with handwritten notes from grandma. The last thing you want is to ruin the pages by handling them with wet or goopy fingers. To solve that problem, repurpose your old dish rack into a cookbook stand. Place it upright in one of the slots, keeping it open to the needed page as you boil, bubble, mix, and ladle to your heart's content. The next generation of family chefs will someday thank you for that extra care and consideration.