I Added This “Magical” $9 Feature to My Kitchen, and It’s Made Cooking and Cleaning So Much Easier
When we recently renovated our kitchen, I put a lot of thought into how to deal with the garbage. As a family of seven, we generate a good deal of trash (and recycling). I didn’t want to be taking out the trash so often that it disrupted our kitchen activities, but I also didn’t want the trash sitting around long enough to cause odors.
Our solution was twofold: a super heavy-duty garbage disposal that takes care of food waste (read: the stinkiest trash) and a routine of taking the trash out nightly no matter how full it is. This has been so successful that although I planned for two pull-out trash cabinets, we were able to cut down to just one next to the sink.
We’ve enjoyed the kitchen for over two years, and in this time I’ve noticed just one issue with our trash setup: Having the trash in a pull-out cabinet makes it really hard to open when I have full or dirty hands. Whether my hands are contaminated with raw chicken juice or they’re full of packaging that needs to get tossed, I’m regularly unable to pull the handle to open the trash cabinet — so I sought out a solution.
Sometimes I shout for someone to open the trash for me. When that’s not possible, I’ve been known to resort to trying to open it with my toes. (Please forgive and forget that visual — and no, it doesn’t work!). Most of the time, I end up opening the trash cabinet with dirty hands. The problem is, I don’t always remember to wipe the handle down. I hate the thought of this kind of, frankly, dangerous cross-contamination happening in my kitchen.
How This $9 Addition Changed My Life in the Kitchen
My sister, who also has a pull-out trash can, gave me a solution: a toe-pull that’s easy to attach to the bottom of the cabinet. They’re under $10 on Amazon, and they’re an absolute game-changer.
Cabinet Foot Pull
Amazon
$8.99 (was $9.99)
You can opt for a color that blends with your cabinets, but the toe-pull is hardly visible anyway. There are two options for installation, screw-in or adhesive. Within minutes, you have a cabinet that can be opened hands-free! It really is like magic.
My favorite use is for the garbage cabinet, but the toe-pull can also be used on any bottom cabinet or drawer that would be convenient to open without having to bend down or use your hands (in the kitchen or elsewhere). For instance, a toe-pull would be handy on a bottom drawer where you store a heavy Dutch oven, making it much easier to put away.
I haven’t installed a toe-pull for anything besides the garbage cabinet in my kitchen, but every single time I use it, I marvel at how much of an impact such a small and inexpensive addition makes in our kitchen, multiple times a day. I might just get one for every cabinet in my home!
Buy: Cabinet Foot Pull, $8.99
This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: I Added This “Magical” $9 Feature to My Kitchen, and It’s Made Cooking and Cleaning So Much Easier
Further Reading
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
