Why Your Kitchen Needs A 'Dishwashing Triangle' For Easier Cleanup

Kitchens and their aesthetic design get a lot of attention — sparkling granite or quartzite countertops, well-made cabinets, and perfect decor choices are some of our favorite things. But much of what makes a good kitchen comes down to its functionality — the actual blueprint and layout, not the cute trinkets or finishing touches.

You may have heard about the ever-important golden rule of kitchen design: the triangle. It dictates that the three most frequently used stations of a kitchen — the stove, fridge, and sink — should roughly form a triangle. But what about the dishwashing triangle? It's another layout rule that makes a kitchen function and flow. 

The dishwashing triangle says your kitchen sink should also form a triangle with the dishwasher and the kitchen trash can. Ever tried to do the dishes, clearing off food and loading them into a dishwasher when the trash bin and dishwasher are both clear across the kitchen? We wouldn't wish such a cumbersome, drippy mess on anyone. Keep both bin and dishwasher within one or two steps away from the kitchen sink, says Rossella Marzocchella, the kitchen design expert with Decor and Decor. An expert on what makes a kitchen tick, Marzocchella spoke with Chowhound about how she strongly advises keeping the three dishwashing components "within a tight space, with everything within an arm's or strides' reach."

"The layout determines how much effort dishwashing actually takes," explained Rossella Marzocchella, and the closer all three components are, the easier the task. Think about it: as you scrape off old food into the trash, and rinse and load dishes into the dishwasher, you definitely don't want to be dripping or dropping anything as you schlepp across the kitchen. It would make the post-cooking cleanup way more daunting. Even a short distance, said Marzocchella, means "clean-up gets slower and messier, and everyone avoids doing it." 

There's a lot about a kitchen you can't control, whether you're renting your place, for sure, or simply on a budget where a kitchen reno is not on a docket. But no matter what you're working with — a tiny galley kitchen or a huge space with an island — this dishwashing triangle rule holds true, and you can make its wisdom work in your space. Pull your trash bin closer to the sink if you have to; and if you have the luxury of designing a kitchen from the jump, make sure your dishwasher is right next to the sink — ideally on the same side as your dominant side — to eliminate switching dishes to and from your hands before loading into the dishwasher.