Single soap dispenser with dish soap does hands or dishes. No sponges. They are unsanitary. White towels only, and a hamper under the sink for the used ones. And I use the DW FOR 99% of everything. There is a small caddy under the sink on the door that can hold a scrubbie. But it's rarely used. The right DW detergent (powder with enzymes) can handle most anything.

Can't you get plastic drop-ins for those little flip open cabinets? I screwed a rectangular plastic Rubbermaid container to the inside of the cabinet door and I drop all of the stuff in there.

Assuming you will have and use a dw in your new kitchen. Those items needed for hand washing dishes can be put away under the sink and only taken out when needed. I have one bottle on counter for dish/hand soap.

I keep the soap under the sink, and get it out to wash my hands, but I don't usually do that in the kitchen. I only use rags to hand wash, and I have a lot of pots and serving dishes that cannot go in the DW.

Nancy

I, too, keep a bottle of dish soap under the sink.

I use my under-sink-front tip out for sponge, scrubber, bottle brush, small bottle hand lotion. The stainless interior gets a little dirty, but not quickly. It's easy enough to clean it, and I do, but not often.

After I finish washing things in the sink, they are immediately dried and put away, and all the cleaning accoutrements, including the microfiber drying pad, are put away as well. I didn't used to be so neat, but I love my new counters.

You're smart to think about all these details as you go. It will pay off in a kitchen that works for you. Question everything. The best way to search for old discussions, I've found, is to google something like "gardenweb soap dispensers" or "gardenweb tip outs". Here's one thread I started when I was considering these issues.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soap dispensers redux

Since you are planning your sink, I want to share my review of my new sink setup.

I love my tapmaster, although I think it really only makes sense if you also have another hot/cold water faucet either at a different sink or as a hot/cold drinking water faucet at the same, which -- the latter -- we have and love.

I cannot imagine reaching down below the sink to get detergent when my hands just touched raw meat. For that reason, I really like our countertop soap dispenser (and the tapmaster).

I'm using the built in tilt out to store sponges and brushes. It's very easy to take out for cleaning if needed to. Small volume, but it takes the loose items off the counter. There is plenty of ventilation through the door bumps that the sponges dry out fast. I like it, but you do need to be aware that it limits how forward you can bring your sink; in other words, you need to plan for them. I have a regular sink base and a Blanco sink, and I didn't haven to make any modifications.

I know reviews on tapmaster, countertop soap dispenser, and tilt out trays are all mixed. I happen to like all of them.

I have a very large sink, and the cabinet is 50" wide. So I have lots of room under the sink. On one side, I have two pullout shelves (not wood) where I keep all that kitchen stuff. These are SO handy, and I don't have to reach in to get stuff. Just pull out the shelves. One has higher sides so bottles don't tip over. Also have a Never MT soap dispenser. I always line the floor of all sink cabinets with vinyl floor remnants I pick up cheap at the store. So I don't worry about spills or wetness damaging the cabinet, and it's very easy to clean.

I'm with Mudworm-I couldn't imagine touching just about everything to get the soap after touching raw chicken. I've renewed my Food Safe certification too many times to know better than that.

I have a built in soap dispenser now (I don't like it because it's a real pain to refill). So at the new house I plan on having a pretty little glass dispenser for hand soap and everything else under cabinet.

I have one of those tilt out plastic things now on the drawer front under sink, and I love it. I only use a scraper and wash it off well before I put it away so it never gets gross. It also slides out so you can wash it.

I'm going to have an apron front sink at the next house since I'm so short. I'm really looking forward to it because I have many things I have to wash by hand. Even though my enameled cast iron says it can go in the DW-they still say for best results wash by hand so that's what I do. I don't mind washing as I was always placed on washing duty when the food inspector came so I am very fast.

Built in soap dispenser, paper towels, sponge that is stored under sink on a little rack thing, after being rinsed with clorox/water solution, same for micro cloths I use. Sponges get demoted on a regular basis. Any raw food area is cleaned with paper towels and clorox/water in a spray bottle. Cabinets have child locks on them.

I used an extra piece of laminate under the sink. I am redoing our kitchen, it is currently the original 1956 kitchen, sometime this spring but I like having all the cabinets pristine inside and it makes it easier to spot an issue, like a small water leak.

I don't like anything on or in my sink, I like it clear and clean. I think it also discourages or reminds the kids to load dishes. Dishes get loaded immediately into the dw, dishes are not allowed to linger in the sink. :)

I put my sponges in the dishwasher and they get sterilized when I run the washer.

Great topic! Love the answers so far. Additionally, what about vegetable scrubbing brushes? Same place?