Last Tuesday while walking into my bathroom I was assaulted with THE smell. You know the smell I mean – that unmistakably vile odour of a wet towel hung up too long. That appalling damp rag smell.
Upon noticing this I started hanging up my towels wherever I could find space to hang them – on doorknobs, shower caddy, inside doors – you name it. But storing my towels became such a aggravation. Sound familiar?
Here’s my journey to discovering how to store towels properly, not just pretty. Moment of realization #1: All towel bars are NOT created equal.
I was happily hanging my towels on a sad excuse for a towel bar that came with our flat.
It wasn’t functional at this point…just decoration. When I actually measured it (something I hadn’t thought to do until now) it was only 18 inches long! That explains why my towels had quit hanging like towels and were now being folded like…well…square plates.
I replaced it with an Ikea brushed nickel 24 inch towel bar ($15 USD) from their BROGRUND collection and voila! My towels actually hung like towels should hang. Who knew that those extra 6 inches would make such a difference?
Not only did my towels dry faster by not overlapping one another they just LOOKED better. Instead of looking like someone slapped them up against the wall they actually resembled towels meant to hang on towel bars. Moment of realization #2: Where you hang your towel bar matters.
I read this somewhere and it changed my life. No one tells you this, but the placement of your towel bar is important. Most people hang their towel bars at ‘shoulder height’ because it’s where they think towels should be hung.
Pfft. I lowered mine down by about 4 inches. I read that by hanging your towel bar lower you allow more room for air to circulate around your towels!
I was skeptical, but sure enough you can tell a difference by nighttime. My towels are actually dry!! Even on those awful humid days where it feels like your bathroom is damp ALL THE TIME.
Speaking of air circulation… Enter towel hooks. I mean functional towel hooks. Not the cheap plastic variety that autumn off after two weeks.
I’m talking sturdy hooks that you screw into the wall and can actually hold a dripping wet towel without complaint. I used 3 Command Hooks – metal ones capable of holding up to 5 lbs each –and hung them on the wall opposite my shower. I use them all the time for quick towel access as well as for guests.
Pro tip: Hooks can be used to hang towels both folded or unfolded, making them perfect for those times when your towel is grey but not quite wet enough to fully utilise your towel bar. Added bonus: My nephew can reach the hooks to grab his own towel when he visits now. It may sound strange but the mystery of how towels keep ending up on the floor has disappeared since using hooks.
Okay…brief tangent moment here. I played around with towel rings thinking maybe I could make better use of vertical space. Do.
Not. Waste. Your.
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Time. With towel rings if you’re wanting to store bath towels. They’re AMAZING for hand towels.
TERRIBLE for bath towels. Trust me, unless you like bunny ear ringed towels that dry at awkward angles and autumn off when you grab them in a hurry – stick to towel bars for bath towels. Moment of realization #3: The towel ladder cameo.
I honestly wanted a towel ladder for reasons other than functionality. I spotted this towel ladder at a car boot sale (yard sale) for $8 USD and while at first I didn’t need it I thought it looked super stylish and would photograph nicely in blogs. Boy am I glad I got it!
Four towel spots plus it leans against the wall so it allows air to circulate throughout the entire unit. I have mine propped up against the wall near the window which allows it to help dry EVEN FASTER with some morning sunlight. Random fact: Whenever I stay at hotels I always try to see if they have a heated towel rack.
I used to never think I needed one until… Moment of realization #4: Heated towel rails. You know when you’re staying at a hotel that has really nice towels but they’re just a bit on the chilly side? Me neither.
Up until last weekend. Every.single.room we stayed at in Yorkshire had heated towel rails. It suddenly occurred to me that there would be something wonderful about stepping into a toasty warm towel on a cold morning.
Not to mention heated towel rails help with that nasty smell towels can get when they sit in humid bathrooms. I opted for this fairly small electric heated towel rail ($120 USD) that held up to two bath towels. It felt expensive at the time, but after doing the math on how much it costs to run (about 5 cents/ hour) it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
Not to mention my towels are actually dry by the time I get out of the shower! Plus they don’t have that weird damp smell towels can get nor do they get that stiff used towel feel since it’s not sitting in humid air all day long. Moment of realization #5: Give your towels some breathing room.
I cannot stress this enough. Towels need space. If you stuff too many towels on a towel bar or hook they’re going to start to trap water in areas that will no longer dry.
From now on I’ll make sure to leave at least 2 inches between each towel on towel bars and will never hang a wet towel right next to a dry towel again. TIP: The type of towel you use is just as important when learning how to store towels correctly. I discovered that heavy, fluffy towels (you know, the kind that are ridiculous how thick they are) do not dry well at all.
Not only do they take forever to dry but they also take up a ton of room on your towel storage.
Since switching to a medium weight bath towel (they’re still nice and cushy but don’t hold as much water) I’m not overflowing my towel bars/hooks. Moment of realization #6: Over-the-Toilet Storage can be your friend.
Ok okay – before you send me the hate mail that I know you’re going to for thinking you should use over-the toilet storage – hear me out. I’m not talking about these ridiculously bulky toilet cabinets. I’m talking towel storage that comes in the form of towel bars placed over your toilet.
It’s a great place to store towels where they’ll stay accessible, but won’t be in the direct line of your shower spray. And since it’s higher up you won’t run the risk of knocking anything over when you wake up and try to squeeze past. No bathroom design is complete without properly storing your towels.
Sure it may seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of designing your bathroom correctly but letting go of one of those little daily nuisances can change your entire experience with your space. No more damp towels for me. I hang them up immediately and my bathroom doesn’t smell dank/musty (aka frog creek) and I’m no longer moving wet towels around just to find the towel I want to use.
Little storage fixes like this one can sometimes make the biggest impact on how your spaces function day in and day out….and who doesn’t love making your girlfriend happy? #BONUS
