Wondering how to organize towels in a bathroom? Here are a ton of tips and great ideas to inspire you – even if you don’t have a linen closet!
Towels are one of those things that you tend to accumulate over time. And while they are a necessity, you don’t always need a huge stack of towels at your finger tips.
If you have a big and beautiful linen closet, well, then, good for you! I am jealous! However, if you have a small bathroom or just don’t have a lot of storage space, it could be frustrating to figure out how to organize towels in your bathroom.
Let’s talk about how many towels to keep out, how many to store, and some very simple storage ideas for those extra towels.
How many towels should you have in a bathroom?
Typically it’s best to store 1 towel per person hanging in your bathroom and then keep the rest of them folded or rolled, on a shelf or in a cabinet.
You will likely additionally have hand towels, wash cloths, or other smaller towels to store, too. Similarly, aim to hang or keep out only what you need daily for easy access, and keep the rest of your towels folded and put away.
Where should towels be placed in a bathroom?
Towels that you are currently using should be conveniently hung as near the shower or bath as possible, so you can easily grab them when you are wet.
I prefect to keep extra towels folded on a shelf further from the shower, to try to keep them away from the moisture before they are being used.
Finally, don’t forget to purge and get rid of extra towels that you do not need. Some spares are good, but too many can become a burden! Here’s where to donate old towels!
How do you store extra towels in the bathroom?
Extra towels do not need to be kept within an arm’s length of the bath area. Instead they should be folded or rolled, stacked, and stored out of sight. This will help to keep your bathroom looking less cluttered and to keep the towels dry before it’s time to use them.
If you do not have a cabinet or linen closet, you can store towels on shelves. Consider using a wicker basket on the shelf if the stack tends to look messy or get a little topsy-turvy.
How should I arrange my bathroom towels?
If you are displaying your towels on open shelves, you might want them to look very organized or even a little cute. Towels can be arranged:
- Folded in half, then half again, then thirds across for a neat fold.
- Folded in half and then rolled
Is it better to roll or fold towels?
Rolled towels are the best solution for small bathrooms without much storage space, since they can be rolled tightly to take up less room. Rolled towels are also quite aesthetically pleasing!
How do you keep track of who’s towel is whose in a shared bathroom?
There is something kind of gross about thinking about drying off with someone else’s wet dirty towel. The best way to keep track of who each towel belongs to is to give each person a different color towel! This makes it fool-proof.
Another idea, if you have the wall space, is to assign each person their own hook. Whatever hangs on that hook is theirs!
Additionally, you could use a sharpie to write names or initials on the tag of the towel. If you’re feeling fancy, get monogrammed towels with each person’s initials embroidered on!
Where do you put wet towels after shower?
Wet towels should be hung up on hooks or towel bars. Hanging towels will help them to dry out fully and without getting stinky.
Here are some towel rack ideas to inspire you:
- Round Towel Hooks
- L-shaped Bathroom Towel Hooks
- Over the Shower Door Hooks
- Suction Cup Hooks for Shower
- Double Bath Towel Bar
- Foldable Towel Shelf with Movable Hooks
- Swing Arm Towel Bar
- Standing Towel Rack
Are towel bars still used in bathrooms?
Many people love towel bars because they allow you to stretch out the towel so it gets fully dry. However, they take up a lot of wall space. For this reason, a lot of people have switched to using wall hooks, which require less horizontal space.
The best ideas for storing towels
Here are a ton of ideas for how to store extra towels when not in use.
Folded on a shelf
One of the easiest ways to squeeze towel storage into a small bathroom is with floating shelves. We added floating shelves over our toilet, and it’s the perfect place to stack towels away from the shower while they are not in use.
Rolled on a shelf
Same idea, but roll your towels instead. If you have a lot of towels, rolling, will help them to take up less space so you can fit more on your same small shelf space.
Basket on a shelf
If you don’t love the look of towels, just sitting willy-nilly on the shelf, put them in a basket. A small basket will keep them contained and organized and look aesthetically pleasing, too.
Folded in a cabinet
If you are lucky enough to have an extra bathroom cabinet, consider stacking towels in there. This will keep them dry and out of sight and is a super quick and easy solution.
Rolled in a deep drawer
If you have deep drawers in your bathroom, they might can fit towels! I suggest rolling them and putting them in vertically so you look down and see each cinnamon roll of towel and can easily grab them.
Stacked towels in a drawer means the bototm ones will never see the light of day!
Rolled under a vanity
Bathroom vanities that are raised off the floor often have a shelf on the bottom. This is the perfect place to stack or roll towels. You can consider putting them in a basket down there if that would help to keep them clean.
Basket under a sink
similarly, if you have more of a pedestal style sink, at a basket underneath, and put towels in there. I once again suggest rolling the towels and putting the vertically, so nothing gets lost in the bottom of the basket.
Blanket ladder
Another option renter-friendly option if you have no cabinet and no shelves and can’t hang anything up is to add a blanket ladder. They are great for holding lots of hanging towels!
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Hello, I’m Morgan, half of the creative force behind CharlestonCrafted.com! With a passion for DIY that dates back to 2012, I’ve transformed three homes and now I’m dedicated to helping others craft their dream spaces. Let’s turn your house into a home together!