While new homes build large bathrooms, many homes have small bathrooms. Think older homes (we have an older home and all the bathrooms are on the smaller side), apartments, townhouses and of course the powder room. Most folks have a small bathroom whether it’s their main bathroom or for guests. The question is “where can you hang wet towels in a small bathroom?” Fortunately, you have many options.
In my main small bathroom, I have several types of towels. In my powder room, there are hand towels. Where can I store them? Below is a list of options for where to place towels in small bathrooms. Note that each solution is for various wet towel scenarios such as:
- Where to hang wet towels after a shower or bath;
- Where to hang wet hand towels; and
- Where to put wet towels when done with them (ready for the laundry);
Related: Can You Dry Towels with Clothes? | What Temperature is Best to Dry Towels?
Where to Hang Wet Towels in a Small Bathroom
1. Towel Bars and Rings
Most bathrooms have existing rings and towel bars that you can find individually or even in sets. I believe that for moderate to large-sized bathrooms, towel bars are wonderful options. This is mainly because they only take up a tiny bit of space and can provide a sufficient amount of support to hold the weight of wet towels.
However, for smaller bathrooms, I found the perfect hack – towel rings! A small towel ring can be installed near the sink or above the toilet so that you have convenient access to wipe your hands down.
2. Cute Baskets
I have to admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of having baskets in my bathroom initially. However, with time, I learned to understand how helpful they can be, especially for small bathrooms that do not have a lot of storage space.
Ideally, there should be two baskets kept in a small bathroom- one for wet towels and one for dry ones. I like being creative, so I always match my baskets to my surroundings. I know I’m no interior designer, but this step definitely makes me feel like I have things in order. Of course, if you cannot understand what colors work with your bathroom setting, all you need to do is choose a varnished brown color for your baskets.
You can put your towel baskets on the floor or hang them in the corner of the bathroom. Personally, I love hanging my baskets so that a lot of space is not consumed in the already cluttered bathroom space.
I also prefer rolling my towels instead of folding them. This helps save space inside the basket and creates more space for other towels.
3. Towel Racks that can be Put On Top of the Shower Wall
Who said that you need walls to hang your wet towels? Once I realized that I could hang my wet towels by mounting them on the door to save essential bathroom space, my entire life changed.
And it’s not just the door that leads into your bathroom – you can also easily hang wet towels on your shower door. However, if you’re thinking of this, just know that you may not always find shower doors that are large enough to do this. Moreover, wet towels will also dry faster this way. All you need to do is look for a shower door that is big enough to accommodate your towel.
4. Hang Wet Towels on a Tight Hook
Believe me when I say that once you start hanging your wet towels on hooks, you will be surprised at how convenient it is. Hooks are also great for people like me who hate folding clothes. I simply hang them to hooks instead of piling them on a chair or throwing them on the floor.
Now, wet towels do take a bit longer to dry when hung on hooks, so this is something to keep in mind. When I am in a rush, all I do is hang my wet towel on top of the shower curtain and then transfer it to the hook when it is mostly dry.
I like that towel hooks are known to not take up much space on the wall and that I can install them easily without the help of a professional.
5. Make Use of Free Space in Cabinets
In something like the above you could remove the shelves and place hooks on the rear and/or side walls for hanging wet towels. It would be similar to a small locker in your bathroom.
If you have some free space in your bathroom, install a small cabinet that can store clean, as well as wet towels. Since I wanted my bathroom to look more stylish, I installed a glass-paneled cabinet to see the towels and other essentials that I had stored inside. What I liked best about this setup was that my towels were kept away from water, as well as dust.
You can also try to get thin, tall cabinets that do not take up too much space and are perfect for compact spaces.
6. Use the Wall Space Above Your Toilet
With something like the above “above the toilet shelving unit” you could store dry towels as well as hang wet towels plus you get additional storage for your small bathroom.
While you read this article, I want you to go into your bathroom and look at the spot immediately above your toilet. You’ve probably never even given it a second glance, but do you know how valuable this space really is? This free space can be utilized easily, especially because you really can’t use it for anything else.
I like to use this spot to hang wet towels. It is super convenient, and I don’t feel like I’m wasting any space in my bathroom. You can also add a small cabinet here to store your clean towels so that your bathroom looks more organized. What I love best about this spot is that I can use the toilet without my towels disturbing me or coming in the way.
7. Below the Sink
If you can hang your wet towels on the space above your toilet, you can definitely do the same with the space beneath your sink. If your sink does not use a pedestal, it is a perfect spot to hang your wet towels. You could place one or a few hooks on the wall below the sink. It’s not ideal but it might be your only option.
All you have to do is get a hook or rack underneath your sink so that you can hang your used towels there. I also built an under-sink shelf so that I could store some fresh towels and tissue packs for times that I run out.
8. Towel Stands
Example of small counter-top towel stand.
Who said towel stands are out of fashion? Personally, I still love using them, especially to hang wet towels in a small bathroom. The best part is that a towel stand utilizes vertical space rather than horizontal space so that you have enough room to move around in your bathroom.
Example of a floor towel stand for large and small towels.
When installing a towel stand, I suggest that you look for space at the corner of the bathroom or any unused space at an odd angle that you can’t figure out how to use.
9. Towel Hamper
If you just need a place to dump wet towels ready for the laundry, you could get a small, stylish towel hamper. This is an acceptable temporary storage solution until you get them to the laundry.
10. Towel rack on the side of the vanity
Sometimes you need to get creative for where to place a towel rack or hooks. If you have a vanity, you have additional wall space on the side for a hook or two or maybe even is a small towel rack. See the example above.
11. Draped over the shower door
This is not ideal but it’s an option if you have a shower door. If a shower curtain you could drape it over the shower curtain ring bar. If you fold them nicely like the photo example above, it doesn’t look so bad.
12. Small Metal Shelf
With a small metal shelf, you could drape small towels over the side bars at the top.
13. Towel Warmer
I cannot possibly wrap this article up without talking about towel warmers and why you should absolutely use them for hanging wet towels in a small bathroom.
This is a small wall-mounted towel drying rack. It’s fairly small so could work in a small bathroom.
Every time I step out of the shower, I love feeling like I am in a spa. The luxurious experience of warm hand towels is a sensation that feels absolutely amazing. The best part is that towel warmers are made of stainless steel; hence, they are super low maintenance.
You can also use them as space heaters, especially in the winters when showering can feel like an absolute nightmare. If you like wearing soft clothing, you will really enjoy using a towel warmer. You can always allow your delicate outfits to dry in front of a towel rack!
Final tip: Hotels and spas often come up with clever ways to deal with towel storage (wet and dry). Take note of how those places deal with towels to come up with inspiration in your own home.
I really hope you have some idea on where to hang wet towels in a small bathroom by the end of this article. Don’t worry; it took me some time to understand and come up with innovative ways as well, but ever since I did, my life has been made easier. You don’t have to deal with any more wet, unhygienic towels lying around your room aimlessly!