If you find yourself constantly wrestling with a mountain of terry cloth bath towels every time you open your linen closet, you aren’t alone.
Towels are bulky, floppy, and have a way of taking over whatever space they occupy.
After 15 years of organizing homes in Cleveland, I’ve seen every version of the “towel landslide” imaginable.
The good news is that you don’t need a massive, spa-like bathroom to keep your towels under control.
A few simple bath towel storage ideas is all you need to create a system that fits your specific space and habits.
Let’s get to the towel storage and organization ideas!
Maximize Your Vertical Real Estate
When floor space is limited, look up for an often overlooked opportunity for bathroom towel storage.
Most bathrooms have unused wall space that is perfect for storing a small set of towels.
Installing a few sturdy hooks or a dedicated towel rack can change the entire feel of the room.
If you have a small bathroom, consider an over-the-door rack.
This is a great way to use “dead space” without having to drill holes in your walls.
It keeps towels within arm’s reach of the shower while keeping them off the floor.
Towel storage ideas for small spaces means being intentional and taking advantage of every inch of space.
Add Bath Towel Storage Opportunities
Look at your bathroom space with a critical eye to see where additional bath towels can be stored, especially the towels that are currently being used.
The sides of bathroom vanities are good options as is the wall behind the bathroom door.
Storing Bath Towels in a Linen Closet
An obvious options for storing extra bath towels is to put them in a hallway linen closet.
The key to keeping everything organized is to divide the towels by type.
I store my bath towels in my hallway linen closet, right next to my beach towels and above bedsheet linens.
Bath sheets are stored on the right while hand towels and washcloths live on the left side of the shelf.
One of the reasons why this closet stays pretty neatly organized is that I fold the towels the same way and I straighten the piles every time I put freshly laundered towels away.
The habit of taking 5 minutes to straighten the space means that it stays neat with everything in its place and it doesn’t become a tangled mess of linens.
Bathroom Closet Bath Towel Storage Ideas
If your bathroom has a closet, make sure you’re using its full potential to store bath towels right where they’l be used.
Dedicate a shelf or two for bath towel storage, then add in a cleaning kit, personal care devices and bed linens.
You may need to change how you fold the towels to make sure they fit on the shelf.
The right way to fold a towel is the method that best fits the space.
The Power of the Roll
If you are struggling to make towels fit onto narrow shelves, stop folding them.
Instead, try rolling them.
Rolling towels makes them more compact and prevents the “leaning tower” effect that happens with traditional stacks.
Rolled towels also look great and are very pleasing to the eye since they look a bit like cinnamon rolls.
You can tuck them into decorative baskets standing on their end or place them directly on open shelving.
I like to start the roll of the towel on the finished edge so that the ends are tucked into the center of the roll.
This gives the towels a polished, intentional look without requiring any extra effort during laundry day.
Use Bins to Create Boundaries
Bins and baskets are an organizer’s best friend because they provide physical boundaries.
When smaller towels are just stacked on a shelf, they tend to migrate and unfold.
When they are contained in a bin, they stay put.
Designate one for hand towels, and a smaller container for washcloths.
Instead of stacking smaller hand towels and washcloths on top of one another, stand them on their end.
Put the towels in the bin lined up in a row filling the full depth of the basket or bin versus just the height.
Opt for solid bins over wicker baskets because the towels can get snagged.
Lined wicker baskets are an okay choice since the liner protects the basket’s surface.
Think Outside the Linen Closet
Not everyone is blessed with a dedicated linen closet.
If you’re short on built-in storage, look for furniture that can pull double duty.
A small wooden ladder leaned against the wall is a stylish way to hang multiple towels.
You can also use a narrow rolling cart.
These fit into tight gaps between the vanity and the wall and can hold several layers of small towels, hand towels and washcloths.
The key is to make sure your storage solution serves your daily routine rather than complicating it.
Edit Your Collection Regularly
The best towel storage system in the world won’t work if you have more towels than your home can reasonably hold.
We often hold onto old, scratchy towels “just in case,” but they end up taking up valuable real estate.
Take a few minutes to look through your towel stash.
If a towel is frayed or stained beyond repair, it’s time to move it out of your normal bath towel storage area.
The laundry room, mud room and garage are good places to store bath towels that are no longer in top condition for bathing purposes.
If the towels still have life left, you can make use of them to wipe muddy dog feet, dry a freshly washed car or clean up spills.
If you don’t wish to keep the towels or have too many in the rag bin, consider donating to an animal shelter or a local animal rescue organization.
A natural time to go through your towel collection is when you notice significant wear or you acquire new towels.
Make room for the new by moving out the older towels.
The bottom line is that keeping only what you actually use makes staying organized a whole lot easier.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bath Towel Storage, Maintenance and Organization
Here are some quick FAQs about towels!
How Many Bath Towels Should Each Person Have?
A question I frequently get asked when the topic of bath towels comes up is how many bath towels you should have on hand for each person.
The answer is that it depends on how frequently you do laundry.
Bath towels can be used about 3 times before being replaced with a fresh towel.
So if you’re doing laundry once a week, you’ll need about three bath towels per person.
If you’re doing laundry less frequently than once a week, you’ll need a larger stash of towels to ensure you don’t run out between laundry days.
Depending on bathroom traffic, hand towels may need to be replaced daily.
Washcloths should be replaced every few uses too, if not every time depending how dirty they get each use.
How to Keep Bath Towels Fresh and Absorbent?
Keeping bath towels absorbent is key since the entire point of using a towel is to dry off after a shower or bath.
One of the main culprits of bath towels that don’t absorb water is laundry softener.
The softener will build up on the fibers of towels, making them incapable of functioning properly.
So skip the laundry softener if you want your towels to last.
How to Get Rid of the Funky Smell in Bath Towels?
Funky smelling bath towels are gross and caused by a few things.
Using too much laundry detergent can cause an unpleasant smell to build up in the towels.
Make sure you’re using the right amount of detergent by reading the label on the laundry detergent bottle.
Concentrated laundry detergents for high efficiently washing machines are common but these detergents work much differently from non-concentrated formulas.
It doesn’t necessarily take a full cup of detergent to get your towels clean.
In addition to reading the label and adjusting the amount of detergent to the recommendations the label provides, you can also give the load an extra rinse to wash away remaining detergent.
This trick has really made a difference in how fresh my towels are, so give it a try.
Another cause of funky smelling towels is not letting them dry in between uses.
Spread the towel out over the towel bar to increase the amount of towel exposed to the air so it dried faster.
And make sure towels are completely dry before taking them out of the dryer and putting them away too.
A little bit of moisture can cause mildew to fester on the fibers.
Over to you
And there you have some fabulous bath towel storage ideas to consider for your home.
Towels are an essential item everyone uses, so learning how to best store them so they’re easily on hand, but out of the way when you don’t need them is important!
Happy organizing!
Organization Resources
Say goodbye to a messy and disorganized linen closet!
These printable linen closet organizing labels with pictures make it easy to get everything organized, neat and orderly in no time.
The classic black and white labels come with words and pictures, make it easy to find just what you’re looking for!
Easily organize your linen closet with these printable linen closet organization labels.
The minimal styling adds a touch of elegance to any space.
Say goodbye to messy, disorganized closets and say hello to having a tidy neat stack of sheets and towels on hand!
Transform your space and eliminate clutter with the Label All the Things Printable Home Organization Bundle.
Our comprehensive printable household label collection offers an instant, stylish solution to help everyone in your household know exactly where things belong.
Master your household management with the ultimate organizational tool: the Organized Life Binder.
Featuring expert-designed trackers and checklists across 815 pages, this system helps you eliminate paper clutter and streamline your daily routines so you can focus on what truly matters.
Stop struggling with the clutter that’s blocking you from enjoying your home. Get the guidance you need to transform your space without overwhelm.
Get your copy of Organize and Declutter Your Life today.
