We explore how to store textiles in bathrooms, where hygiene takes priority over decoration.
When you touch a towel or bathrobe in the bathroom, it should convey freshness, inviting softness and a sense of cleanliness. But can all bathroom textiles—those currently in use, already used or clean and unused—be stored in the bathroom? Let us consider the question under two headings: where should clean textiles be kept, and where and how can you dry wet textiles?
Experts do not recommend storing bathroom textiles, from towels to bathrobes, openly in the bathroom, whether wet or clean. They cite many reasons, from the humid environment that encourages mould and bacteria to the germs in water dispersed when the toilet is flushed. Science agrees on this point: dirty water splashed from the toilet is not as harmless as the liquids sprayed from hairspray or deodorant (the harmlessness of those products is also debatable, but that is not our subject here). Even when the toilet is kept clean, bacteria and viruses in the water dispersed from it can settle on towels and even your toothbrush, remaining on their surfaces for weeks.Precaution 1: Always close the toilet lid before flushing.Precaution 2: Make sure you ventilate the bathroom well after a shower.
Yes, we know: Pinterest boards are full of beautiful arrangements and fluffy towels rolled up in all kinds of baskets, beneath basins, on worktops or on shelves above toilets. Perhaps your own bathroom looks like this right now. Are you ready to give up this look for the sake of your health? Do not leave freshly washed, unused bath towels, hand towels, spare bath mats or even washcloths exposed in the bathroom.
If possible, avoid storing them beneath the basin worktop, whether the storage is open or enclosed.
It is best to keep all clean textiles in a room or cupboard outside the bathroom. If you have a spacious bathroom, another option is to store them in bathroom cupboards with doors or covered baskets. For hygiene, also take care to keep them ironed and neatly folded.
You may be surprised by the comfort a quality, densely woven towel and bathrobe set can offer, and the elegance it can bring to your bathroom. By quality textiles, we mean towels and bathrobes woven from ring-spun yarn made with long cotton fibres. These products have a greater sheen and absorbency, as well as better resistance to becoming stiff after washing.
When caring for these textiles, first hang them separately to dry after washing, outdoors if possible. Towels of this type are long-lasting and withstand repeated washing. If your bathroom textiles have been used three times in a week, it is time to change them. If you are particularly meticulous, change them every two days. Do not use too much detergent, wash at a low temperature and avoid fabric softener entirely, as it both stiffens them and reduces absorbency.
Cotton or linen peshtemals have become a popular bathroom choice in recent years thanks to their distinctive textures and colours, and the decorative contribution of their natural appearance. But there is another, more important reason for choosing them: despite being thin and light, they are more absorbent than towels and dry quickly. We recommend adding them to your shopping list for their other advantages too, including easy storage, water and electricity savings, lightness and sustainability.
However often you wash them, you shorten the life of bathroom textiles if you do not provide good ventilation for drying.
Choose heated towel rails, which also save space. Your towels will lose moisture faster, while you can keep the bathroom at an optimal temperature.
If you shower frequently or have a large family, you can use a towel ladder after showering. This allows you to hang several towels at once.
If you want a discreet, space-saving option, over-door towel racks work wonders.
Portable freestanding towel racks are, in a sense, towel versions of valet stands. You can move them to the bathroom, utility room or even the balcony to dry towels with plenty of air circulating around them.
Wall-mounted towel rails and towel rings are the most traditional options for drying towels. You can find models in a wide range of styles in the Kale Banyo collections.
