Home Improvement Kitchen Remodel & Repair

5 Creative Options for Hanging Kitchen Towels

a well organized kitchen

Lauren Edmonds / Stocksy 

In nearly all kitchens, hand towels are an indispensable item, used for everything from drying hands and dishes to wiping up emergency spills. If you do not have one or more spots dedicated for towels, you know how irritating it is to search for one just when you need it. Hand towels can also be an important style accessory, adding color and pattern to the kitchen.

Finding the right places for hanging your towels can save a great deal of annoyance, and can also contribute a decorative element. But it can be difficult to find the perfect towel holder, especially if your space is limited or there is no ideal place for a towel bar.

Here are five ideas for placing kitchen towels so they are always available and look great, too.

  • 01 of 05

    Appliance Handles

    Kitchen towel hanging on an oven door handle

    Stacy Zarin Goldberg

    It's easy to utilize what you already have and hang your kitchen towels on any available appliance handles. The great thing about this option is it doesn't require driving screws into walls or cabinets to install towel bars. You can easily implement this concept in almost any kitchen.

    This strategy works best on appliances where the handles are at eye level, such as a wall oven. Hanging a towel on anything lower causes the towel to drag on the floor every time you open the appliance door.

  • 02 of 05

    Hidden Towel Bars

    Cabinet towel holders
    Rev-A-Shelf

    If you are the kind of person who just can't stand an exposed hand towel, there are options. The easiest is to mount a towel bar to the back of a cabinet door. Most people choose to do this under the sink because it's conveniently located where you need towels most often.

    You can also use a towel bar pull-out to hang several towels. Companies like Rev-A-Shelf have units for both of these solutions. These accessories are usually quite easy to install yourself.

  • 03 of 05

    Draped Over the Sink

    Colors that go with sage green

    The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

    Especially for kitchens with drop-apron farmhouse sinks, draping the towels over the front of the sink can be a perfectly suitable way to hang them. Towels hung in this fashion will dry without wrinkles and will be at ready grasp whenever you need one.

    But avoid draping damp towels this way if they will hang over wooden base cabinets. Moisture can stain varnished cabinets or even harm the wood.

  • 04 of 05

    Exposed Towel Bars

    Craftsman oak kitchen with towel bar on island
    Fotosearch / Getty Images

    A towel bar under the sink or inside a cabinet isn't practical in some kitchens or for some users. And many towels are very attractive—it's a shame to hide them away. That's why you might want to consider adding exposed towel bars in your kitchen design. Exposing your towels also gives you the ability to use attractive designer hand towels, which can be a great way to introduce color and pattern into a kitchen design.

    Don't be afraid to consider towel bars designed for bathrooms. Bath towel bars are available in many decorative styles and finishes that can complement your kitchen. But be aware that because bathroom towel bars are designed for large bath towels, they tend to stick out a full 3 to 4 inches, which can be awkward in smaller kitchens. If, however, you have a countertop overhang of 4 to 6 inches, this might work perfectly. It's a feature that can work well on kitchen islands, where bathroom towel bars are ideal for stashing all the kitchen towels you need.

    Continue to 5 of 5 below
  • 05 of 05

    Appliance Pulls

    Top Knobs TK141BB For Kitchen Towel Bar / Nar Fine Carpentry
    Nar Fine Carpentry / Top Knobs

    If you can't spare the aisle or cabinet space, you can use an appliance pull as a towel bar. Appliance pulls are add-on specialty handles designed specifically for appliances that can accept exterior panels styled to match the cabinetry.  

    The advantage of this type of pull handle is that they are longer than typical cabinet pulls—anywhere from 12 to 30 inches long. They also project farther from the cabinetry and allow the towel a sufficient amount of clearance. You can find them in a variety of lengths, finishes, and styles, so there's sure to be one that fits your kitchen design.