Why I Replace Every Towel Rack With Hooks—And You Should Too
Lovely individual hooks for a sanitary bathroom!
Regardless of why or how towel racks became the default in most bathrooms, I’ve never understood the appeal. I have a strong aversion to them. Not only are they usually installed in awkward or inconvenient places, but they’re also unattractive and wildly impractical.
Let’s break it down.
What’s Wrong With Towel Racks?
Here’s the issue: most bathrooms are shared spaces, and more than one person typically needs to hang a towel. That thin little bar on the wall? It can’t do much. Unless everyone’s carefully folding their towel (even when it’s wet—ew), it becomes a cramped, damp mess.
Even in a one-person household, I find towel bars to be inefficient. They don’t hold much, they’re hard to reach in small bathrooms, and aesthetically... they’re doing nothing for the space.
My Go-To Bathroom Storage Hack: Hooks
For years, I’ve been removing towel racks the moment I move in and replacing them with individual towel hooks. It’s a simple swap, but it completely changes the functionality of the bathroom.
BEFORE IMAGE - Standard, impractical Towel Rack
Hooks are:
Way more hygienic (no more bunched-up, wet towels)
Easier to use
More visually streamlined
Better for tight spaces
You don’t have to sacrifice style or convenience. In fact, hooks often elevate the look of the bathroom while solving a very real storage problem.
DURING IMAGE - The holes underneath the towel rack which you will use to hang your hooks!
Is This Renter-Friendly?
Yes! This is one of my favorite renter-friendly bathroom upgrades.
Here’s how to do it:
Use the existing holes from your towel rack to install your hooks.
Or, make new holes—but only within the area the original towel rack covered. That way, when you move out, you can reinstall the original rack, and any holes you made will be hidden behind it.
No damage, no drama, no losing your security deposit.
Potential Tools: Allen Wrench, Drill, Screwdriver
Quick, Customizable, & Actually Useful
Whether you're setting up your first apartment or rethinking your longtime home, replacing your towel rack with hooks is an easy, affordable way to make your bathroom more functional and livable. It’s a five-minute project that solves years of frustration.
I do it in every home I work in—and I do it in my own space, too.