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lisa_wi

Do towels really stay on hooks?

17 years ago

We are considering using towel hooks in our kids bathroom in the house we are currently building. I like the look of hooks and in theory they sound great, but do the towels stay on them? I like these by Smedbo, but not sure how well they will hold the towels. Any feedback on towel hooks in general?

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Smedbo Home towel hook

Comments (40)

  • 17 years ago

    Put towel rods in their bedrooms behind the door, and make them hang them up after they take a bath. Rather than clutter up a nice new bathroom with hanging towels on hooks, rods, shower handles, etc. You will not notice them behind a door, or in a closet if you will have "larger" sized closets. Many new homes have walk in closets in all rooms, and this would be ideal for a towel rod. You will get many differing opinions on this. Hooks work, but in my experience, not as effective as a rod in drying and keeping fresh.

  • 17 years ago

    We have hooks in our current bathroom on the back of the bathroom door. They stay on nicely even when opening and closing the door. Ours dry out fine but we are on the prairies, not sure if this would be the case in a more humid enviro.

    Our hooks are a more traditional variety than the ones you picture. Could you purchase one and try it before committing?

  • 17 years ago

    I have something similar to the "peg" towel hook pictured. We hang those giant bath sheets on them without any incident. Towel is always dry next morning.

  • 17 years ago

    In a kids' bath, towels stay on hooks a lot better when you charge your kids $1 every time you find a towel on the floor.

    Mongo

  • 17 years ago

    Large, heavy bath sheets (33x66) stay on and dry on hooks just fine here in New England, too. I MUCH prefer them to towel bars.

  • 17 years ago

    I just bought a few hooks for our newly remodeled bathroom. I'm tired of cramming a bunch of towels on a bar. A friend has a bathroom with just hooks and she loves it, especially for kids. I think I'll put one towel bar for hand towels and then 2 or 3 hooks. I read somewhere (here?) that the hooks that curve up hold better. That's what I bought. good luck!

  • 17 years ago

    I made small loops from the same fabric as my valance, stitched them on the side of each towel, and never have any problem with towels on the floor. This is in the bathroom shared by two teenage boys.

    {{gwi:1394144}}

  • 17 years ago

    I would love to see more pics of bathrooms with hooks and towels. We have space in our master bathroom next to the shower for one 18" rod or two hooks. If one rod, then one of us with need to put our towel on the opposite side of the bathroom (near the tub).

  • 17 years ago

    Get the shotty hanging towels out of the bathroom and into the bedrooms. With 3 kids, I could not stand looking at hooks and towels in a newly finished bathroom. I second the suggestion of a hook or rod behind the door. Better hygiene this way, unless you tell me besides the little hooks you sew on, you are labeling them too?

  • 17 years ago

    Nope, I don't label the towels but my boys are obsessive enough (their favorite show is "Monk") to keep track of which towel belongs to who ;-)

    Ann

  • 17 years ago

    I love the towel hooks I used. I am so glad I got the idea of hooks from this forum. They are easy to use, the towels get dry, and DH finds it easy to put his towel on the hook:

    {{gwi:1394145}}

    The hooks I used are from Restoration Hardware, the big flat bit on top makes it really easy to get the towel on and keep it on:

    {{gwi:1394146}}

    For those following the other towel thread, these towels are RIGHT next to the toilet AND I have towels above it - no other choice in my small bathroom:

    {{gwi:1394147}}

    Tina

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks Tina for the pics of the towels on the hooks and then the close up of the hook. It looks like a nice one to spread out the towels. I will check it out at Restoration Hardware.

    Does anyone know if the Satin Nickel from Restoration Hardware would match hansgrohe brushed nickel?

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks everyone for the input! I think we will go with the Smedbo hooks or something similar. If nothing else, I will sew loops on after the fact if they won't stay otherwise. I prefer to keep the towels in the bathroom since Mom and Dad are the ones that would have to remember to get the towels and replace them (boys are 3 and 1). I'm thinking we might get initial letters to put over each hook for each of the kids also to help them (and DH!) keep the towels straight. Now we just have to decide how many to get since we aren't sure if we will be done after one more or not!

    Lisa

  • 17 years ago

    bufflotina: Do you recall which collection you ordered from Restoration Hardware? I think your choice of hook is perfect and I also like your train rack--current plan is for a 24" towel bar on the tub side that will also double for the hand towels--we are also space challenged on that wall as well. I could not find a collection that had both items--did you mix and match between collections? How do you like the tissue paper holder? I would really prefer the style where you can slide the rolls on and off, but that does not have the style hooks that look most useful.

  • 17 years ago

    Hi valinsv,

    I know the RH lines VERY well, as I am still agonizing over final details on my bathroom. My train rack, TP holder and towel ring are from the Asbury line - I chose it because I loved the train rack in that line better than the others and the glass shelf too, although I ended up not using the shelf. It was only later that I decided to do towel hooks. I went to the store and the Asbury hooks were not very good for holding towels. The hooks I got are from their Chatham collection and I think they are far better than regular hooks for towels. They hold the towel a nice distance from the wall too. So yes, I did mix and match their collections. I do like the Chatham train rack too though, and that even has the same Chatham hooks on its bottom rail. I have yet another collection in my tub - the Gatco Marina shower rod and grab bars, so everything is mixed and matched.

    I am fine with the TP holder - the type you mention I believe is what they call "European". I like mine as I was trying for a vintage/period look and I think the others are too modern looking. I usually change the roll "in situ" while using the toilet and I don't find it a hardship.

    Good luck!

    Tina

  • 17 years ago

    I have the price pfister catalina hook and towels stay on it just fine. I've never had one fall off. I love the hook & am planning on raising it a little bit & putting another down lower underneath it. I'm switching to orb in that bathroom so I'll be putting up the Delta Victorian hooks after I repaint.
    {{gwi:1394148}}

    {{gwi:1394149}}

  • 17 years ago

    Almost all towels and bath robes have the 'care label' that is folded before sewing it on and you could use that to hang the towel by. Also use a permanet marking pen if you want to have your name on it.

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks, Tina, for the details. Your bathroom sounds lovely.
    I went to RE today and ordered 2 hooks from the Lugarno collection (very similar to yours) and the rest from the Campaign collection--the train racks are cool but to much $$ - as I still have another bath to do also. I never would've thought of mixing and matching between the lines--but yours look great and I agree it's more important to get a good quality hook. I brought my faucet level from hansgrohe and it matched quite well with the Satin Nickel, though when you put them next to each other the brushed nickel from hansgrohe was a tad warmer, but not so you'd notice from a short distance. Would you mind measuring how far apart you have the two hooks? I should have about 18" on that wall so was thinking about 8-9" apart. We're just getting ready for dry wall, but I want to be prepared when they ask where I want them.

    For the other bathroom, I was thinking of Bistro, but didn't like it in the flesh, so to speak so guess I'll wait until the Grohe fixtures come in to decide. Any other hardware lines you'd recommend? I really want the Eurostyle holder for that bathroom as well--it's directly off the family room and know the TP is bound to left on the floor for me to change.

  • 17 years ago

    valinsv,

    Check GATCO - they may have TP holders in the style you want. I like eqwip.com for purchasing Gatco items.

    My hooks are 13" apart - center on center. The towels do not touch each other when on the hooks. Also, blocking was installed behind the beadboard/wall for all my accessories - you need it because attaching just to drywall would not be satisfactory. I recommend having your accessories all ready and measure up where you want them so your contractor can install blocking before the drywall goes up.

    Tina

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks, Tina, for measuring and the advice. I do already have the blocking there--it's along the entire wall between shower end and the door so that will leave my options open after drywall for placement. Ours may be a bit of a tighter fit--guess I'll eyeball once the shower and trim is in. I love your beadboard--I was to do it originally, but we shrunk down the bathroom to squeeze in a private study for my DH so there is not enough room on the wall anymore--so we decided to switch over to an espresso look. Thanks also for the suggestions for GATCO for the other bath, I'll look into it. I'm also rethinking my sconces choice for that room.

  • 17 years ago

    My hooks do not have blocking - I used good quality wall anchors. I like the metal self-drilling ones that look like big screws with a hole in the middle rather than the little tap-in plastic jobbies (which came with my hooks and I threw away). I think the brand name is E-Z Ancor? I get them from Home Depot. They're rated for 50 pounds each and I'd hate to see the wet towel that weighs 50 pounds. :-)

    nsf798, if that bathroom gets heavy use (kids perhaps, or a resident big clumsy ox like my DH :-)) think twice about the Delta Victorian hooks. I've been having some trouble with mine being a tad wobbly. Not fall-apart wobbly, just the hook part going crooked and needing to be adjusted frequently, like the set screw doesn't hold things together quite tightly enough. The set screws' Allen-wrench holes also strip at the drop of a hat. I'm thinking about breaking out the E-6000 (a fantastic glue) and just gluing the darn things together. (I chose them because I was super picky about the toothbrush holder, and that was the only side-insert toothbrush holder I could really afford.) It's not the weight of two bath towels, either, because the hook with only one puny hand towel keeps going off kilter too.

  • 17 years ago

    Johnmari, Can you use the E-Z anchor straight into drywall then? I would like to get some for my downstairs powder room where I am putting new towel ring, shelf etc and will have to mount them straight onto drywall with nothing behind.

    Thanks.

    Tina

  • 17 years ago

    That's what they're made for, Tina, anchoring stuff into drywall where there aren't any studs. I found the manufacturer's website and see that they're available at Lowes and Menards (which we don't have here) as well as HD. I use the metal ones, I don't trust plastic. :-) FWIW, eight of the "Zinc Medium Duty" anchors rated for 50 pounds hold up my {{gwi:1394143}} very securely (and all of those drawers are stuffed now, too). The other cool thing about these metal screw-in ones is that you can unscrew them out of the wall and use them again somewhere else, which makes a neater hole to patch as well; you don't have to just bash them through the drywall and leave a big messy hole when you don't need your widget there anymore.

    BTW, for grab bars, the Snaptoggle from Toggler meets minimum shear load requirements per ADA.

  • 17 years ago

    does anyone have the price pfister georgetown hooks? I wanted to purchase them since they go with our faucets but it doesn't look like towels will hang on them. Any thoughts?

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks Johnmari! I can't wait to get some of those wall anchors - they look great.

  • 17 years ago

    The hooks seem like a great idea. I should have read this earlier - DH just hung towel bars yesterday!

  • 17 years ago

    We have BIG hooks on the back of our bathroom door (they were already there when we bought the house) and the towels stay on just fine. Those little metal ones look like they wouldn't work though. I hate when any type of hook is too small for the job--whether it's towels or coats.
    As for hooks vs. bars, towels dry more slowly on hooks because they are more bunched up...but bars need so much more space than hooks do. I think I'll stick with hooks.

  • 17 years ago

    We are trying to decide between the following hooks:

    1.

    2.
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  • 17 years ago

    I personally would never consider #2 because I couldn't see a towel staying on there at all. I think #3 is best, but #1 would probably be ok too.

  • 17 years ago

    I was thinking the 3rd was the best also. BTW does anyone have any pictures of how they arranged 2 hooks and a towel bar on one wall?

  • 17 years ago

    Resurrecting this topic...I've been reading on towel bars vs. hooks and think we'd really like to try the hooks this time.

    Do you need blocking if the hooks are drilled through tile (backed by cement board)? Thanks!

  • 17 years ago

    Please - Could you post pictures of your hooks?

  • 17 years ago

    We did end up going w/ hooks (they are called robe hooks). They work OK but we have to make sure to get the towel all the way on and not just the tip, if that makes sense. Maybe another style would be easier but I took a shine to these. ; )

    I also like the look of the towels hanging there, instead of lopsided on towel bars.
    Susan ~

    Here is a link that might be useful: Gatco Austin hooks

  • 17 years ago

    Here's mine, with two big bath towels hanging on a Delta Victorian double hook. No, we have had no problems with the damp affecting the wainscot - we used a good varnish.
    {{gwi:1394152}}

  • 17 years ago

    I live in Georgia, and we have frequent thunderstorms and high humidity. Even with central air, I did not like the hooks. The towels never dried for me in the folds, and that made a mildew smell. I usually do a load of towels every day for that reason, but we use our towel warming bar even in the summer or else the towels do not dry if we reuse them.

  • 17 years ago

    We haven't rec'd ours yet but this is what we plan on installing.

    Here is a link that might be useful: rh hooks

  • 17 years ago

    Towels stay on the hook just fine, but I also find that they do not dry adequately for our taste -- we don't wash them every day, but most days we do dry them in the dryer (one of the benefits of having the laundry on the 2nd floor).

    I would love to post a picture, but that stupid ad on Photobucket keeps covering over my album links before I can click on it. Anyone know how to get rid of it?

  • 7 years ago

    Which RH chatam hook? single or double?

  • 7 years ago

    Yes towels stay on hooks if they are big enough. These Bobrick B-211 hooks will take multiple robes and towels.

    http://washroominc.com/product/bobrick-b-211-heavy-duty-clothes-hook-with-exposed-mounting/?gclid=CJCWrY-QqtICFZGKswodKL4IIA