15 Creative Ways to Store and Display Kitchen Towels

A kitchen towel is a trusty kitchen workhorse - helping us cook, clean, wipe, dust, and more.

It’s no wonder most of us want these within easy reach, especially during meal prep time or cleaning chores.

So, here we are with 15 clever kitchen towel holder ideas to keep your stock of tea towels, dishcloths, and paper towels organized and within easy reach.

15 Practical and Convenient Kitchen Towel Holder Ideas

With all the chores they help with, it’s always good to have a decent stock of kitchen towels.

However, having all these extra towels can be quite troublesome if you haven’t already worked out a storage strategy. Well, we’re here to help you with that.

1. Hang them on Appliance Pulls

Let’s kick off this list with something already present in your kitchen: Appliances. Instead of busting your toolkit to install a metal rack, appliance pulls to hang the towels.

We’re talking handles on the doors of dishwashers, wall ovens, refrigerators, and ranges—especially dishwashers, as they’re usually placed closest to the sink.

Granted, you’ll not be able to store or display your entire collection of kitchen towels, but appliance handles make for readily available towel-drying spots. Don’t you agree?

2. Use a Magnetic Towel Bar

A magnetic towel bar is effortless to set up and super convenient to have around the kitchen. It’s typically made of aluminum and comes with two strong magnets to attach it to metal surfaces, like dishwashers, ranges, microwaves, and refrigerators.

While there are plenty of options floating online, we love the one by Lekusha. Once stuck, it stays put and doesn’t shift under the weight of the towels (including damp ones). These bars won’t, however, work on stainless steel appliances as they need magnetic surfaces to stay in place.

3. Install a Kitchen Island Tower Bar

If your layout includes an island, put it to use for stashing all your extra kitchen towels instead of hanging them on appliances or cabinet handles. There are plenty of ways you can utilize a kitchen island for towel storage.

For starters, you could install a sleek bar on one side of the island to hang dry the towels. Plus, most islands come with built-in storage in the form of cabinets, drawers, and open shelves.

Use that space to organize your kitchen towel collection. Getting some add-ons in the form of wire baskets will make the task easier.

4. Use Over the Cabinet Towel Holders

Over the cabinet, towel racks like the ones by Mosuch are as easy to install as magnetic towel bars. All you need to do is to zero down on a cabinet and hang the rack over the door.

The cabinet closest to the sink is a handy spot to install these racks. If you plan on using these racks to dry damp towels, we recommend picking sturdy cabinets made from material that can hold up well to moisture.

5. Use Adhesive Push Towel Hooks

We promised the first few options on this list would be a breeze to get up and running. These nifty round holders by S&T Inc. are that and more.

They come with a grippy adhesive back panel to stick them on to smooth surfaces. But what we loved the most was the clever little push hook feature to keep your towels in their place.

Just stuff the dishcloth with a finger into the slot to hang it. And when it’s time to use the towel, grab it and remove it from the hook with the slightest pull. It’s as simple as that.

6. Display them on a Ladder

A ladder in the kitchen is a space-saving storage option if you don’t mind having the cleaning towels on display. Repurpose a spare ladder if you have one, or buy this tall and sleek towel rack by Ousheng.

If you’re worried about the ladder slipping off, don’t be. It comes with grippy pads and a mounting hardware kit to fix it securely to the wall.

7. Drape them Over the Sink

This is pretty much a no-brainer for kitchens with large, divided sinks, but we’ll still put it on the list. Simply drape the used kitchen towels over the dry side of the sink, away from the faucet, and you’re good to go.

That said, this hack makes more sense for air-drying out damp towels before transferring them to a dedicated holder like a drawer or a rack.

Towels draped over the sink also work wonders in creating a homely, lived-in look for your kitchen - if that’s your jam.

8. Use a Countertop Paper Towel Dispenser

This stainless steel towel dispenser by Niffgaff keeps kitchen towels in place without eating too much into the precious countertop space. However, its rod design makes it more suitable for storing a standard-sized roll of paper towels. The best part? It’s got a solid, heavy base that leaves no room for slips and lets you tear the towel sheet swiftly and hassle-free.

9. Set up a Basket Countertop Display

This storage idea works out nicely for those with some room to spare on the countertop.

But first, you might need to channel your inner Marie Kondo.

Start by folding the towels in a tidy fashion and line up them in a basket. It’s not only practical, but all those towels stacked side by side show that you’re someone who loves to keep things tidy and organized.

10. Hang Dry on Swing Arm Towel Rack

Keep wet towels off cabinet handles and appliance pulls by installing a wall-mounted towel rack. This is particularly great for smaller kitchens that don’t have room for freestanding holders.

You can mount it on the wall and use it to dry out tea towels, dishtowels, and cheesecloth before placing them inside a drawer or an organizer.

We love this multi-purpose chrome swing arm rack by Decko. Anchored to a robust die-cast back plate, the three arms on this rack can be spread out to accommodate wet towels and washcloths.

11. Install Under the Cabinet Towel Holder

Keep your rolls of paper towels off the countertop and under the cabinet towel dispenser by theaoo. While it comes with a self-adhesive feature, we recommend you mount it to minimize the chances of it coming loose.

That said, the adhesive sticks well on most flat surfaces, like smooth and textured tiles, marble, metal, and wooden walls.

12. Turn a Cloth Hanger into a Towel Ring

Up for a DIY project? Good!

Let’s build a towel holder out of a cloth hanger. Here’s what you need to do: Get hold of a metal cloth hanger.

The thinner, the better.

Now, bring out a wire cutter from your tool kit and cut one side of the hanger right where it meets the hook. Bend the wire and straighten the corners using pliers. Bring the bent wire to where the hook of the hanger to make it look like a ring.

Now, wrap it and cut the extra wire. And voila! Your DIY kitchen towel ring is ready!

13. Hidden Towel Holder

Not everyone loves a lived-in look with towels draped over the sink or hanging off hooks and racks.

If that’s you, then all you need is to attach a metal bar to the back of any cabinet door to keep the towels concealed.

You could even go ahead and install it under the sink because that’s where you need the towels the most.

However, with this solution, you’ll need to make sure you open the cabinet door frequently to air the towels and keep them from going moldy.

14. Invest in a Pull-Out Towel Rail

Consider investing in a pull-out base cabinet filler with a wooden bars fitted inside.

The one by Rev-a-Shelf seems to be worth exploring. This extendable rack can be installed in between two base cabinets, making it perfect for keep the dishcloths and tea towels clean, dry, and ready for use.

15. Fold and Store in a Dedicated Drawer

There are only so many racks and holders you can install in the kitchen. And even then, you can hang more than a few towels there.

What if you have a large collection of cleaning rags, dishcloths, and tea towels? You’ll need a dedicated storage space for them. Shift a few things around and reorganize to make room for a drawer exclusively for storing clean and dry kitchen towels.

Tips to Keep Your Stored Kitchen Towels Smelling Fresh

With all the cleaning, dusting, and wiping they help us with, kitchen towels frequently require thorough cleaning.

Otherwise, it won’t take long for them to become thriving hubs of mold, mildew, and bacteria.

Just follow the tips below to keep them in good shape and smelling good.

• Round up all the dirty dishcloths you used in the day, toss them in the washer, and run a gentle cycle. Don’t wash them with the rest of your laundry for hygiene reasons.

• If your towels are made from cotton or a similar plant-based fabric, avoid harsh laundry detergent, bleach, or fabric softeners so as not to damage the natural fibers.

• Go for classic hang drying on racks, handles, and towel bars. If you plan on using a dryer, tumble dry on a low heat setting. Toss in some wool dryer balls to speed up the drying process and protect the fibers.

• To tackle dingy, smelly towels, try soaking them in a mixture of baking soda, water, and vinegar. Not only will this hack make the smell vanish, but also the most stubborn of stains.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to the most hardworking household tool, kitchen towels get our vote. So, it’s a good idea to buy high-quality towels that can serve you for a long time, like the Organic Cotton Mart’s collection of kitchen towels.

Each towel is made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton - an eco-friendly, natural, non-toxic fabric and is designed to bring heaps of convenience to your cleaning routine.

That’s not all.

Unlike most kitchen towels in the market, our towels come with a hanging loop, making them super practical and easy to store.