Just like Rodney Dangerfield, towel bars don’t get any respect. They are often an afterthought in American homes. But if you think about it, they are one of the most important additions you can make in a bathroom, kitchen or laundry room, as they allow towels to be readily available and to quickly air dry.

Choosing the right bars for your home isn’t rocket science. But there are some tricks of the trade that will help you in choosing the right towel bars for your home – tips that will make them more convenient and more useful.

When choosing the right bars, know that they come in different sizes. The most common stock sizes are 7-inch, 12-inch, 18-inch and 24-inch. If you need a size in between, many styles allow you to easily modify the length by simply sawing off the required inches from the next largest size. So, if you need a 20-inch bar you’d buy the 24-inch long on and saw off four inches.

When choosing the right towel bars for your bathroom, the first consideration is the location for each bar. You want the towels to be convenient for you and guests, so think about the room and where someone is likely to want a towel. Obviously, the sink and shower/tub are two natural places where towels will come in handy.

For the shower/tub, you want at least two towel bars. Thankfully, there are many models that have two integrated bars, with the lower one sticking our farther than the top one so the towels will hang freely. If you’re choosing the right towel bars for the shower/tub, make sure you have sufficient wall space to mount the bar. And if you have extra plush towels, make sure the space between the two bars is wide enough to easily and quickly hang the towels.

Choosing the right bars for the sink area is a little more complex. That’s because you’ll probably want to have a couple of hand towels and at least one, if not two, washcloths. You could conceivably go with two different towel bars – one hand towel sized and the other washcloth sized. Or you can layer them on a single bar, which is a good idea if you have limited wall space near the sink.

If you have twin vanities, you may need two racks, one on each end. If your space is really limited you may have to go with a smaller towel bar and do some creative folding of your towels.

When choosing the right towel bars for your bathroom, always try for the largest bar possible as fresh, dry towels are always appreciated by family members and guests. No one likes to latch onto a towel that is still damp from two days ago, especially when just stepping out of the shower.

Choosing the right towel bars for your kitchen is a bit more challenging, largely because space is always at a premium in kitchens. Because the walls are filled with mounted cabinets, it can be a real challenge to find towel bars that fit well. If you’re choosing the right towel bars for your kitchen, you may have to be a bit creative, such as getting a smaller bar and mounting it horizontally on the side of a cabinet near the sink. You could also go with a tiered bar, allowing the towels to cascade down a cabinet facing.

Finally, you want to make sure that any towel bars you choose fit the style of the room. It’s best to match the hardware in the room, such as the door pulls, handles and knobs of cabinets. You can also just go with wood, matching the color of the wood or stain to the ones in the room.

Author Bio: Jesse Akre owns Edenvale Shoppes and hosts numerous furniture and furnishings for any home whether it be towel bars or outdoor benches styles and designs.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: bath accessories,towel bars,towel hooks,towel racks,towel stands,towel rings