Woman's Smart IKEA Hack Keeps Bathroom Towels Off Floors And Counters

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Bathroom towels are a blessing and a curse. They make the space look cozy and spa-like but also take up space and add to the chaos if they don't have a designated storage zone. Finding new and innovative ways to organize this room can be tricky. With a small IKEA hack, though, you'll gain an inexpensive and effortless solution. Instagram creator @bysandradiy showed off this smart repurposing project that, surprisingly, centers on the SVARTABBORRE baking sheet rack. Yes, it's a baking tool for the kitchen. But with a couple of wall fasteners, you can transform it into stylish towel storage in the bathroom and customize it to fit your home.

The way this hack works is by using the four extending rungs of the cooling tray as shelves to stack and hang towels. It's simple yet elegant and doesn't require you to measure and install shelving, clutter up your linen closet, or find space on the bathroom counter to stack hand towels. This is one of those bathroom storage ideas that will leave you breathless, partly because it isn't just great for towels. On the bottom inner rod (close to the wall), add extender hooks to hang a few extra items. In the video, the creator used some SKOGSVIKEN door hooks picked up from IKEA. Put a few of these in place, and you can hang your loofah, soap on a rope, or a few decorations from the hooks at the bottom to amp up the style in the room.

To get this project off the floor and onto your bathroom wall, you'll need a couple of wall hooks (such as COCOYA Wall Hooks) to hold the rack from the crossbars on the back of the unit. Put up traditional wall hooks by screwing them into the bathroom wall for the most stability, or try adhesive hanging strips like Command Heavyweight Picture Hanging Strips for damage-free installation. Consider how much weight you want to support, and be sure to purchase the corresponding adhesive strips. This is especially important when hanging wet towels, as water adds a lot of weight.

To secure the hooks to the wall, locate studs for mounting. Drill pilot holes before installing the hooks into the studs with screws. If you can't install one or more hooks into a stud, install toggle bolts in the wall for the sturdiest anchoring possible. Ensure the hooks are level with one another on the wall so the rack doesn't slant. To hang the hooks with adhesive strips, clean the wall with rubbing alcohol. Apply the adhesive strips to the wall where you want to hang the hooks. Wait one hour before pressing the back side of the hook onto the stickies, and wait another hour before mounting the baking rack onto it.

Place a folded towel on the top and second bars of the rack, and add hooks onto the bottom rung to hang trinkets or extra towels. Personalize with paint, add a plank of wood to the top rung to use as a shelf, or create an accent area behind the rack with peel-and-stick wallpaper. No more towels on the floor, and no breaking the bank on a new shelf installation — such a neat fix.