Easy Idea for Managing Kid Towels
Sat, Mar 14, 2009
Bathroom, Cleaning, Home Organization, Kid-Friendly Solutions
I am convinced that the person who invented towel rods did not have children. Not only are they tough for little hands to reach, but they’re only designed to hold one or two towels. When you’ve got four kids sharing the same bathroom you need a better way to keep soggy towels off the floor.
Last year, the magazine Real Simple suggested adding a loop of colored twill tape to your towels to help guests know which towel is theirs. I’ve never had that problem, but I thought the idea would work well in my kids’ bathroom.
I bought each child their own brightly-colored towel in the linens section of WalMart and found the twill tape in the craft area (next to the rick rack and zippers). To attach the tape to the towel, I simply made a loop, folded the ends under, and then stitched it to the midpoint of the towel several times with my sewing machine. The sturdy loops launder really well and are much easier for my kids to manage. I didn’t have room to install four hooks in my kids’ bathroom, so I have them hang their towels right on the shower curtain hooks
The kids are only allowed to use their own color of towel – that way I can tell who is responsible for any wet towels I find on the ground. In fact, I actually removed all the other towels from the linen closet so they don’t have the option to grab a new one if they neglected to take care of their own. It’s a simple solution that makes a big difference at our house. Just thought I’d pass it on.
I’m joining a few Linky Parties for this post…
Tags: Bathroom, bathroom organization, Kid-Friendly Solutions, loop, organize, shower, towel
March 15th, 2009 at 9:42 am
I love the idea of different color towels! I had friends growing up that were in a family of 5 kids and their mom had a similar problem with dishes being left around. So one day she took them all to the store (Big Lots I think) and they each picked out their own set of dishes and were responsible for cleaning them on their own. And that way if they left them out then she knew who to blame! It ended up working out GREAT in their family! If we end up with more than 2 kids I’ll be doing the same thing one day!
March 15th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
i just LOVE your site!! thanks for all the great tips and tricks that help your family. i get so excited when i see that you have a new post, because i know it will be something useful and most likely something i haven’t thought of. thanks, hayley
March 16th, 2009 at 12:51 am
This is a great idea, but how do you keep the kids from yanking the curtain rod down when they grab their towels? Mine have done that more than once.
March 16th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
I love this idea! I’m concerned like Adrian, too. When we moved into our current house there wasn’t even a towel rod in the bathroom so I put the towels on a door hook. But, you know me, I’m barely tall enough to reach it myself. What I really want to know, though, is where did you find that curtain? So super cute!!!
March 16th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I have six kids and would be crazy if they didn’t have their own towels to keep track of. However, when we built our home we didn’t install any towel rods. Instead, I ordered towel racks from a company called Hinge-It. They are racks that go behind the door and attach to the hinges so there is no permanent holes drilled. The one in the main bath holds four towels. They have other types of organizers as well. We have ones with hooks for snowpants in the mudroom and laundry room. Check them out, you might find you can’t live without them!!
March 16th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
So far, I haven’t had any problems with the towel rod coming down. My oldest daughter stands on our bathroom stool or the side of the tub to reach her towel. My other kids still take baths, so I get them down for them. When they’re finished they hang their towels on the doorknob and I pop them back up on the shower curtain the next time I’m walking by.
As for your question, Ally, I bought the curtain at Bed, Bath & Beyond for around $15. It was the only one I could find that was relatively gender neutral.
Thanks for the questions, ladies.
March 18th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
GREAT IDEA, I USE A SIMILAR METHOD AND IT WORKS GREAT WITH MY 4 KIDS. I ALSO GOT EACH THEIR OWN TOWEL IN THEIR OWN COLOR TO HELP SAVE ON LAUNDRY BECAUSE I WAS DOING EVERY TOWEL WE OWN EVERY OTHER DAY
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:10 am
good info
July 5th, 2009 at 8:13 am
That was a nice read.
May 11th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I just found your blog through Sumo’s Sweet Stuff. I have three kids and I love this idea. Different colored towels, why didn’t I think of that? Thanks for sharing.