55+ Best Beach Towel Storage Ideas

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Whether you go to the beach once a year or have a pool in your backyard, it can be a challenge for find the best way to keep your towels. As a professional organizer, mother of 3 and someone who grew up in Hawai’i, I’ve got the top 55+ beach towel storage ideas for you. (And these ideas work for pool towels, too.)

These oversized textiles take up precious space in linen closets and can quickly create clutter if not properly stowed. With a little organization and creativity, however, you can corral even the plushest of towels into compact, accessible storage solutions that keep them fresh, dry, and ready for your next sunny outing.

Having a designated storage solution for your beach towels is about more than just reducing clutter. When towels are haphazardly shoved into closets or drawers, they can emerge musty, wrinkled messes – not exactly what you want wrapped around you or your child after a refreshing dip in the water.

Proper storage ensures towels stay fresh and dry between uses. It also allows them to be easily accessible on the way out the door without frantic rummaging. With towels neatly organized, you can quickly account for the number you need and avoid last-minute scrambles to locate missing ones before beach or pool trips.

An organized towel storage area is the start to relaxing, hassle-free days on the sand and surf.

Where to Keep Beach Towels

When deciding where to store your beach towels, consider the situation, environment and location for easy access. 

The first step is to realize that you need different ways to store wet towels after use and clean towels after they’re washed and dried. 

Next you should consider where you have space to keep them and what location makes the most sense for your busy life and when and how you use the towels.

What to Do with Wet Towels

Figuring out what to do with damp ones after a pool or beach day is just as important as taking care of fresh, clean towels. Leaving wet towels crumpled in a bag or basket will result in mildew growth and smells.

Towels should be washed and dried as soon as possible, but we still have to do something with them before we can do that.

Ideally, you should hang or spread out towels to fully air dry before stowing them away. 

If taking this step isn’t possible right away, at least do not ball them up or place them in closed containers. Instead to keep your beach towels fresher, loosely drape them across a chair or surface that allows air flow until you’re able to thoroughly dry them. 

Storing Beach Towels Before Washing

Place them on towel hooks that allow air access.

Place them on a freestanding towel rack.

Place them over a fence or outdoor clothesline. 

Using a large mesh or ventilated beach bag or hamper can help until you can place them where they can dry completely until you’re able to wash and dry them.

Clean Pool Towel Storage

For convenience, pool towels should be stored in a location that is close to the pool area so it’s easy to grab one on the way to the pool. before and after swimming. 

For storing pool towels outdoors, be sure to consider whether pest infestation will be an issue and protect towels for long-term storage through the winter.

If you have an outdoor cabana, pool house, or shed right next to the pool, this makes for incredibly easy towel access. You can keep a dedicated clean towel storage basket or shelving unit here and grab dry towels before swimming. 

Waterproof deck boxes or patio storage containers are another poolside storage option. These can house towels as well as other swimming accessories like sunscreen and goggles.

For pools in backyard settings, a garage storage system such as shelves, bins, or cabinets allows you to locate towels just steps from the outdoor space. This preserves convenience while keeping towels out of the elements.

If your laundry room is located close to the pool area’s entrance, having towels here cuts down on wet footprints and drips through the house. An open hamper or shelving unit works well.

For apartment or condo dwellers, an entryway coat closet near the door to the pool area provides a close by yet out-of-sight storage solution for beach towels.

The key is keeping pool towels as close as possible to the swimming area and out of the elements for the easiest grab-and-go access.

Beach Towel Storage

If you are going to the beach frequently, for ease of access, store towels near exterior doors leading to the garage or driveway to make them easy to grab on the way out.

An ideal location is somewhere cool and dry with good air circulation. 

If you don’t need to access beach towels often, you can have more options in choosing a location:

• Upper Shelves or Closets Out-of-the-way spots like upper linen closet shelves or closets in guest rooms or basements can work well. Just be sure the area is dry and protected from moisture.
  • You can use shelf dividers to keep towels neatly stacked.
  • Use fabric baskets or plastic baskets to neatly hold them on the shelf.
• Under-Bed Storage bins that slide under beds make great off-season beach towel storage. The towels stay clean and dust-free until needed.
• Large storage bags that will keep them fresh and free of dust.
• Hanging over the door towel racks can be a space saver.
• Designating a garage storage shelf or cabinet for beach towels can be an option if it keeps them fresh but out of the way when not in frequent rotation.
• For long-term storage between beach seasons, packing away towels in plastic bins with tight lids in an attic, basement, or other storage area prevents mustiness.
• Armoires, extra hall cabinets, TV armoires, or china cabinets can house out-of-use beach towels neatly inside while putting their bright colors on display when the doors are open.
• Vacuum storage bags are great for keeping  towels compact and are space-saving in small spaces.

The main considerations are keeping infrequently used towels away from moisture sources like bathrooms, allowing good air circulation to prevent musty odors from developing during extended storage periods and keeping them protected from pests. With the right storage space, beach towels stay fresh until their next sunny outing.

Best Ways to Fold Beach Towels

The Classic Tri-fold method involves folding the towel into thirds lengthwise and then folding or rolling the resulting long strip into thirds again. It creates a compact rectangular bundle.

Lay the towel flat for the Space-Saving Roll and roll it up from one of the shorter ends, keeping it as tightly rolled as possible. This creates a compact cylinder shape that maximizes space in bins or shelves.

The Standing Fold starts by folding the towel in half horizontally, then vertically into thirds and finally in half again. This allows it to stand upright for easy grabbing and shelving.

The Bi-Fold Bundle is simply. Fold the towel in half twice to create a flat, manageable quarter-sized bundle that can be stacked.

The Rolled Towel can work well when you are organizing lots of towels. Fold the towel in half and then in half again. Starting at one of the short sides, roll the towel tightly. 

As a professional organizer, when I help clients organize beach towels, we discuss which folding and organizing methods will work best for them.

• Realistically, are you going to maintain a complicated folding process? 
• What’s the best way to organize for your family to use and put away towels? Does it make more sense to roll towels and stick them in an open basket or bin? Or do you want to fold them neatly and stack them so that the bright colors make a lovely decor statement?

I also figure out the best folding steps to fit the towels into the space that is available for storage. Use the folding methods above as a starting place to determine what works best for your personal preferences and for your space. There isn’t a one size fits all folding solution. 

Using these folding techniques helps keep beach towels neat, prevents wrinkling and makes the most of your storage space. Colored towels can be rolled or folded to display patterns.

Creative Storage Hacks

• Repurposed ladder or blanket ladder – Allows air to circulate and keep towels fresh.
• Towel roll or file folder organizer (unique and budget-friendly) – Repurpose a wine bottle rack magazine holder or file holder to organize your towels.

• Hanging shoe organizer- Roll towels and place in the pockets. This is a budget-friendly 
• Hanging Towel Ladder – Create a rustic towel ladder from an old wooden ladder or dowels and rope. Hang towels on the rungs.
• Over-the-Door Towel Bars – Install inexpensive tension rods or towel bars over any door (in the space between the ceiling and the top of the door) to hold towels up and out of the way.
• Repurposed Crate or Milk Crate – Stack or wall-mount wooden crates to create open cubbies for folded towels.
• Woven Basket Storage: Use woven baskets or storage bins to store folded towels on shelves or in closets.
• Upcycle crib rails to create a towel or blanket rack. 

DIY Beach Towel Storage

Fabric Hanging Pockets – Sew or repurpose fabric into hanging pockets or pouches to store rolled towels. If you’re tight on space, you can hang the crates up high on the way and out of the way.

PVC Pipe Towel Rack –  Cut PVC pipes into desired lengths and create a simple towel rack.

Clothesline with Clips – Install a clothesline or rope and use clothespins to hang towels for drying or storage.

Wooden Dowel Towel Rod – Mount a wooden dowel or curtain rod between two walls or cabinets for a simple towel bar.

Make a DIY Outdoor Standing Towel Rack with this tutorial from H2O Bungalow.

Use this tutorial from The Summery Umbrella to make your own DIY Bathing Suit or Towel Rack.

Build your own outdoor towel rack with this tutorial from Anika’s DIY Life.

You can create your own wall-mounted towel rack from scrap wood with this tutorial from Woodshop Diaries. 

Make your own DIY wooden pallet track with this video tutorial from Living to DIY with Rachel Metz.

More Beach and Pool Ideas

Finding creative and practical beach towel storage solutions makes your life easier with organized and easily accessible towels. Say goodbye to damp, musty towel clutter and hello to a well-organized beach-ready area that will make your sunny days even more enjoyable.