The Kitchen Item That Can Save Your Towels From The Floor

Trying to keep your hanging hand towels from falling is frustrating, to say the least. You don't want your towels to get dirty from being on the floor, and it's annoying to have to stop whatever you're doing to continually pick them up. If you're tired of reaching for your kitchen towel only to see it's crumpled up on the floor, you might be in the market for a towel clip. Towel clips, somewhat similar in style to a bag clip you would use to keep an open bag of chips closed, help keep towels firmly secured on a towel rod (or oven door handle). In the world of minor kitchen irritations, towel clips can be a real lifesaver. 

To use a towel clip, simply fold your kitchen towel over the oven door handle, as you normally would, and then place the clip over the towel and handle. The clip's rounded shape will hug the handle and keep the towel snuggly in place. In theory, this will make it easier to both dry your hands on the towel and to use the oven, as the towel won't be falling off with every bit of movement. If this appeals to you, there are several towel clip options available. You can get something simple, like these small, clear Iba Innovation Towel Clips, or, if you prefer something more stylized, you can check out the Towel Charms from Soigne Studios, which feature whimsical figures, such as flowers or a cowboy boot. 

A towel clip works as advertised, but it's not the best solution for everyone. Your first question should be how often you'll actually use it. If you regularly grab your dish towel to clean a mess or use it as a last-minute potholder, a towel clip will probably end up in the back of a drawer — after all, would you really want to be constantly unclipping your towel? Plus, if your towel is your go-to cleaning implement, the oven door handle might not even be the most sanitary storage spot in the first place — the handle can pick up all kinds of germs from raw ingredients and dirty hands. That said, if your kitchen towels are more for decoration and the occasional hand-drying, a towel clip could be a reasonable purchase.

The other factor to keep in mind is safety. If you have young children or curious pets, a towel clip can become a choking hazard. When you put the clip on an oven door handle, it will be well within a child's reach, meaning that it could easily end up in their mouth. Furthermore, if you get one of the more stylized towel charms, there can also be sharper elements that can potentially scratch the skin or poke at a little one's head. 

However, if childproofing isn't a relevant concern, and you truly have a good use for towel clips, they can be an unexpected item that instantly upgrades your kitchen.