The Trick To Make Bathroom Suction Cups Stick Better

Whether they're used to secure shower shelves or to help keep washroom clutter out of sight, suction cups are a surprisingly useful addition to any bathroom. However, suction cups are typically not permanently attached to whatever surface they're stuck to, which means they can lose their grip and drop anything they were holding up. If you can't get suction cups to stick, the issue may be that they're too stiff to attach to a wall or mirror. Luckily, you can quickly loosen up stubborn suction cups by giving them a quick bath in boiling water.

Plastic suction cups need to be submerged in boiling water for only about 30 seconds before they should be soft enough to fully attach to a surface. Depending on how good the plumbing is in your bathroom, you may not even have to go to the kitchen to boil the suction cups; just carefully hold them under the running hot water tap and dry them before putting the suction cups to use.

Regardless of whether they've been boiled, suction cups usually don't work well when attached to textured, wet, or grimy surfaces. Give whatever place you want to put the suction cups a good cleaning, and make sure it's completely dry before you try to adhere anything to it. If sticking boiled suction cups to a thoroughly cleaned surface doesn't work, there are a few other tricks to try.

Suction cups work by creating a seal between themselves and a flat surface, so if the wall you're sticking to has a lot of bumps or grooves, the gaps that texture creates in the seal may be what's keeping the cups from working. To help suction cups stick to nicked surfaces, try spreading a thick layer of petroleum jelly between them and the wall. Then, squish the suction cups in so that the excess jelly squeezes out and ensures no air can sneak in to break the suction. This method will make the suction cups extra sticky, so it's probably not a good idea for this hack to keep the shower curtain from blowing in.

Another simple, less goo-centered way to solidify the bond between suction cup and wall is to artificially create a smoother surface. All you need is a square of clear packing tape a little bigger than the suction cup. After cleaning the intended suction site, firmly press the tape to the surface, using your nail or another tool to make sure there are no air bubbles. The tape should smooth out the wall enough so that suction cups can attach with ease. This method might be better than using petroleum jelly in places that see a lot of moisture, like the shower. These techniques can help any suction cups stick better, including the ones for a space-saving alternative to towel holders.