I Never Put Paper Towels on My Kitchen Counters, Thanks to This Trick

Although I’m working on using fewer paper towels day-to-day, I tend to go through them pretty quickly. I have no space in my tiny kitchen for that bulky roll on my countertop — instead, I’ve used the smartest space-saving trick for storing paper towels for over five years.

The typical paper towel holder’s base sits on a surface and the roll stands vertically, but as pointed out on Apartment Therapy recently, that’s not the only kind there is. I’ve used a mounted paper towel holder ever since I moved into my apartment, and it’s one of my very favorite organizers.

I mounted a silver paper towel holder from Amazon (similar to this one) onto the side of my kitchen cabinets back in 2021, and it hasn’t budged since. What I especially love about this trick is that it’s a totally renter-friendly way to store paper towels; I didn’t want to screw it into my cabinet, so I used the included 3M adhesive pad on the back of the mount, which was easy and durable.

The versatility of this type of paper towel holder is amazing. You can mount it on the side, front, or underside of your cabinets, or you could even put it on a wall or backsplash, either vertically or horizontally, depending on what works best for your space. My favorite thing about the version I bought from a brand called Tindbea (that’s no longer available online) is that the angle is adjustable, so I can pivot it in and out of the way depending how big the roll is, or if I need to make space.

This alternative paper towel holder style is so smart not only because it’s so perfect and customizable for small kitchens, but it also keeps paper towels off of your countertops. It feels more sanitary, saves so much precious space, and because it’s just slightly out of the way, I do think it helps me use fewer paper towels (out of sight, out of mind!). It’s also waterproof and rustproof, so it’s safe to use in any room in the house.

I’ll never use a regular paper towel holder again — and, in fact, you can use this style of organizer to store lots of other items, too, like toilet paper, cling wrap, aluminum foil, hand towels, or hooks to hang small kitchen or bathroom essentials. Soon, I’ll have one for each and every one of my niche storage needs.