The One Place You Never Want To Store Extra Paper Towels And Why

Since paper towels are one of the common household items you should buy in bulk to save money, it makes sense that you might have lots of extra rolls at your disposal. The only concern now is where to store them. If you're thinking of the laundry room, think again. While many folks view the laundry room as the perfect space for extra storage in the home, it's really not ideal for paper towels. And the problem isn't a lack of space — you may have sizable cabinets that can fit a dozen rolls of these paper products. The issue is the surrounding environment.

As the epicenter of washing and drying clothes, the laundry room is constantly exposed to moisture. When the washing machine and dryer run, water and heat come into contact, releasing moisture into the air through evaporation. Now, the problem with having paper towels stored in such a humid environment is the fact that they're highly absorbent. This means they'll absorb moisture during storage, become damp, and therefore become unusable.

If you leave a stash of paper towels in your laundry room, they will absorb the moisture that is evaporating into the room from your regular washing cycles. Consequently, the paper will puff up, and the multiple layers will stick together, making them unrollable for regular use. The dampness can also lead to a nasty musty odor that no one wants to smell on their paper towels. Over and above that, paper towel rolls exposed to constant humidity can easily grow mold or mildew. This can cause health problems and expose you to a range of respiratory and allergic reactions. As a result, you'll have no choice but to discard all those rolls. What a waste.

So, what do you do if you can't store your extra paper towels in the laundry room? Well, some of the perfect paper towel storage areas include your pantry, hallway linen closet, and a spare room. The goal is to get a cabinet that's in a dry area, far from humidity or any kind of moisture. For extra precaution, even if the room where you keep your extra paper towels is free of humidity, you may want to keep the rolls in a sealed bin or basket to reduce the risk of water or moisture getting in. Once the bulk of your extra paper towels is safely stored, you can try some of the genius DIYs to store the paper towels you use daily.