I’m Deb Kowalski in Port St. Lucie. Here in Florida, as of early October, the towel bar beside the tub still invites a familiar reflex: reach for it when stepping in or out. I’ve treated the one in my house as a handhold, too. It is right there, and it looks firmly attached.
This fall, I’m breaking that habit. A place to hang a towel and a place to put my weight are different things, however similar they look from across the bathroom. The important question is not whether I can get my fingers around the bar. It is whether that bar is meant to hold me when I need support.
Next stepIf you use a towel bar for support, ask a handyman to install securely fastened grab bars by the tub.Discuss installing grab bars→Free · Your number stays private
What the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says this about the towel rack: “Avoid pulling up on the sink, a towel rack or soap dish to get up from the toilet or bathtub. These are not intended to support your weight and may come off the wall.”…