Incredibly long lasting shower shelf with no drilling?

November 25, 2024 4:04 PM

Recently, y'all hooked me up with some sweet lighting for the bathroom, thank you! Now do you have any shelving suggestions for that same bathroom that the lights can be placed on that do not require drilling holes?

This is a pretty straightforward ask (I think), just want two shelves to place at either end of the shower that can hold about a pound of weight.

I'm guessing that a particular suction cup type shelf that one of y'all is using has stayed stuck to the shower wall an incredibly long time. Like at this point you're wondering if it'll ever fall, and you have happy shelf anniversaries every few months that shelf has remained up, steady as rock. You don't want to admit it out loud, but you do consider it a friend, just for how strong and dependable it's been.

If so, could you tell me the name of that shelf or pop in a link?

Am open to other suggestions that do not require drilling. It's phobia of sorts.

posted by Brandon Blatcher to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

I have this exact corner shelving unit in my shower.

I installed it in the summer of 2020 and haven't had to touch it or readjust it since. Each shelf is full and in active use, including one shelf on which I keep two Costco size pump bottles and can stand up to the additional pressure of pumping. May not be the cutest piece of bathroom shelving kit, but does what it's supposed to do and only took a few minutes of swearing and zero tools to install.
posted by phunniemee at 4:49 PM on November 25 [1 favorite]

I have used a product like As Seen on TV, Alien Tape. Holds for years. I went on Amazon and searched for nano tape and picked one.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:56 PM on November 25

I've had this shelf/basket in my shower for almost two years (it's rated to hold 3 kg, a little more than 6 lbs). There are other styles and types of this and similar items that use 3M's Command adhesive strips that are meant to be installed in wet, high humidity bathrooms (I have a wall-mounted toothbrush cup from the same line).
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:58 AM on November 26 [1 favorite]

I've bought Chinese-made shelves/baskets that have a large self-adhesive pads that you clip the shelf/basket thing onto. They've been very durable - no sign of rust and they've stayed stuck for 4 or 5 years now. Being able to un-snap them from the wall to clean them properly is a nice feature. I much prefer the adhesive pad system to suction cups - they stay put better and there's hardly any gap behind them. No specific links, but shopping sites will have many examples.
posted by pipeski at 3:23 AM on November 26

Best answer: We have this Ikea shower shelf which (following instructions on Ikea hacks sites) we glued in place with "outdoor" 3M Command strips and then reinforced with silicon caulk.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:53 AM on November 26

We also have two of the Command shelves that late afternoon dreaming hotel linked. They've been up for over two years, one is absolutely loaded and are still as sturdy as ever.
posted by icaicaer at 4:23 AM on November 26 [2 favorites]

IME suction cups are more about the wall material than the suction cups. If your shower wall isn’t smooth tiles, your suction cups just won’t hold forever. Most recently I went with a vertical tension fit bar (specifically this one, though there’s a million of these on Amazon and I don’t really know how to differentiate) and it has been extremely, extremely stable.
posted by advil at 6:11 AM on November 26 [1 favorite]

Command hooks/ shelves.
posted by theora55 at 9:10 AM on November 26 [1 favorite]

I just bought the exact shelf phunnimee links to above; it uses tension rods and has been pretty dang sturdy so far.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:20 AM on November 26

The Simple Human shower caddy that goes over the shower head is amazing, incredible, perfect in pretty much every way. It is pretty pricey but we bought one ourselves (medium sized) after staying in an inn that had one and we have zero regrets. I appreciate its sturdiness and aesthetics every shower I take. My mom also bought one after staying at our place because it is so obviously one of the best shower caddies to have ever shower caddied.

And hey, it's on sale for Black Friday so I guess it's slightly less ridiculously priced, but it's a heirloom-quality shower caddy and worth it.
posted by urbanlenny at 11:26 AM on November 26 [2 favorites]