The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
-----

Durability of an Oil Rubbed Bronze Hotel towel rack mounted inside a shower

When staying in hotels, I often see a towel rack mounted in the actual shower, but high on the back wall of the shower, away from the direct stream of water. I would like to do this in my new home. Towels would be stacked on it, just like in hotels. My fixtures are all oil rubbed bronze, but when I contact sellers about the durability of this finish under those circumstances, I've been told that these racks are not meant to be mounted in the actual shower. Since I've seen them in hotels, how accurate is this appraisal? Are all the ones in hotels stainless steel? Are there precautions I can take with an oil rubbed bronze finish or certain types of oil rubbed bronze finishes that are better to use in these circumstances?

Joan Beverlin
Homeowner - Maurice, Louisiana
March 1, 2011

---

I have stayed in a lot of hotels and I have never seen it done, even at the Beau Rivage that the bathroom was large enough to hold a dance and the shower was huge-large-massive.
Unused towels would mildew quite rapidly as they will hold the water vapors as dampness.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
First of two simultaneous responses -- March 3, 2011

I always thought that the bathroom rails, hotel or otherwise, were chrome plated. The ones I have seen cut or broken looked like chrome over copper or plastic. I have never seen one with yellow finish. Perhaps I do not stay in the right hotels.

Peter Pichler
- Oxford, UK
Second of two simultaneous responses -- March 3, 2011

---

May 18, 2011

Joan, I totally get what you're trying to do.

For folks outside the US, an oil rubbed bronze finish is really hot in the US right now. It looks rather like a deep muted chocolate coffee bean color with highlights on the edges in tones of very antique brass -- rather tarnished -- for the highlights. Sometimes there can be an undernote of red in it.

Anyway, Joan, you could get two and have one as a spare if the first totally corrodes, which it probably won't. But you'd have a backup set and if it didn't corrode, you could use it somewhere else.

Second, you could clear coat it with a matte finish to give it further protection. But that could REALLY change the look of it.

Third, you could consider teak or ipe wood -- the ipe would be a naturally dark tone that would blend with oil rubbed bronze or you could use a teak oil ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] with a tint to get a darker tone in the teak. Check at a marine supply store for the oil. A bit of oil now and then would keep them in fine shape. Many shower accessories are made in teak, but sometimes they can be a bit pricey. I haven't seen ipe made into items, but someone clever may be able to fashion one for you.

Ipe is VERY dense wood, so make sure whoever does fashion it for you knows what types of blades to use.

Good luck and enjoy!

Catherine Newton
- Selma, North Carolina, USA