diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/IOUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/IOUtils.java
index 23f85b11cb3..6c2f6c9b2b2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/IOUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/IOUtils.java
@@ -747,13 +747,9 @@ public static void close(final Closeable closeable, final IOConsumer<IOException
             try {
                 closeable.close();
             } catch (final IOException e) {
-                if (consumer != null) {
-                    consumer.accept(e);
-                }
+                IOConsumer.accept(consumer, e);
             } catch (final Exception e) {
-                if (consumer != null) {
-                    consumer.accept(new IOException(e));
-                }
+                IOConsumer.accept(consumer, new IOException(e));
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumer.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumer.java
index cb42e0a202d..ba85becc6f9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumer.java
@@ -42,6 +42,21 @@ public interface IOConsumer<T> {
         // noop
     };
 
+    /**
+     * Applies the given {@link IOConsumer} action to the object if the consumer is not {@code null}. Otherwise, does nothing.
+     *
+     * @param consumer the consumer to consume.
+     * @param object   the object to be consumed.
+     * @param <T>      the type of the argument the consumer accepts.
+     * @throws IOException Thrown when the consumer fails.
+     * @since 2.23.0
+     */
+    static <T> void accept(final IOConsumer<T> consumer, final T object) throws IOException {
+        if (consumer != null) {
+            consumer.accept(object);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Performs an action for each element of the collection gathering any exceptions.
      *
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumerTest.java
index 172973b206f..d0aefff5c74 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/io/function/IOConsumerTest.java
@@ -54,6 +54,17 @@ void testAccept() throws IOException {
         assertEquals("A1", ref.get());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testAcceptStatic() throws IOException {
+        IOConsumer.accept(null, null);
+        IOConsumer.accept((IOConsumer<String>) null, ".");
+        //
+        final AtomicReference<String> ref = new AtomicReference<>();
+        final IOConsumer<String> consumer = s -> ref.set(s + "1");
+        IOConsumer.accept(consumer, "A");
+        assertEquals("A1", ref.get());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testAndThen() throws IOException {
         final AtomicReference<String> ref = new AtomicReference<>();