Wire hangers can come in handy when snaking a clogged drain or opening an old car you got locked out of, but hangers have other uses as well. Whether they're made out of wire or plastic, and designed for pants or for shirts, clothes hangers can be used in many more places than just a closet.
For instance, does someone in the family like to read in the bathroom? No problem. Keep magazines off the floor with a hanger. It doesn't take long to execute these ideas. Each one is designed to help around the house without taking much time to set up.
Hang up a magazineA shower rod or curtain rod is all you need to keep bathroom reading material dry and out of the way. Place a rod between two medicine cabinets or under a shelf, and hang a hanger from it. Drape the magazine over the straight part of the hanger.
Organize extension cordsLong extension cords often come with their own reels to wrap around, but shorter extension cords usually come with a zip tie. To keep shorter extension cords organized, wrap them around the tops of hangers, just below the hook. This keeps the cords free of tangles and ready for the next use.
Hold a cookbookPlastic hangers for pants make effective cookbook holders. Hang one on an overhead cabinet handle, and clip open the cookbook at the desired pages. Don't hang the cookbook where grease or food might splatter on it when you are cooking.
Clip a chip bagBag clips have a mysterious way of disappearing — much like socks in clothes dryers. When you need to keep chips fresh but can't find the fancy clips, make use of the clips from a pants hanger.
Connect hangers with a soda tabBefore you turn in a soda can for recycling or a deposit refund, snap off the tab. After rinsing and drying it, slip the larger hole over the hook of a hanger. This leaves the smaller hole for another hanger to hook through. This trick almost doubles closet space.
