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17 Clothes Hanger Tips and Tricks

Updated: Sep. 20, 2023

From declogging drains to hanging cookbooks, see all the brilliant ways you never thought to use your clothes hangers.

using a hanger to unclog a clogged bathroom sink drain

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Clothes Hanger Drain Cleaner

Hair clogs in the drain are inevitable, especially if anyone in your family wears their hair long. I’ve found a wire coat hanger the most effective tool for removing them.

First, untwist the wire under the hook. This leaves the hook at one end and a miniature “auger” at the other end. Push the auger end down the drain up to the clog. Bend the free end 90 degrees, forming a handle. Crank the handle so the auger bores into the clog, allowing you to pull it out. — Matt Boley.

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Trapeze Clothes Hanger

Here’s a quick way to add another clothes rod in a closet. It’s especially good in a child’s closet, because you can easily adjust the height to accommodate a changing wardrobe and growing child. Use lightweight chain, attached to the upper and lower rods with screw hooks. Squeeze the screw hooks closed with a pliers. — Jim Shephard.

metal hanger organizer in garage for hanging vacuum attachments

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Vacuum Accessory Keeper

Here’s my quick and simple method for keeping shop vacuum accessories handy: Use an ordinary wire clothes hanger for each accessory.

Bend the horizontal bar into an inverted “V,” squeeze the arms together and insert them into the open end of the accessory. The tension will hold the accessory in place. Then mount a row of hooks or screw eyes on the wall and hang the accessories in place. — Richard Siegel.

wrapping pipe cleaner around a clothes hanger to prevent slipping

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No-Slip Clothes Hangers

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got different varieties of clothes hangers in my closet. Sometimes you get one of the really cheap, plastic ones when you need an anti-slip hanger. My solution? Wrap pipe cleaners around them. They add a grippy stop to these otherwise slippery hangers.

using a clothes hanger to hang magazines in a bathroom

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Hanger Magazine Rack

Create a quick magazine rack for your bathroom or bedroom with a hanger. Place the magazines on the horizontal bar of the hanger, then hang it on a drawer pull or cabinet knob. Reading material at the ready.

wrapping a hanger in bubble wrap to hang pants on

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Plastic Padded Hanger Hack

Try this hanger hack for crease-free dress pants. Cut a piece of plastic wrap with air pocketsthat’s about 12 inches long. Wrap it around the bottom bar of a hanger and secure it with tape. Hang your dress pants on the pad and in your closet. Next time you reach for them, they’re ready to wear — no ironing required!

using a chain to make a multi layered hanger to save space

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Tiered Hangers for More Closet Storage

Short on closet space? Use a lightweight piece of chain to stagger hanging clothing in tall closets to maximize space. Just loop the first link of the chain over the first hanger, and hang subsequent hangers on every other links after. Hang up to six shirts for the rod space of one. If you’re up for a bigger project, you can build a melamine closet storage system.

close up of white plastic hangers hanging in opposite directions

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Turn Your Hangers

Once you’re gone through your closet and weeded out the unused items, turn all hanging clothing with the hanger facing outward. After wearing an item, return it to the hanging rod with the hanger facing the back of the closet. After one year, consider getting rid of all clothing still facing outwards.

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Store Unused Hangers in a Magazine File

Keep loose hangers untangled in a magazine file. This way they’re ready and easy to transport for laundry day. Keep the rest of the items on the closet floor in a storage bin or tote, making it easier to pull out from closet corners or clean behind.

using a hot glue gun to line a clothes hanger

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Nonslip Hangers

No more rewashing clothes because they fell off hangers onto the floor! Rather than buying expensive specialty hangers, simply apply a bead of hot glue to the top arms of your existing hanger and let it dry completely. The rubber-like dried glue will keep your clothes in place, even when you’re in a rush and can’t decide what to wear.

using a metal hanger to clean off paint brush in a paint can

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Keep Paint Cans Clean

Keep the sides of the paint can free of paint with a wire coat hanger.

using one hanger with hooks attached to hang belts

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Belt and Other Hang-Ups

Where do you store your belts? How about on this inexpensive and easy-to-make belt holder? All you need is a wooden hanger and some cup hooks.

If some of your belts have unusually thick buckles, just widen the cup hook slightly with a needle-nose pliers. This is a great way to hang small handbags, too.

using a pant hanger in a kitchen to hang a cook book

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Right Height Cookbook

A countertop isn’t the best place to set a recipe or cookbook while you’re cooking. Besides taking up counter space, it’s difficult to read and likely to get splattered with ingredients.

Instead I take a clothes hanger with pants clips, attach the recipe and hang it from a cabinet handle. Open your recipe book or web printout to the desired page, and close the hanger’s clamps on each side. You now have a hanging recipe stand.

If your cookbook is on the thicker side, it may not hold the weight of the book. However, this hack works well for a relatively small cookbook, a magazine or a single-sheet recipe.

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One Place for Storing Scarves

There are dozens of ways to store scarves. You want to find them quickly, but your choice of closet storage depends on whether you want to feature them or hide them away.

Use shower curtain rings on a sturdy hanger, or make a scarf hanger to hold several at a time. These can be stored on hanging rods or hooks attached to your closet wall.

using a large black garbage bag with hangers as a clothes mover

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Move Clothes Masterfully

There’s no need to take your clothes off hangers, fold them and stack them in boxes. Just grab a handful of your hanging clothes and wrap the tops of the hangers together with bendable electrical wire or a zip tie.

Drape a garbage bag over the clothes, pulling the tops of the hangers through a hole in the bottom of the bag. Then cinch up the garbage bag handles and tie them together. Your clothes will stay organized and clean while moving them to your new place. To unpack, just remove the bag, untwist the wire and hang your clothes in the closet.

using an orange pool noodle on a pant hanger

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Pool Noodle Hanger Hack

Use a pool noodle to prevent creases in your dress pants! First, cut the noodle to size. Then slice it open lengthwise. Slip the noodle onto the bottom bar of the hanger and drape your dress pants over the noodle. No need to iron out a crease!

close up of a hand holding an orange mirror and a hanger to fix a toilet

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Clean a Sluggish Toilet

If your toilet flushes slowly, the rinse holes under the rim may be clogged with mineral deposits. (Get a refresher on the parts of a toilet.) Use a hand mirror to see the holes under the rim of the toilet. Bend a coat hanger flat and probe the tip into the holes to poke out any deposits. You can clean out those clogged holes without ever getting your hands dirty.