Weekly Quick Tips
Get Hung-up on Hangers
When organizing a closet, it’s always helpful to standardize your hangers. It doesn’t matter what type you prefer: plastic, velvet or wooden, just make them consistent in style and colour, and always hang clothes in the same direction. This will help reduce visual clutter and allow you to review your clothes at a glance.
Selecting the right hangers for your clothes is also one of the best things you can do to extend the life of your wardrobe. Here’s the scoop on what’s available:
Wire Hangers Metal hangers are notorious for being cheap and flimsy, and they’re often the choice for dry cleaners because they’re so economical. Unfortunately they’re a terrible choice for clothing ~ the thin metal can ruin garments at the point of contact. Not meant for every day use or long-term storage, remove your clothing directly from wire hangers as soon as you arrive home from the dry cleaners and re-hang on your hanger of choice. Many dry cleaners will accept them back.
 |
| Joan Crawford may have been eccentric, but she was right on with this policy! |
Plastic Hangers are a step up from wire in both quality and price. Because they are fairly sturdy and still quite affordable, they’re very popular among consumers. And, while heavier, denser fabrics can do well with plastic hangers (think corduroy and denim), softer fabrics like knits and cotton can develop stretched-out hanger marks that are difficult to remove. Walmart’s NeatFreak line of plastic hangers are very affordable.
Velvet Hangers are a fairly new entry in the hanger market and these slender ultra-grippy hangers are fast becoming a favourite of consumers. Their super-slim width means you can hang a lot more clothes in less space , which is fantastic if you’re stuck with a small amount of closet space. Even better, the velvet covering means that your open collared tops won’t slip off their hangers are fall to the floor anymore. After trying them just once, we’re converts! These hangers are reasonably priced at Winners and Costco.
Wooden Hangers Ideal for suits and jackets, wooden hangers are extremely sturdy with a wide contoured shape designed to provide ample support for the shoulder area. Wooden hangers are quite a bit pricier than their plastic counterparts, but they’re worth the investment for protecting and maintaining your higher-end garments. A great source for wooden hangers is Home Outfitters and IKEA, where you can get a package of good quality ones for about $20.
Taking a little extra time to choose the right hangers for your clothes will pay off in the form of longer-lasting better-wearing clothes that stand the test of time. And, here’s the best hint of all: have only the amount of hangers in your closet that you have clothes, making enforcing the one-in-one-out rule easy!Copyright © 2013 Organizing Lives ® All rights are reserved and no part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means unless expressly stated otherwise, or except with the written permission of Organizing Lives®. Enquires should be directed to: info@orgliv.mybusinesshub.ca