How to Store Hangers

Co-authored by Kathryn Kellogg and Kyle Hall

Last Updated: February 17, 2022 Approved

Finding a way to store your hangers without them getting tangled up can be a hassle. Fortunately, there are a couple of tricks you can use to organize your hangers so they can be neatly stored away until you need them again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Rubber Bands

1
Separate your hangers by material. Make separate piles for your wood hangers, metal hangers, plastic hangers, and soft, padded hangers. Separating your hangers will make it easier to store them, and it will be easier for you to find the kind you need in the future.^{[1]
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EXPERT TIP

"If you have wire hangers that you want to get rid of, contact your local art department and ask if they can use them for art projects."

Kathryn Kellogg
Sustainability Specialist
Kathryn Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a lifestyle website dedicated to breaking eco-friendly living down into a simple step-by-step process with lots of positivity and love. She's the author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and spokesperson for plastic-free living for National Geographic.

Kathryn Kellogg
Sustainability Specialist
2
Organize your hangers in stacks of 10. Keep your hangers separated by material as you stack them. To stack your hangers, lay them on a flat surface and stack them neatly on top of each other so they’re all facing in the same direction.^{[2]
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- Don’t add more than 10 hangers to a stack. If you have a lot of hangers, you may need to make multiple stacks of each kind of hanger.
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3
Wrap a rubber band around each stack to hold the hangers in place. Take a rubber band and wrap it around the hook part of the hangers. Then, bring the rubber band down and around the bottom of the hangers. You may want to use multiple rubber bands on each stack in case some of the rubber bands break.^{[3]
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4
Put the stacks of hangers somewhere for storage. Place them in a pile at the bottom of your closet, or keep them in a box in your garage. You can also keep the stacks of hangers in a pile in your basement. The rubber bands around the stacks will keep the hangers organized so they don’t get damaged or tangled up in storage.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Storing Hangers in a Cardboard Box

1
Cut out a thin vertical strip down the side of a cardboard box. The cut-out section should be in the center of the side of the box, and it should run from the top of the box to the bottom. This is where the hook part of your hangers will go when you store them in the box. Make the cut out section about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.^{[5]
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- If you’re storing a lot of hangers, you may need to use more than one box.
2
Stack your hangers on top of each other. Lay one of your hangers on a flat surface and then stack the rest neatly on top of it so they’re all facing in the same direction. Make sure the stack of hangers isn’t taller than the box you’re storing them in or the stack won’t fit.
3
Place the stack of hangers in the box so the hooks are on the outside. Lower the stack of hangers in the box so the thin stems of the hooks are going through the section you cut out from the side. The bottom parts of the hangers should be inside of the box, with the hook parts sticking outside of the box through the cutout strip. This will prevent the hangers from shifting around in the box and getting tangled.^{[6]
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4
Close the box and move it to storage. Store your box of hangers in a space like your closet, garage, or basement. When you need a hanger from the box, just open the box and pull out the top hanger on the stack.^{[7]
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- You may need to use tape to get the box your hangers are in to stay closed.

Community Q&A

Question

What can I do with unused hangers?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

If you don't want to keep your unused hangers, you can donate them to a local charity store but be sure to ask first if they need them, as they may have an oversupply. Other alternatives include giving them to an art department for artwork (especially wire ones), giving them to a laundromat or dry cleaner, or putting them on a free donation site. Another option is to repurpose them at home, such as using them in your garden for hanging things or creating a hanging wall, etc. Many ideas can be found for such reuse on sites like Pinterest.