apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Just put it in a drawer in your bedroom and walk it over to your bathroom mirror. You only use a hairdryer for a few minutes every other day. Why have it taking up real estate on the wall?

What about a wire basket? Check flea markets and yard sales or even discount stores for them.

I knew someone who had a double hook hung on the wall and they wrapped the cord around both hooks and that supported the weight of just leaving the dryer dangling. That could work where the art is above your towel if it would clear the medicine cabinet door.

I don't know what to do about the flat iron though...maybe install a very narrow shelf like the IKEA stripa (cut down obviously) and place something non flamable on it and on the wall (like a backsplace).

backsplash*

oh no. i misread the post and made a stupid comment. eh.

Quite a few stores now sell wall mounted and cabinet mounted racks to store your hairdryer & flat iron. The best selection I've found is at http://www.organizeit.com/vanityorg.asp?t=5&rtnFile=vanity&rtnDisplay=Vanity%20Organizers

nice rebeldress! i think i might get the white wire one for unger my cabinet, like the OP i just don't have the space to leave that shit lying around. Nor the time to bother letting it cool and stowing it.

I use a hook and keep it somewhat out-of-sight on the side of my dresser. The way to keep it from falling off due to the weight is to tie a small loop into the cord (make a knot, but don't pull it tight).

Maybe hooks or sleeves mounted on the inside of the lower cabinet door would work.

I hang my hairdryer on a hook. I bought a cheap sticky hook and stuck it to the side of my [whatever those over-toilet tall cabinets are called]. It's a laminate surface. I followed the directions and didn't hang anything on it for 24 hours. The old one from a previous tenant held fast a long time before peeling off. My hairdryer has a strong rubber loop for this purpose.

I don't use a hair curling iron or straightener, so I don't know what loops they may have. The hairdryer cools off rather quickly and no part that meets the hook is hot. With the curling iron, it may be different, but you should unplug it and maybe don't rush out the door for about 5 minutes. I don't think it can ignite anything if turned off and unplugged as it cools, but not sure. It could definitely singe a towel or a magazine and melt plastic just from heat itself, including the insulation on any cord it comes to rest on, right after it is turned off. Within 5 or so minutes, you should be able to at least hang it on a hook if it has a loop. Without electrical current, a melted cord will not cause any electrical fires, so unplug the iron, the dryer, and any other devices it could accidentally melt. Replacing a few small appliances in this case would be preferable to a burnt down house. So unplug.

Hooks: like I said, a cheap hardware store hook does the job fine if held onto a solid surface. It may not be ideal on a painted surface because it might peel off the paint layer with the weight. To be nicer, put up pretty hooks, anchored into a stud in the wall or use wall anchors if there is no stud. If your haircare items do not have rubber loops, there are ways to rig it but it's at some risk of compromising the wires or causing things to slip off and break.

I think you can buy these flame retardant pads for flat irons and hair dryers, whatever you set your flat iron on you can put the pad underneath while it cools

How about one of these:

http://www.stacksandstacks.com/hair-dryer-holster/142/1987/?id=176&sku=30376&utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase

Or this:

http://blujay.com/?page=ad&adid=2177798&cat=19030100

Or this:

http://www.pampered-homes.com/phhd155.html

http://www.sallybeauty.com/Power-IQ-Flat-Iron-Stand/SBS-734601,default,pd.html

Try attaching a salon stand like this one to the side of your sink base cabinet for your flat iron. I have one and I love it plus it keeps everything tidy. For the hairdryer I use a basket under my sink and just throw it in there when I'm done.

My dad stores his wedged into a towel rack. Looks like if you shifted your towel down, you might be able to do that, though it's not a very pretty solution.

Your hairdryer gets so hot you can't wrap the cord around it and put it in a cabinet safely? The best solution may be a new dryer.

i would use this. perfect size, perfect material, and would look awsome attached to the side of your vanity.

in fact i might just go get one!
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/50032447

I blow dry my hair and leave the hair dryer on the floor. Typically I have something to do after that, i.e. eat, get dressed, do make-up, brush teeth, whatever you name it. There are plenty of things to do in the morning after you blow dry your hair. Even if it's not morning, there are usually things to be done after you finish blow drying. SO after you have done all these things, you then come back when the dryer has cooled, and put it away in a normal place. Like a basket, a drawer or under the sink. People have their routines. Some brush teeth while showering. It's all about multitasking.

My hairdryer has a loop right at the bottom of the handle, for hanging. I've got hooks already on the back of the door for towels, and it goes on one of those. The cord wraps up on itself (not around the dryer) and fastens with a Velcro strip, so heat is not an issue.

it's not what you've asked for, but...
we use "listerin", too. This bottles can take up the whole sink top. Pour it into a small bottle - we used one from a wine cooler. It's pretty, it seals well, and you might even have some space left on your sink for a flower :-)

Use a silicon kitchen hotpad under the sink-

My dad wedges his into the towel rack too. I have a little gap between the wall and sink/cabinet so I wedge my in there. It's a little more out of the way than hanging it on the wall or on the towel rack.

I hand both my flat iron and hair dryer on hooks in my bedroom after use while they cool down... this system works well for me.

The problem that really used to bug me was stowing my flat iron after use while traveling! I hated having to wait for it to cool down before I could pack it in my bag. So I came up with a simple and inexpensive solution using an oven mitt... it's blogged about here:

http://gatheringtwigs.blogspot.com/2008/03/vanity-cozy.html

Check it out, and happy hairstyling!

I actually got one of the wall-mounted hairdryers like they have in hotels. I highly recommend it!

http://www.amazon.com/Oster-Professional-76932-710-Mount-Dryer/dp/B000RZLL38

This is in the Solutions catalog--the "hair dryer holster" that hangs on the towel bar (the flat iron? i dunno):

http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=13139

I use an inexpensive (solid not open) magazine holder so I can put both my dryer and flat iron in it. It also helps to hide the cords. The faux chocolate leather one I have is from Crate & Barrel and does not take up much space. West elm sells a dark tree looking coat rack for a steep $199 but that would look cool with the hairdryer and flat iron looking like they were hanging from a "tree". Also good for towel hanging.

At salons they often have a metal ring to store the hairdryer...maybe a metal cup holder mounted on the wall could work??

I like Wendi C's idea. I've definitely seen hairdryer holsters before, and I think some of them are freestanding.

I would get a large S hook in the hardware store and hang it from the towel rack - the hooks that go with ikeas grundthal would be big enough to go round that rack.

But also think is there anywhere else in your house you could blowdry and easily store your hairstuff? I do mine in my bedroom, and have put a hardware store bulldog type clip on the side of my dresser that it hangs on. Its mostly out of site, so i am happy to let it live there. I also do my make up there because the light is better than the bathroom, so it works for me....

Can you put over the door hooks inside your cabinets, and stick a silicon pad inside them where the hot bits would rest against the door? Possibly overdoing it, but i sense you want this out of sight?

A hair dryer that gets so hot you can't put it away. How do you hold onto it and what must it be doing to your hair. Same with the flat iron. My flat iron sits on my counter turned on all the time. I also wrap the cord around it while hot. They do not get hot enough to do any damage. I mean think about it, you are putting it on your hair.

Adding on additional hardware to what looks like a small bathroom will only make the room more visually cluttered. Maybe you can adjust your morning routine by blow-drying and flat-ironing your hair first. While you are brushing your teeth and/or applying your makeup, the dryer and flat iron will cool. You can then put all of your beauty tools away in one go.

By the way, my own storage solution was to place a little stainless steel wire stacking shelf inside my lower cabinet, and store all of my hair tools (dryer, flat & curling iron) on top of it.

i sit my hot flat iron on my dresser & was worried about it warping the veneer underneath. so i tried using a coaster one day & i've been doing that ever since. they're solid materials, not fabric/meltable obviously. after the iron cools or when i get home from work i put it away. i use sleek, stainless ones so if i leave them out they look decent or like accents.

cblls-a similar type wire basket idea is to use one of the ones intended for the shower, but remove the suction cups and instead you can use 2 screws and mount it on a wall or on or in a cabinet. I did this inside my bathroom cabinet with a chrome one I no longer needed in the shower. It helped me tap into the available vertical space in my cabinet and stores my hair products.

gatheringstwigs-love the oven mit post on your blog. Brilliant and adorable!

I will be so happy to be able to tell my BF that I am NOT the only person whose hairdryer lives either on the floor or wedged into the towel bar. I laughed out loud when I found this post because the BF is constantly nagging me about it. One of these days I will pick up some small metal hooks and screw them to the inside of the sink cabinet door for easy access.

I'm going to have to get a "holster" too, because I have the same problem.

I like wendi_c's idea of a silicone hotpad in the cabinet where you normally store it.

You could get a heatproof case for your flat iron. I have one, and it's great because I can put it in the case immediately after unplugging it. It's perfect for travelling, too. Here's the link: http://www.wetlinepro.com/hair-iron-cases.html

You can get Flat Iron holders
and thermal pouch