7 Smart Ways You Can Repurpose a Hanging Closet Organizer to Tidy Up Any Mess

Okay, I admit it: I’d long written off hanging closet organizers as, well, passé. You know the ones—those lightweight foldable things that you used in your college dorm room for storing shoes and sweaters. But truth be told, once you think outside the box, you’ll discover that these inexpensive space savers are actually great for organizing all kinds of things throughout your home.

Don’t believe us? We rounded up a few of the most unexpected but storage-savvy ideas for using a hanging closet organizer at home. From corralling coffee mugs to stashing tea towels, here are seven clever ways to use a hanging closet organizer that you’ve probably never thought of.

Paper products: Can’t live without ’em, but can’t ever seem to find a stylish way to store them either. Luckily, it turns out that hanging organizers, especially the long narrow ones like this $5 Amazon add-on, are the ideal size for storing toilet paper rolls and paper towels. Throw one on the back of your bathroom door or inside a small closet to score all sorts of unexpected (and out of plain sight) storage room.

Never mind that you barely have any under-sink kitchen storage or counter space, hanging shoe racks, like this pair from Amazon, offer just as much storage opportunity a small pantry would (for storing spray bottles, brushes, sponges, dish soap, and more), and will only set you back about ten bucks.

For as fun as playing old school board games can be, finding the space to store them in a tiny apartment isn’t always easy. Thankfully, box-style hanging closet organizers, like the $7 SKUBB from IKEA, are the perfect size for stacking board games, and won’t take up an inch of floor space. And if you’re worried about closet creep, this organizer features box compartments up top and a clothes rod on bottom so you don’t sacrifice an inch of hanging space.

Desperate to forge a proper workstation at home but not working with a ton of square footage? Employ a hanging closet organizer, (particularly one with lots of pockets), to stash your notebooks, reading materials, pens, calculators, and other office supplies instead of a heavy desk or bookcase.

Don’t waste your coveted kitchen cabinet space on your coffee mug collection when you can simply hang them up for easy access. See-through pocket-style hanging organizers are great for safely storing individual coffee mugs and can easily squeeze inside your kitchen pantry or on the back of a nearby door.

Forget the fact that you don’t have a proper linen closet in your small apartment. Hanging closet organizers, especially larger sweater-style holders like this six-shelf wonder, offer ample storage opportunity for piling spare bed sheets and blankets, as well as smaller tea towels and dish cloths.

Why bring a bunch of bulky organizers into your cramped bathroom when you can forge some extra storage space on your bathroom door? Hang a shoe organizer on the back of your bathroom door and stash your makeup, towels, and other toiletries in style without taking up too much square footage. This one features plenty of pockets sized perfectly for your bathroom gear, plus loops to securely stash hair and makeup brushes.