Things Go Better With Coke

The key to this hack is a can of Coke or your favorite soft drink. But you can dump (or drink) the sugary contents — you’ll just be using the tab from the can itself. Alternatively, you can forgo buying soda cans entirely and purchase loose tabs in bulk, which will likely save you money. Finally, grab some clothing hangers, and get ready to start maximizing your closet space.

The logic here is to utilize vertical storage space, since a closet rod can only fit so many hangers. Chances are, there’s a lot of unused space beneath it anyway. Simply snap the tab off the can and slide the neck of one clothing hanger through the top slot. Then, hook a second hanger onto the bottom slot of the tab.

With the two hangers connected, you can hang the top one on the closet rod while the other dangles beneath it. This allows you to hang twice as many items using the same rod space. In fact, you can add more soda tabs to connect as many as three or four hangers — just be careful not to add too much weight and risk breaking the closet rod.

Keep Outfits Together

In addition to saving space in an otherwise cramped closet, this trick is useful for keeping multiple components of the same outfit together. Let’s say you own a blazer and a dress shirt that look really good together — hang them on separate hangers and join them with a soda tab. This allows you to plan out outfits and keep them together, saving you the effort of searching for individual components.

Once you’re done rearranging your closet, it may finally be time to enjoy that refreshing can of soda — you’ve earned it.

While they make Ziploc bags in a variety of shapes and sizes, you might be fresh out of the larger ones and need to make do with what you have on hand. The good news is there’s a simple way to double the storage capacity of a Ziploc bag in a matter of moments.

Seal Two Bags Together

TikTok creator Jacqueline Stein (@home_reimagined) enlightened us about this helpful hack. However, keep in mind that it only works for Ziploc bags with press-to-close seals, not those with sliders.

For this hack, you’ll need two Ziploc bags, one of which should be turned inside out. Take the inside-out bag, flip it upside down, and align its seal with the corresponding seal of the other, right-side up bag. We tested this hack with Ziploc freezer quart bags, which feature a pink seal designed to interlock with a blue seal on the other side. This makes lining them up foolproof — just look for the opposite color.

When those seals are matched up, press down to secure both bags together, creating a singular storage bag that’s doubled in size. This method allows you to store all sorts of oversized items, including paintbrushes, pipe cleaners, and rolled-up posters.

How To Halve the Size of Ziploc Bags

On the other hand, sometimes Ziploc bags are way too big, like when you want a tiny pouch to carry snacks. TikTok creator Dustin Hadley (@that40yearguy) brought our attention to a solution for this very problem, though it requires sharp objects, open flames, and extra caution.

Take a sharp knife and heat the edge over a flame for 10 to 20 seconds. You can use an open flame on a gas range, the fire of a glowing candle, or even a handheld lighter. Lay the Ziploc bag flat on a cutting board, then take the knife and carefully slice down the center, from top to bottom, in a steady, continuous motion.

During this process, the heat from the knife will seal the plastic together on both sides, creating two smaller storage bags of identical size. This seal may not be airtight, so we wouldn’t recommend storing any liquids inside. But it’s perfect for toting around dry snacks such as chips or pretzels.

Although you can use stackable baskets for closet shelves or over-the-door organizers to take advantage of unused space, one of the easiest ways to get more storage from your existing closet is to use different hangers. Not all clothes hangers are created equal — and some can be more space-efficient than others. We’re talking specifically about baby hangers, and yes, they’re perfectly fine for adults to use, too. Here’s why.

Using Baby Hangers Is the Ultimate Closet Hack

Don’t get us wrong — regular hangers are perfectly fine to use and certainly get the job done, but they’re not always visually appealing. Hanging pants or tank tops on a regular hanger often leaves wasted space on both ends. Not only does this make your closet look less cohesive, but the uneven weight can make clothes slide around.

Baby- and kid-sized hangers, on the other hand, are smaller and shorter (typically only 8 to 10 inches wide), which is beneficial in many ways. When you hang a pair of pants on a kid-sized hanger, for example, they fill up most or all of the hanger bar, providing more even weight distribution compared to standard adult hangers. With less of the hanger protruding on either end, your closet looks more streamlined, and the clothes become the focal point. Not to mention, baby hangers tend to take up less space, which is a win if your goal is to fit more clothes in your closet.

The Magic of Baby Hangers

Now that you’re privy to the magic of smaller hangers, the next step is choosing the right type. We recommend using velvet baby hangers or adding rubber bands to your existing plastic or metal ones to make them nonslip. After all, the last thing you want when organizing your closet is for clothes to fall and create a mess.

Eat With Your Eyes

The idea behind this organizing method is keeping perishable food at eye level or in plain sight. For instance, store fresh vegetables on the door shelves instead of tucking them away in a drawer, where you risk forgetting about them. Being reminded of these foods helps you use them before they spoil, saving you money and reducing waste. Here are some other sorting tips to encourage you to use what you have on hand.

First, many people store condiments on the shelves inside the door, but all those jars and bottles take up valuable space. This is why you should relocate condiments to one of the lower drawers. Condiments typically have longer shelf lives than produce, so you don’t need to worry about them spoiling as quickly. When you need a condiment, you’ll know it’s there and go looking for it, rather than being reminded of it each time you open the refrigerator door.

With all of that space freed up inside the door, this is where you should store any fruits or veggies that may soon go bad. Although this spot experiences temperature fluctuations, if your veggies always end up rotting in the crisper drawer anyway, putting them where you can actually see them might be more effective.

Similar to condiments, meat can also be stored in a dedicated drawer. Since it’s the main ingredient in many recipes, you’re more likely to seek it out. Plus, a drawer helps contain any leaks, making cleanup easier.

For everything else, try to avoid stacking food too deeply in the fridge, even if you have the space. If you tuck drinks and snacks behind other drinks and snacks, then you may forget about them. As a general rule, place perishables as close to eye level as possible without any visual obstructions. Adding lazy Susans allows you to store more items within easy reach at the front. Automatic drink dispensers, divided snack bins, and rolling egg holders also keep items in sight, encouraging you to use them.

Use This Hack Elsewhere

The benefits of keeping items at eye level and in plain sight extends to other rooms, too, such as the bathroom or den. For example, place skin care products front and center in your medicine cabinet so you’re reminded to use them (this is especially helpful if you often forget to apply sunscreen). Or put that book you’ve been meaning to read in a prominent spot on the bookshelf so you see it whenever you walk by.