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c/space-savers

11

the_john•3d ago

That folding table I used for 6 months warped so bad it ruined my monitor stand

Bought a cheap folding table from a big box store last year to save space in my tiny apartment. Thought it was fine until my monitor started tilting forward last week. Took it off and the whole table top had a bow of like 2 inches in the middle. Had to scramble and mount the monitor on the wall instead. Anyone else have cheap furniture fail on them like this?

7

victorhernandez•3d ago

Heard a guy at the hardware store say stop stacking round pots on flat shelves, try vertical hanging instead

I was grabbing some potting soil last weekend and overheard this older dude talking to the cashier about his greenhouse setup. He said he used to lose so much space stacking round nursery pots on shelves because they never sit flat and just slide around. He switched to those cheap hanging shoe organizers you can get at the dollar store and hooks them on the wall. Now he fits like 30 small pots in a 2 foot wide area that used to hold maybe 8. Ngl I went home and tried it with my herb garden and it actually freed up my whole work bench. The trick is using pots with drainage holes and not overwatering so they drip on the floor. Has anyone else tried hanging pots for seedlings instead of shelf stacking?

21

jamesc79•5d ago

My $70 'space saving' shoe rack turned into a disaster zone

I bought one of those over-the-door shoe racks thinking it would clear up my closet floor. It held about 12 pairs before the top hook ripped clean off the door frame and everything crashed down at 2 AM. Has anyone found a shoe storage solution that actually stays put?

10

haydenhayes•5d ago

My uncle swore by those under-bed bins and I laughed at him for years

My uncle swore by those under-bed bins and I laughed at him for years. He kept telling me to get those flat plastic bins for under my bed to store off-season clothes. I thought it was dumb because I could just shove stuff under there anyway. Finally gave in after I moved apartments and realized I had three garbage bags of sweaters just sitting on the floor. Now I can actually find my winter coat without digging through a pile of mess. Anyone else got storage advice they ignored till it bit them?

10

kai_ramirez38•7d ago

That stackable storage bin set I bought at Target collapsed under 40 pounds of books last night

I loaded up three of those clear plastic bins from the home organization aisle with some old textbooks, and the bottom one just gave out around 10 PM. Anyone else had issues with these bins not holding up like they advertise?

4

finley_roberts27•7d ago

My dad told me stacking totes by weight would save space and he was dead wrong

Last spring my dad helped me organize my garage and insisted I sort all my storage totes by weight. He said the lighter ones on top would keep the stack stable. Three weeks later the whole thing tipped over and cracked a tote full of Christmas ornaments. Turns out you need to sort by how often you use stuff not by weight. Has anyone else gotten space advice from a relative that backfired?

9

sam_cooper•8d ago

Why does nobody talk about stacking shelves vertically in a closet?

I was trying to fit winter blankets and summer sheets in the same linen closet last month and nothing was working until I tried those cheap wire shelf risers from the hardware store. Suddenly I had room for two layers of folded towels on one shelf instead of just one pile. Has anyone else found a good use for those shelf risers in a tight space?

6

finley_smith•11d ago

I finally saw the light on those slim rolling shoe racks

I was at my buddy's apartment in Phoenix last month helping him move. He had this skinny wire shoe rack tucked behind his door holding like 8 pairs of sneakers and I made fun of it, called it a waste of space. Then I tripped over my own shoes at home for the third time that week and remembered his setup. I ordered one for $25 off Amazon and now my entryway actually has room to walk through. Anyone else have a space saver they ignored for way too long?

21

kai_ramirez38•12d ago

Tried those folding hangers for compact closets and my shirts came out looking like origami

Picked up a 10 pack of those space saving hangers from the hardware store last weekend because my closet rod was getting crowded. Figured I could triple my hanging space easy, no big deal. But after a week I noticed all my button downs had these weird creases on the shoulders where the hanger folded over. Ended up tossing half of them in the donate pile because I couldn't get the wrinkles out. Anyone else run into warped clothes from these things?

13

the_elizabeth•12d ago

The vacuum sealed blanket that took over my whole closet for 2 years

Last spring I bought one of those space saver vacuum bags for my winter comforter. I stuffed it in, sucked out the air, and shoved it on the top shelf of my closet. Fast forward to last week and I went to grab it, only to find the bag had a tiny hole and slowly filled back up over time. That comforter had expanded like a balloon and wedged itself so tight between the shelf and the wall I had to use a broom handle to pry it out. The whole closet smelled like stale air and dust for a day after. Has anyone else had a vacuum bag fail on them after a long stretch like that?

15

henryr45•13d ago

Had to redo my whole garage shelving because I forgot about stud spacing

I spent a whole Sunday putting up these heavy duty shelves I got from Home Depot, spaced them out to fit all my bins perfectly. But I didn't check where the studs were first, just used drywall anchors. Long story short, after two weeks the whole thing sagged and I had to take it all down. It took me another 4 hours to redo it right, drilling into the studs and patching all the anchor holes. Has anyone else made that dumb mistake or just me?

20

ward.diana•14d ago

Found a cheap way to store winter blankets under the bed without those bulky vacuum bags

I rolled them tight and stuffed each into a cheap pillowcase from Target - takes up way less space than the plastic bags that always leaked air after a month. Anyone else got a hack for storing bulky stuff in small apartments?

9

lucashenderson•14d ago

Picked the pull-out shelf over the lazy susan in my corner cabinet...

I spent a whole Saturday measuring both options for my cramped kitchen corner cabinet and went with the pull-out because the pots are heavy and I didn't trust the spinny thing to hold up. Got the $80 kit at Home Depot and installed it in about 2 hours, but now I notice the track screws are starting to loosen after just 4 months of daily use. Has anyone else had their pull-out shelf sag on one side and found a quick fix without remounting the whole thing?

17

faith27•16d ago

Paid $90 for a vacuum sealer that barely fits a bag of chips

Bought that compact vacuum sealer claiming to save space in the pantry, but the chamber is so small I can't even seal a standard bag of frozen veggies without cutting them in half. Has anyone found a sealer that actually works for normal-sized stuff without taking up half a counter?

12

jana509•19d ago

Found my grandma's old recipe box filled with 1950s space saving tricks

I was cleaning out my attic last weekend and stumbled upon my grandma's recipe box from the 1950s, and she had a whole section on how to fold fitted sheets into perfect little squares. What surprised me was the math she did on how much drawer space a family of four could save by doing this one trick - 3 inches per drawer times 8 drawers equals 2 feet of extra room. Has anyone else found old organizing advice that actually works better than the modern stuff?

15

victorhernandez•20d ago

Had to pick between my big winter coat and a space bag for a flight to Boston last week

I chose the space bag thinking I'd just vacuum-pack the coat, but the bag leaked and my coat came out looking like a wrinkled crime scene. Has anyone else had a space bag fail on them mid-trip?

26

rowanr88•20d ago

Changed my mind about packing cubes after that disastrous trip to Chicago last month

Had 4 flights in 6 days and my backpack was a tangled mess until I borrowed a friend's set of packing cubes on day 3 and suddenly finding my charger at 5 AM in a dark hotel room was actually possible, has anyone else had a specific trip that made them cave on something they swore they'd never use?

9

taylor.brooke•26d ago

Used to shove everything into one closet, now I actually measure our space

For three years I just crammed holiday decorations, camping gear, and old coats into our hall closet without any plan. Last month I finally grabbed a tape measure and found out we had 18 inches of wasted vertical room above the shelves. I added two cheap wire racks from Home Depot for $12 each and now everything has a spot. My wife asked why I didn't do this back when we moved in 2021. Anyone else spend way too long ignoring basic math before fixing a space problem?

14

jesse_smith10•27d ago

Am I the only one who thinks those fancy vacuum seal bag kits are a scam?

I was at my cousin's place in Denver last weekend helping him pack for a move. He had one of those expensive name brand vacuum seal bag kits with the pump and everything. We used it on three big bags of winter coats and comforters. Took forever to get the air out and the seal failed on two bags before we even got them in the car. I just use heavy duty ziploc bags and sit on them to push the air out. Costs like $10 and works every time. Has anyone else had bad luck with those overpriced systems?

10

smith.lee•1mo ago

Anyone have experience with Ace Garage Storage?

I'm trying to reclaim some floor space and came across Ace Garage Storage . Their motorized overhead lifts seem exactly like what I'm looking for. Have any of you guys used their products?