Lifehacker Authors Answer the World’s Most Popular Organization Hacks
Here at Lifehacker we’ve seen pretty much all kinds of DIY tricks , but we’ve seen a lot of bastards as well. We recently stumbled upon an insanely popular video filled with organization hacks, and, well, we have some thoughts …
This is the Facebook video in question from Blossom and has been viewed 310 million times at the time of this writing. It has seven different tricks to help you organize your clutter. Here it is in full:
I sat down with two other Lifehacker staff writers, Beth Skorecki and Patrick Lucas Austin, so we could take turns giving our opinions on these “tricks.” To avoid confusion, I will be “I”, Patrick will be “Patrick,” Beth will be “Beth,” and you will be “you”. Let’s start.
Lingerie Napkin Box
Me: Okay, first of all it’s a panty tissue box …
Patrick: Patrick, you were taken aback by the underwear box.
Me: Yes, I think it’s very stupid.
Beth: What problem should he solve?
Patrick: Well, it might not be a problem for you, but I can see that it works very well for someone with a child.
Me: It’s fair. But for adults, it seems to me that the box is good enough. Maybe the drawer divider will get it?
Beth: Even for a child. What are you getting? The underwear is in a box, but you can do it without fancy folding. And then you still have to find space for extra accessories if you don’t have EXACTLY that much underwear.
Patrick: Just suppress them.
Me: This is, of course, a smart method, but it seems more troublesome than useful.
Patrick: I think I’ll give it a try and see how it goes. As you said, I can’t imagine this being too helpful for adults.
Me: Besides, I would not like to tell my child that his underwear is disposable, like most of the things that you pull out of such boxes.
Beth: Oh god, that’s exactly what they would think … Trash full of underwear.
Patrick: I think one or two conversations about not throwing away trousers could solve this problem. (Maybe this thing belongs to the bathroom, if you think about it seriously.)
Magic fold of Japanese shirt
Patrick: Ah, the infamous “Japanese shirt fold”.
Me: Yes, how magical it looks …
Patrick: Is KonMari approved?
Me: It doesn’t make me happy, Patrick.
Beth: Okay, I just can’t fold my shirt. It’s easier and faster to make a regular fold without folding it. I hold the shirt by my shoulders, fold the sleeves away from me, then fold in half or thirds as I lay down.
Patrick: It reminds me of those folding clothing boards you see in the GAP, only less useful because you’re looking at it.
Me: If I would fold all my shirts in front of someone I want to impress, I would learn it. Looks really cool. But beyond that, I just, I don’t … Why ?!
Patrick: “Wait a second, baby, you need to fold all these shirts as quickly as possible. IN JAPANESE FOLDING STYLE “.
Beth: I didn’t think about the “picking up chickens in the laundry” scenario. It will work! You will have a flat surface there too.
Me: Hahaha, “Impressed? Let’s make love to the rest of this unwrapped lingerie … “
Beth: You should have a more private laundry room than I’m guessing …
Patrick: You’re so romantic, Patrick.
Me: It’s getting late, nobody is there, nothing but the sound of the dryer turning over our daily suits …
Patrick: I mean, if you put it that way, how can I say no?
Me: Hahaha, ok guys, would you ever really know this?
Beth: I mean, he really does fold shirts! There is nothing wrong with that . There is simply no reason to give up what you are already doing.
Patrick: For me this is a salon trick, simple and straightforward. It is liketurning a knob .
Me: Aha! So officially this shirt-folding technique is called “hand-spinning linen”.
Beth: I agree.
Patrick: * jazz hands * LIFEHACK! * jazz hands *
Pop Tab Charms
Beth: Cross hangers …
Me: Okay, that’s basically a legitimate way to save space.
Beth: No, it isn’t!
Me: Conceptually?
Beth: You have the same number of clothing items in the same space. You haven’t decided anything.
Me: Actually … Yes, you’re right.
Beth: This can be handy if you have a shirt / pants that you want to wear together. Because otherwise you will have to save these strange hangers.
Patrick: I think this life hack is more about angles and structural integrity. The problem with filling the closet with clothes is that the hanger takes up space.
Me: My advice to this person trying this hacking trick would be, “Get rid of the shit you don’t wear, you have too much shit in your closet.”
Beth: Nice welcome. I might be getting ahead of myself, but have you guys noticed that every hacker hack uses a different type of hanger?
Patrick: Yes, and that worried me.
Me: Yes, ugh.
Beth: These are not tricks for people who get by with their own hangers. These are inventions in which you first need to buy a certain type of hanger!
Me: So we’ve actually used this trick before … but it was about five years ago and …
Patrick: “You don’t really save space in the closet, but it keeps the hangers from collapsing next to each other on the counter. Plus, if you like wearing a particular pair of pants and shirt, or a tie and shirt, this is a great way to tie them together. “
Beth: Yes, we had better.
Me: Quite right. We knew what was the matter. And I still do it. I think.
Patrick: Soda hangers: still hold.
Me: Not to save space.
Patrick: Oh, I was referring to Beth’s outfit trick. I don’t think you are defying the laws of physics with an empty can of New Coke.
DIY felt drawer organizer
Patrick: This felt organizer trick is driving me crazy …
Me: Oh, me too.
Beth: I definitely don’t see any flaws, but I can’t imagine that it actually happened. Why don’t you just roll up your socks and put them side by side?
Patrick: So many flaws! Construction, materials, padding of socks …
Me: That is, if you go to the store for felt, just buy an organizer box! This is real craft nonsense …
Beth: Maybe this person made a project and he has exactly so many pieces of felt of that size left?
Patrick: This glue will fall apart in a month.
Beth: Yes, not glue, but felt fibers next to the glue. If you ever move or touch it.
Patrick: And this felt collects the fibers of the sock, the glue can stick to the fibers of the sock – it’s a complete mess.
Me: Yes, in my opinion, the worst one in this video.
Patrick: I fold my socks and stack them in layers – it’s easier than this weird trick.
Beth: I love that it can shrink to accommodate other things in the drawer, rather than being a fixed size. But this is not enough to recommend it.
Patrick: Instead of a tough organizer?
Beth: Yes, when I think of drawer organizers, I think of boxes.
Me: The same as those cheap from IKEA. Just buy them people.
Beth: I just fold my socks. Is it that hard?!? The real life hack here is to buy a bunch of identical socks, toss them in a pile or a pile, and then it doesn’t matter if you have a cute organizer or not. But I don’t have a collection of bacon socks. Maybe I’m just jealous.
Me: IF you don’t have a huge supply of felt to use up, you need some tricky thing to keep you busy, or if you don’t hate wasting your time doing useful things.
Beth: But if you want to spend so much energy on socks … maybe you should knit some socks.
I: Word.
Wool sweater hanging trick
Me: Okay, hang up the sweater. I really like it.
Patrick: Great description. I’m not sure. This sounds smart in theory, but now I’m just worried that it will ruin with my sweater in a different, unexpected way.
Beth: I haven’t tried that. I feel like I need to try this … Wait.
Patrick: Hold on.
Me: Good.
Patrick: Thank you, thank you.
Me: I don’t have sweaters like this because I’m not a 90s sitcom character, but I saw that it was useful. I also live in a place where sweaters are prohibited.
Patrick: Are you trying this now, Beth? I have two long sleeve sweaters to help my Inner Dad ™.
Beth: Okay, yes, I’m trying.
(Beat)
I’m not thrilled.
Me: Does it stay in place?
Beth: First, the body of the sweater is exactly the same size (folded) as the arm of the hanger. So if your sweater is bigger than mine, it will hang over the hem. Besides, this is just a kind of stay in place.
Me: Hmmm.
Beth: Well, so far so good …
Me: Will it probably fall?
Beth: Put it in the closet and tomorrow it will be on the floor.
Non-slip rubber band hangers
Beth: Okay, there are a million solutions to this problem.
Patrick: Enlighten us.
Beth: Hangers with built-in hooks, clothes with built-in loops …
Me: Yes, all my very cheap plastic hangers have hooks built in.
Beth: It’s a great idea, though, if you need it. I think I should try to be sure, but it looks like it’s legal.
Me: Yes, I think it’s okay. I mean, we’ve already offered everything from hot glue to Sugru and hockey tape, so ….
Patrick: Add some rubber bands to the list.
Me: Boom. Added. I think of this the same way I think of most of these hacks. Just buy new hangers. They’re so cheap …
Patrick: I agree.
Pool Noodle Boot Racks
Patrick: Ready for a drag play ?
Me: Oh yeah, and last but not least, noodle boots … Which is much less funny than it sounds.
Patrick: I really like it.
Me: I don’t have shoes and I don’t know how to properly care for them, but it seems interesting.
Patrick: As someone who grew up in a house filled with all kinds of boots, their flexibility was always a slap in the face when I tidied up my closet. Everything is in order, except for these boots, limply standing, not paying attention to me.
Beth: Floppy boots are so annoying. I have one pair of high boots and they always flop.
Patrick: Buy yourself some noodles.
Beth: Yes, it should. I haven’t tested this, but it seems pretty reasonable.
Me: So this is the winner?
Patrick: I’m a little angry that I didn’t think about it. I’m a fan.
Beth: Presumably yes.
Patrick: Probably the best of them all, unless it stinks to you. Who knows what these things are made of …
Me: Oh well, we’ve written about this before .
Patrick: These are all great noodle tricks.
Beth: I think the boots will stink of noodles.
Me: Maybe you can fill the center of the noodles with activated charcoal or something.
Beth: Oh, come on. Flavored boot noodles.
Okay, done! Thank you for joining us!