TikTok's Wire Hanger Hack Makes Storing Shoes So Easy

Thinking about organizing your shoe closet? With so many pairs and so little storage space, it's hard to know where to begin. Well, what if we told you that you could hang your sneakers on a clothing rack? TikTok has come through with an imaginative solution to footwear storage with just a wire hanger. Yes, it was right in front of you the whole time!

If you're looking for a fast fix for your footwear problem, you've just found it. This DIY will only take a few minutes to complete and it doesn't require any tools or extra supplies. A single unused hanger is all you need. So, if you already have one at home, your makeshift shoe hanger won't cost you a penny. Plus, if you have extras to spare, there are many clever ways to repurpose hangers in every room of your home. Who knew a clothes hanger could be so multi-functional?

This TikTok video by @homelyhacks shows the easy solution to storing sneakers with just a single wire hanger. Simply collapse the shape of the hanger and bend it into a "W" shape with both ends sticking up, as demonstrated in the clip. Wire hangers are relatively easy to manipulate with your hands, but if you find it challenging, you can use a set of pliers for this.

Once your wire hanger is bent into the correct shape, you can insert your shoes into place on both ends with the toes facing up and outward. Then, use the hook to hang your makeshift shoe holder on the rack.

With this easy hack, you can whip up a handy storage solution for your footwear using an item that you probably already have in your closet. It's worth mentioning that this trick is best suited for low-top shoes such as sneakers, slippers, and loafers. A wire hanger may not be the best place to store your high-cut boots. Regardless, a few minutes is all it takes to repurpose your unused wire hanger into a footwear holder. This trick will free up storage space for other essentials and preserve the cleanliness of your home at the same time.

In addition to preventing clutter from accumulating on your floors, there are important health-related reasons to keep your footwear organized. A study by Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, found that the surface of a single shoe contained an average of 421,000 units of bacteria. An additional 2,887 units of bacteria were found inside the average shoe. We will spare you the gory details about the type of bacteria discovered on the shoe. All you need to know is that, according to the study, the vast majority was of the E. coli variety.

Now, imagine tracking all of that icky stuff into your home — that's exactly what happens when you keep your shoes on indoors or chuck them in a corner. The study notes that the germs transferred from the shoes to uncontaminated tiles at a rate of 90% to 99%. Yes, this means adding another task to your to-do list, but it's safe to say that this is an essential one. Thankfully, there are all kinds of easy shoe storage hacks that offer a quick fix for cluttered closets. If you have a wire hanger waiting to be used, you already have everything you need to get started.