Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
suz1023

if hangers don't work, what will?

Susan
13 years ago

i care for a young man who has some mild disabilities. one which frustrates us both is his inablity to hang clothes properly on clothes hangers. since we both want his clothes to be neat and for him to accomplish this, are there options besides just pegs from which to hang his stuff?

there must be, but i am drawing a complete blank.tia, suse.

Comments (10)

  • talley_sue_nyc
    13 years ago

    Clothes trees? That's basically a cluster of pegs. Can you get someone to help you by making one, or several, with hooks or pegs floor-to-ceiling?

    another thing to try is to identify any clothes that really can just be shoved into a cubbyhole without ending up really wrinkled. That would cut down on the number of things that needed pegs. Like Jeans, or some pants.

    I'm guessing he can't really fold things, either?

    I also saw an armoire once that had these hinged slats that stuck out from the back wall, so they could be flapped back and forth. Then on each slat, there was a row of pegs. It was a way to have pegs sticking out into the middle of the closet area.

    I'll try later to scan the photo and post it so you can see what I mean.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    13 years ago

    This armoir was converted into a desk--but look at the back wall, to see the hinged slats I was talking about.

    This makes it possible to have the pegs fill up the space in front of the wall. Pegs usually go flat against the wall, so you can't have tha tmany in a given area.

    But a set-up like this could let you have the left slats for shirts and the right ones for pants.

    This pic (not very big and sort of dark) shows the armoir w/ a few clothes in it)
    http://tinypic.com/r/2646wrl/7

    Here is a link that might be useful: Armoir with pegs

  • Susan
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    thanks talley sue, that's exactly what i'm thinking of. you are right, folding clothes is a real challenge as well, and the current cubbies are a constant wreck as it is.
    i was hopeing there would be a solution which might add a little structure to the clothes, though pegs sure are easy and chep to retrofit!

  • ljwrar
    13 years ago

    Can he slip things over an open pants hanger rack like the one in the link below?

    Here is a link that might be useful: pants organizer

  • talley_sue_nyc
    13 years ago

    I feel like those "hooks on hinged slats" are sort of a cross between pegs (the hooks themselves) and hangers (the hinged slats that protrude from the back wall).

    You could install them across the back of a closet pretty easily; or along a wall.

    Another secret for him would be to have fewer clothes that launder more often. MOST of us could benefit from that sort of a scheme, actually--whether we have any disabilities or not.

  • Susan
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    i guess i'm just not seeing it--the hinged slat things--in the link. all i see is an armoire with pegs inside. that will work, though i really wish i understood the slatted thing!
    and you are so right, i have got to clear out a lot of his stuff to make life a bit simpler. and my stuff too!

  • joann23456
    13 years ago

    Look just below the top shelf where the big basket is, and see the photo hanging on the back wall. The pegs on flipping slats are on either side of the photo.

  • jannie
    13 years ago

    Yes, cut down on the number of clothes. Maybe just enough for a week-7 shirts, 7 pairs of pants, seven sets of underwear, plus a jacket or sweater. This would greatly cut down storage, laundry. Toss the rest or give to charity.

  • stompoutbermuda
    13 years ago

    My daughter has disabilities as well. She cannot hang clothes or fold clothes. What I have done with her is to give her a large hinged box to put her clothes in. True, they get piled up and I have to go thru them about once a week to sort out what is and is not laundry (she also has a hamper for laundry, but sometimes....). She has a shelf unit in her closet for her pajamas and it is never perfect, but I just close the closet door lol. I fold and hang her clothes right out of the dryer and I put the hanging clothes in her closet so that at least they stay organized. I fold and then give her the clothes that go on her shelf or in her drawers and then I just make sure her drawers stay shut especially if I dont like the looks of them inside. This is part of "her space".

  • Frankie_in_zone_7
    13 years ago

    My ideas are in the line of the generic advice and not as good as some of the specifics above. Ditto the simplicity and take simplicity on several levels. Fewer items; all socks the same (or all same white socks, all same navy socks, whatever, so no "pairing" needed; very simple color scheme (the ultimate capsule wardrobe!)--thank goodness this is much easier for guys. Think also, simplicity is more space per item --is likely needed for someone with disabilities--meaning, you know how closet magazines sometimes show sweaters folded and stacked in a cubby, but you can see that it takes a lot of skill (and time) to put several things in one area, neatly. Same as in the stores--those neat piles of flat folded sweaters and T's are a chore to put together and keep neat. So cubbies could still work for your guy, but without the expectations that multiple items could be stored neatly together ,except maybe socks or underwear, which don't need to be stored neatly, but are okay as a pile of 7 briefs or shorts, or a dozen socks. And think generous dimensions. The same is for drawers--I think we talked about that on another thread. Drawers need to be deep enough and cubbies generous enough so that a couple of pairs of jeans, or sweatshirts, don't have to be folded and smoothed out to fit in. This may be true for your pegs as well--pegs are great, but if spaced too closely, will also be hard to keep neat.

Sponsored
Closet America
Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars133 Reviews
Northern Virginia, Baltimore & DC Metro's Closet Organization Company