How to Organize with Hooks & Clips

Remember when I found out about UM! products and I started spitting out all of the ways you could use them to get organized??

I was really excited about UM! Brands because they can add storage without any major construction (peel & stick — super easy!) AND they don’t use adhesive. They actually stick to things using “nanosuction” — basically, a million itty bitty little suction cups (they’re so small that you can’t even see them!)

I ended up getting in touch with the company, and they were nice enough to send me a few of their products to review for ya! Get ready for a rockin’ review (and a few confessions!)

Here are a few ways they’ve helped me organize things around the house:

Problem: I like clipping our outgoing mail to the front door because it makes it so much easier to remember when I’m heading out. Unfortunately, the magnetic clip I was using was constantly getting knocked down by my pups when they would jump up to attack excitedly greet any visitors.

Solution: Clip UM! Stationery Clip It hasn’t budged in over two weeks! (Bonus: if your door isn’t magnetic anyway, you now have the ability to clip mail to your door! Welcome to the club!)

Problem: I keep a little baggie in the fridge with small bits of food that can be used to hide pills for my pups. It always ended up getting lost in my deli drawer under the bigger packages.

Solution: Now, I just use the Stationery Clip & stick it up on the inside wall of my refrigerator. It’s a visual reminder that’s easy to reach, and it makes use of previously untapped storage space in my fridge! It’s been working so well that I might be recruiting more of these little clips to hold other small fridge items (snack bags, etc.)!

• Tap into unused storage space inside your fridge by clipping small items to the walls.
• Use on the outside of your fridge to clip papers, etc. (a great solution if your refrigerator doesn’t work with magnets!)

Problem: I love my little Swiffer vacuum for quick clean-ups, but I haven’t been able to find a good storage space for it where it’s out of the way, easily accessible, AND close to a power outlet so I can plug it in when it needs charging. (TIP: if you are building a house, make sure you ask them to put power outlets in your utility closet so that you can charge your dust buster, etc.! We will definitely try to do that if we ever build!!)

Solution: Now, I have it tucked away in the laundry room. It’s hidden behind my washing machine near a power outlet, and it’s easy to grab whenever I need it. The Clip UM! Industrial Clip sticks beautifully to the side of my washer!

Side Note: Remember how I store my delicates on the side of my washer, too? I may end replacing my current laundry clips with a few of the UM! hooks because they actually have a stronger hold than the magnets!

The Hook UM! Rocket Clip worked as a great addition to my shower storage. Now I can hang my loofah up on the far side of the shower so it can dry & stay out of the way! (FYI — my shower has fiberglass walls. The UM! FAQ page says that it will also work on glass or tile.)

Problem: We are currently doing some renovations in the bedroom, so I don’t have a side table right now. I was constantly losing my eye mask! (Side note: if you have trouble falling asleep, this sleep mask is awesome. It’s soft, really comfy, and it blocks out light like a champ!)

Solution: The Hook UM! Rocket Hook sticks right on my headboard, and when we add our side tables back, I can remove it without any issues. Problem. Solved.

What I Loved:

• No installation, no residue. Peel and stick. Easy peazy!
• Lots of colors and patterns, from mod and industrial to bright & cheery.
• They add space to my house by creating new storage opportunities in areas that may not have supported other types of hooks or clips (i.e., the inside of my fridge!).
• It’s really easy to give every item a convenient, accessible home. (Oh, you need to find a spot where you can store your sweeper vacuum near a power outlet, but out of sight? Boom. Now it’s clipped to the side of your washer!)
• Great for adding organized storage in rental homes, college dorms, or places where you don’t want to drill or install permanent fixtures.
• Sticks to most smooth, non-porous surfaces: painted, stained or varnished wood, glass, tile, painted cinder block, metal, and wallboard. (I also think they are stronger than magnets!)

Keepin’ It Real:

• They tell you not to use it on drywall. They’re right! I tried it a few times anyway because I’m stubborn and these are the types of sacrifices I’m willing to make for you guys. In one part of the house, it just wouldn’t stick to the wall. In another part of the house, it stuck so well that it peeled a little bit of paint off the wall when I moved it (whomp whomp!). Moral of the story: FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.
• The front pieces on the Clip UM! clips are made of a delicate EVA foam material that remind me of craft foam. (If you’ve ever used those little foam scrapbook stickers, then you know what I’m talking about.) So far, they’re doing well, but I wouldn’t advise using them in any areas where they’ll receive a lot of abuse (i.e., within reach of energetic toddlers or pets). The Hook UM! hooks have thin plastic instead of the foam, so I think they’ll be fine in any situation!

Wanna give it a whirl?  Shop online & you can get 15% off your purchase if you enter “simply-organized-rocks” at checkout! (Offer good through May 2014 — woohoo!!)

What would YOU organize with these little guys??

P.S. I’m sharing this post at the IHeart Organizing monthly mini challenge!