‘You just changed my life’: Woman shares little-known use for plastic hangers that Walmart, Target clothes come with
Buying clothes often results in a bunch of extra stuff that just gets thrown away.
Shoe boxes, tags, delivery packaging—while we’d all like to save and reuse these things, we all know that, most of the time, those extra bits are headed right for the dumpster.
Frequently, this is by design. Some estimates suggest that less than 2% of plastic packaging is reusable. Often, attempts to reuse single-use packaging are ineffective, though companies continue to produce single-use products largely for their cost savings over reusable ones.
Many consumers feel bad about just how much waste their purchases produce. Consequently, they look for any way to reduce their impact—either by buying less or by finding new, fun ways to use what would normally simply be tossed.
One shopper found a new way to use the cheap hangers that come with clothes at major retailers. Does it actually work?
What Can You Do With These Plastic Hangers?
In a video with over 1.8 million views, TikTok user Brianna Mitchell (@mriannabitchell) shows herself holding a clothing hanger. This style of clothing hanger is popular at stores like Walmart or Target.
“You know these pant hangers you got from the store, and you don’t know what to do with, so you usually throw them away cause they suck?” she asks. “Well, before you throw them away, take the ends off.”
The TikToker then demonstrates that, with a little effort, one can remove the clips from the hangers.
“Sometimes it’s a little harder, but you can pull them off,” she details. “And now you have chip clips, so you never have to buy them ever again.”
She closes the video by showing herself closing a bag with one of the clips.
“Frugal living is the only way to go,” she states in the caption.
Does This Really Work?
Whether this is a good “frugal” tip is a matter of opinion. After all, online marketplaces sell chip clips for less than $2. If frugality is the main concern, there are probably other places one can cut down their budget than chip clips.
Still, this tip does seem to offer a good piece of advice about reusing something that would otherwise be thrown away. But can you really just remove the clips at the end of these cheap hangers?
It turns out, yes, you can. This tip has been floating around the internet for some time, with one Reddit user sharing a similar piece of advice on the subreddit r/LifeHacks 13 years ago.
In the comments section of this post, users suggested other ways to use the hangers or the clips.
“Or recycle even more by using them as hangers!! Just rubber band your chip bags. Though really, you don’t even need anything,” wrote a user.
That said, some said that one might be limited in their ability to actually use this tip in the real world.
“Since when do they let you keep these? Every store in the universe that I’ve encountered takes these back at the cash register,” said a commenter. In response, a user alleged that many stores will let customers keep the hangers if they ask. Otherwise, these hangers are often recycled.
@mriannabitchell Frugal living is the only way to go #fyp ♬ original sound – Mriannabitchell
Commenters Share Their Thoughts
In the comments section, users thanked Mitchell for her advice while offering their own improvements.
“And you can use an old nail file to soften any sharp edges,” said a user.
“We use ours to hang up the bath mat to dry,” wrote another.
“I use them to wrap my extension cords around. You clip one end , wrap and then wrap the cord around and then clip the other end,” detailed a third. “You can hang them and they’re super easy to unwind!”
In a TikTok DM exchange, Mitchell said she’s “been doing this for a few years now.”
“Originally my hanger broke and I figured I could still use some of it for something — and boom, chip clip,” she continues. “I use them all the time. We don’t buy chip clips anymore.”
For those worried if this hack will work with their hangers, she says that “Any pant hanger that has the spring loaded clips will work!”
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
