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Okay, confession time. I’m not exactly sure what made me this way, but I have always been super hesitant to put my still-hot straightener and hairdryer away thinking they will start a fire. Yes, I know that’s a long shot, but I have been known to turn the car around on my way to work to make sure I set the hair dryer just so and away from anything flammable. In short, I really needed to rethink my bathroom appliance storage solution.
For the longest time, that meant putting my hair appliances on the bathroom counter, knowing that the surface wouldn’t catch fire. While this helped me avoid anxiety, it didn’t really look good. In a rare lightbulb moment, I decided to hang a metal (read: not flammable) desktop file box on the wall to store my cooling hairdryer and straightener. It worked perfectly and I lived with it for about four months, but then I finally fessed up to what I had been thinking all along: It looked like a hanging file basket screwed into the wall. Not good.
.jpg "File Box Bathroom Appliance Storage")
So I finally decided to relegate the box to a new spot in the bathroom, making it more about the function than the particular (lack of) aesthetic appeal. I still think that the file box is the perfect solution because, again, it’s not flammable and it keeps things within easy reach, so I simply compromised in the “looks” department by hanging it in a less conspicuous location.
To do so, I picked up a package of 3M Command hooks, figuring I could slip the metal loop through the criss-cross caging on my file box. I discovered that the hooks were a bit too large, but it was nothing a pair of wire cutters couldn’t fix. I simply snipped a few of the wires, thereby making a larger hole for the hooks to slip through.
Next, I measured the distance between the two holes and put pencil marks on the side of the vanity. Using those marks, I exposed the 3M tape on the back of the hooks and got those suckers good and stuck to the surface. The last step was to slip the file box in place over the hooks and fill ‘er up.
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It’s out-of-the-way so the room is still stylish, but convenient enough for me to grab what I need in the morning. From the doorway, you can’t even tell that it’s there. So I’m curious: how do you guys store your hair appliances? I know there are so many other creative ideas out there and I’d love to hear about them!
Great idea…I hate dragging mine out from under the sink! This is handy but still concealed! You could spray paint the basket if you didn’t like the color but I like the silver!
Thanks! And good call about changing the color with spray paint if you wanted to!
Here in South Africa we have a strong tradition of wire and bead craft – ornaments and baskets are woven out of strong but thin wire mixed with beads. (I must blog about it sometime), but anyway I have a lovely wire basket that I store loo paper in, but realise now from your post how perfect it would be for the hairdryer and its companions! Thanks.
That’s amazing!! Thanks for sharing! And I’m glad we could give you a new perspective =)
To Carrie – I am head to get my basket NOW !! Thanks !! 😉
To MYBRIGHTLIFE – I had a customer come over from Africa and he brought gifts. If I remember right, depending on where you live in Africa, you are know for bead work or basket work? (I think baskets) He gave me the CUTEST Lady-Bug Key chain made with intricate bead work. I adore it and have used it on my key ring for years !!
ahh much better 🙂
i don’t consider myself OCD, but i did find it annoying when baskets and organizers of stuff inside the bathroom drawers slide all around if the drawer was closed too fast. solution: velcroed the basket to the bottom of the drawer. no more slippery baskets and cramming my hand into the back of the drawer to retrieve them.
AWESOME!!! Such a good thought!! We have problems with that in the kitchen and I am totally going to use your tip – Thanks for passing along!
There are rubber mats that you can buy to put under your throw rug in the kitchen to keep it from slipping. They come in several colors and look like rubberized netting. I cut a piece to fit in the bottom of my drawers and no more slipping. It even works on items in the drawer not in a basket both in the bathroom and the kitchen, ie.. hair brushes, make up, cooking utensils, ect… You just lift them out when it is time to clean the drawer and I throw mine in the top rack of the dishwasher.
Oh good call!! Thanks for the suggestion!
Take the basket and run a line of hotglue down the bottom. Let dry. The basket wont slip again in the drawer. Use silacone on the bottom of rugs to create a non slip rug.
Thanks for the tips!
Excellent ideas! Got me going with your creation. Thanks!
Awesome!! So glad to hear it!
Love the update! I have something similar that was less ingenius as Bed Bath and Beyond thought it up for me. They are pretty much made of the same material but they are mesh wire sliding drawers that stack and you can put under the sink. I love the idea of it being on the side though – whether it be for hair dryers or magazines (which we always are trying ways to organize)!
Thank you!! Love the idea of mesh drawers too…Bed Bath and Beyond is so awesome =)
We have no storage in our bathroom so we went to bed, bath, and beyond and got a metal shelf unit that fits perfectly between our sink and toilet. I have all my products there instead of taking over the entire sink.
Nice! Sounds perfect =)
Am trying to redo my bathroom and just love this idea. Though still not sure where to put the basket. But very creative. Thank you for the suggestion.
Glad you were inspired!!
I love this idea. We have the tiniest bathroom ever!! I have an over the door shoe hangar and store make up, combs and brushes, curling iron, flat iron, and hang my dryer of one of the hooks at the top.
I love YOUR ideas!!! Great organization solution…Thanks for sharing!
You could do the same thing and hang the basket on the inside of the cabinet door under the sink, which would hide it completely. Maybe?
Yeah, definitely! I think that’s a fabulous solution…We just don’t have enough room inside our cabinets to do it. Guess that calls for more purging and organization!! =)
Love this bathroom stuff!!!!!
Thanks so much!!
Wish the outlet was close enough to the basket to allow the appliances to remain plugged in. That would be very convenient!
Actually, I think it probably is! But I’m too paranoid about fires to leave those things plugged in…
The other problem with that is the “vampire” power usage. Leaving even small appliances plugged in costs you money! See your phone charger that isn’t charging a phone? You know, the one with the tiny light on it – it’s pulling power for no good reason!
Exactly…Thanks!
I love your idea!! Here is another solution I saw on pinterest. They put PVC pipe on the inside of the cabinet! I thought this was a great idea as well! Check it out–you have to scroll down a little ways but then you will see it!
http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Home-Organization/Bathroom-Storage/diy-bathroom-storage
Oh yeah! I’ve seen that too – A great solution for sure…Thanks for sharing!
I also have the fear of a hot straightner catching something on fire after I leave the house for the day (I also have turned the car around to check…). I found my solution is to leave my still hot straightner on the stove until it cools and then return it to the cabinet. Its not pretty but eases my fears.
🙂
ANYTHING to allay fears of a burning house is brilliant and necessary in my book. I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one to be over-anxious about straightener heat…Thanks for sharing your tip!
Great idea! Question for you — I want to put a toilet paper in the same spot, but do not want to drill or screw into the vanity. How is your’s hanging? I have one that is a suction, but it does not stay.
Hmmm…I’m not sure how to do it without screwing into the vanity – That’s how ours is attached. Is it something that you could do with heavy-duty 3M tape? That’s ALWAYS my go-to solution when I need to hang something but don’t want to use nails or screws. Good luck!!!
Seems those adhesives last for a while then loosen and fall off.
Can the MDF walls hold screws?
I haven’t had to change my strips out since the day I put them up years ago =)
Not sure you should be using electric appliances in the bathroom anyway…
Oh, it’s perfectly safe =)
No way there is any more creative way to store these! This is AWESOME!!!!!! Thanks! 🙂
Thank you!
Saw your project on OMF. I am in love with it. Awesome thinking!
Awesome!! Thank you for the kind words and for stopping by =)
Love it~ Have the same files…they could also be your bathroom trash can…would make it linear with it being just below the one on the wall…
Good call! Thanks for the suggestion =)
What a terrific idea, thanks for sharing! I’m going to do this in my bathroom!
Glad you like it!!!
I have been needing to do something with my hair appliances for quite some time now! Love your suggestion! Going to take care of that today so my husband will get off my back:)
Awesome! Glad to hear it offered you a usable solution =)
Where did you find the file basket? Love the idea
It’s from Target actually. And thanks!!
Wow, so glad I found you! All of these ladies have great ideas. I only wish you could all see my Mom’s bathroom organization. She has an old ornate Chamber pot at the end of the cabinet, close to toilet for magazines. Old colored and unusual vases hold the combs and brushes. She likes small unusual shaped glass jars for qutips and cotton balls. She has a lot of necklaces, so she stung chain link like for a swag lamp, across the inside of the linen closet door by using cup hooks to hold it, and hung her necklaces from between the links. I could keep going, but simply she is like an organization Queen and it all is decorative and useful at the same time. As far as the blow dryer and curling iron. It always hung on a cup hook on the wall, behind the bathroom door. I will have to show her your idea!
Thank you!! What a lovely image! Your mother’s system sounds like an absolute dream…
Genius! I just did this with a wire mesh magazine holder from IKEA. I’ve been dying to get my curling & flat iron off my tiny countertop. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I’m so glad you made your own!!! It helps me every day…
This would also work well for storing extra rolls of tp in the bathroom
Great thought!!!
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Well, it is always better to make sure but perhaps your compulsions are getting the best of you sometimes which is not a good thing because it will disturb your activities of daily living. Just try to control it, I know you can.
Thanks for the support! Happily I hardly give it a second thought now that I have my file box set up 🙂
Where did you get your wire basket? Love this idea!
Glad you like it! It’s from Target =)
When cautious about fire incidents, I never consider it to be OCD. Better be safe than sorry. Anyway, this box is a good idea and it doesn’t look bad at all. Think I’ll have it in my bathroom too.
Glad you appreciate it!
Great idea. You have no idea where I had my dryer hanging from. I am going to use your idea in my bathroom
Thanks
Fiona
Thanks!! Hope it works like a charm!
I keep my hair stuff ( products, straightener and dryer ) on top of my make shift vanity which is just my dresser with a mirror above it. I plug my hot hair tools into a power bar on the light switch outlet so when I turn the light off it turns the iron off too just in case I forget!
Great idea, Jessica! Thank for sharing!!
I would put some nice fabric around it to hide the messy look of the cords…
Good call!
I am one of those people who are paranoid to put up dryers and curling irons, etc. until they are cool and will even put them on the toilet seat so they are not next to anything.
Glad I’m not the only one!
good idea. glad i saw this. gonna do this because i live in an apartment and could use all the room i can find/make. i also saw a comment on here i think that someone also has one to put magazines in. another great idea. gonna see if i can do both of them. thanks folks!
Very cool, Melissa!! Glad you liked the ideas!
Where. Do I get the metal box
Target 🙂
We live in wine country so what better to use than a wooden 2 bottle wine box that we received as a gift. Of course we drank the wine but kept the box for something someday. My hair dryer and iron now each have their own compartment. The box sits on the bottom shelf of a small wicker table I have in our bathroom. I do admit though I leave the iron on the counter till it’s cool before I put it in the box. The answer- short hair so I don’t use it all the time.
Very cool idea!!
This is an amazing idea. Works as a safety feature but also as storage. Brilliant suggestion!
Thanks! Glad you like it!
So I went out and bought the box… and sadly the spot for it is just ever so slightly too small!!! Major sad face! I’m still keeping it and just putting it under the sink because, if anything, I at least have a convenient way to store my hair styling tools. They used to randomly float about under the sink as my husband and I pushed them out of the way.
Awwww, bummer!! Well it sounds like you’re making it work =) Cudos to you!!
i love this idea and on my way to follow your footsteps haha just one question, isnt the hook you used is the Command hook for .5 lbs each? I have some extra hair appliances compare to what you have in the picture so i’m not sure if they ll hold up.What’s your experience so far with it? I got the white hook but the metal hook look better with the file i think. I’m just afraid it’ll fall if i have like a blow dryer,then hair straightener, curling iron and etc. not a whole lot but maybe 3-4 tools? thank you so much for sharing this too!
Thanks Minah! I have had mine up on the same hooks from the start and have never had any problems with them coming off the cabinet, so I think you should be fine! That said, maybe try a couple of extra hooks just to be safe. =)
OMG thank you for this!! You’re a god send!!
I’m glad you like it!
Great idea! And it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one with an irrational fear of still-warm appliances starting a fire.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
I put hooks on the inside of my bathroom linen closet. I hang my hairdryer, curling iron/straightener and hand mirror on the hooks when I’m not using them. But I love your basket idea.
Great ideas, Kellie!! Thanks!
Love it!
Thanks!
Fab love the idea. Where on Earth did you get sucker hooks that will hold that weight and won’t fall off !
Thanks!! They are actually super strong 3M hooks. Luckily, the file box I used and the hair appliances aren’t too heavy 🙂
Love this idea still looking for the metal file holder
Thanks! We got ours from the office supply section of Target!
i love that idea
Thanks!!
Except now your hair care appliances are covered in fecal matter. Every time you flush your toilet bacteria and fecal microbes enter the air and can spread over 6 feet in any direction. Not wise.
That seems a little extreme to me…But we’ve since moved the box inside the vanity cabinet, so all is well!
where did you get the box from
Target!
Love the idea
Thanks!!
This is freaking brilliant. I’m doing this tomorrow. I can’t remember the last time that I had a clear counter due to the fire fear!
SO glad I could help!!!
Love this I am just like you scared they are still too hot
I still store them the exact same way eight years later, and have had no issues!