Storing Oversized Bedding Is A Breeze With This Genius Tension Rod Trick
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Oversized bedding like pillows, blankets, and comforters can be tricky to store. Maybe the weather's gotten too warm for your down blanket, or you bought some extra pillows to have on hand when guests visit. You don't want these items to collect dust while cluttering up your living space, but their size can make it difficult to find room for them in your closet. Thanks to the humble tension rod, there's an easy way to get oversized bedding under control without paying for custom storage solutions.
Tension rods are an organizer's best friend. They're affordable, they take minutes to install, and they don't leave marks. They also come in all sizes, so you can use them for everything from building a shoe rack in a closet to creating shelf space in a medicine cabinet and adding dividers to dresser drawers. And since tension rods are adjustable, you can easily update your storage system when needed.
How it works
Tension rods are great for hanging curtains, but they're also a secret weapon when it comes to storage. If you install them on top of your oversized bedding, you can use them to squish down your blankets and pillows, which allows you to store more in the same space. Narrow tension rods work best for this trick. You'll need at least two rods, maybe three if you're storing something particularly large.
Place the blanket or pillow where you want to store it, then space the tension rods out evenly on top of it. Screw each rod into place just over the item, pushing the rod down gently to flatten it. Now your oversized bedding takes up less space, and you have a built-in tension rod shelf above it where you can store more bedding or other lightweight objects. The best thing about this tension rod trick? If you get more oversized bedding or decide to reorganize your closet, moving the rods is easy and won't damage your walls, cubbies, or cabinets.
Things to consider
Tension rods are very affordable — you can find them for under $10 at places like Target or Lowes. The length will depend on where you want to put them. Be sure to measure your space first to ensure you purchase the right size.
Also check how much weight your rod can hold. For example, the Target rod can hold up to 5 pounds, while the one from Lowes can hold 4 pounds. Either of these will work for keeping your oversized bedding in check, but keep the weight limit in mind if you plan to store heavier objects on top of the rods. For instance, if you want to store a box on top of two tension rods with a weight capacity of 5 pounds each, the box should weigh 10 pounds or less. This also applies if you plan to use tension rods in other creative ways, like to store cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink.