Message Boards

I have two large boxes full of wire coat hangers. I tried Free Cycle, local classifieds, donating them to thrift & charity shops and putting them out for free at my garage sales. Seems nobody wants them. It's a shame to just trash them.

Dry cleaners used to recycle them for you. Do they still? Have not been to a dry cleaner in 20 years...so have no idea.

Sad fact is- they are not wanted-do you want them? See, nobody else does either.

Hated to throw good ones away but that is what I ended up doing when I replaced all ours with plastic hangers.

Shouldn't you be able to put them in a recycle bin for metal? Not aluminum, but in the same bin with cans.

I also hate to throw usable things away, but sometimes it just makes good sense, especially when you have a huge cleanout situation.

We are lucky in our neighborhood, that when we put anything usable or recyclable out at the curb a day or two before trash pick up. It is almost always gone. Especially anything metal, because of the high scrap prices here. Might try that, and if no takers...the trash guy gets to haul it away.

Sherry above has a great suggestion too!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: conrad,

I can't put them in my recycling cart, yet. But I can get rid of them at the scrap metal dumpster at the local county trash/recycling center which is only 2 miles away. I'd recommend bundling them together so they are easier for the crew to sort out of the other metals.

First I'd try the dry cleaners to see if they'd take them.

Did you try Craigslist? I think more people check that site. List it under the free section. There are people who still want wire hangers. I know my DH and I do. My DH won't hang his dress shirts on anything but wire hangers. Wire hangers are also great for bending into other shapes to make tools. I wish you were in my area because I would take those hangers.

Wire hangers are fine if you can find a pattern to knit or crochet a cover for them. I have some of my mothers and they are great. Don't let items slip & slid around.
I think I have seen patterns on web site, but don't have them now.

Good ideas to check with dry cleaners but, the bottom line is: "is it worth your time" with two estates that need to be closed? I don't think so...

Bundle them up and put them out near items your trash company collects along with a note to please take them OR drop them by your nearest re-cycle center even if you don't receive any money for them. Your time is money and you deserve to get these estates closed for your own peace of mind. Lose the hangars and move on to finish your projects ~ not everything is worth spending days being conflicted over; just keep moving forward.

PS. I agree that it a shame to "just trash them" but re-cycling actually turns them into a new product that continues their life span ~ a win all around ~ into something new for the future.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,

I tie them into bundles in order to make them manageable. Our recycling center takes them for scrap metal.

Otherwise, put them in your trash as was suggested.

I contacted the service that does my trash/recycling service. They said as far as they are concerned, wire coat hangers are TRASH.

Then just Trash them. No guilt. Done

quote:

Originally posted by conrad:
Then just Trash them. No guilt. Done

Or you could drive 20 miles to the nearest scrap metal dealer burn 2 gallons of gas, get $.50 for the metal but you were being green!

There are a lot worse things to throw in a landfill than a wire coat hanger. I try to recycle everything I can, but I refuse to drive to the only place in my county that takes Styrofoam packaging for recycling. It is at least 15 miles each way to do it, and I never go that way in my normal course of business. I will take packing peanuts to the UPS store next to the grocery store for them to reuse them. I just hope the next person to receive does the same when they unwrap their package. Remember the 3 R's in order are REDUCE, REUSE then RECYCLE.

We have used a few for the garden....cut the top part off the wire hangers and bend them to use for a trellis for small plants in pots, or hold downs for tomato trellis....Also if you put a small fence around your garden or flower bed, these cut off wire hangers are good to hold down the fence. Otherwise...trash them.

You might want to keep a couple....cut the hanger open and make a little hook on the bottom - use to unclog the shower drain from all the long hair.

I've reused my hangers in the garden also. I cut the ends off to make garden staples, those U-shaped things to hold down garden landscaping fabric. Wish I could take some off your hands because I do not have even one wire hanger in my house!

How about a laundromat, they use wire hangers all the time.

Have you all read weakestlink's issues with two separate homes/estates to settle and dispose of???

WL,Throw the blasted hangers in the trash!!! Without guilt or remorse. In fact I would just get a roll off dumpster and start hauling stuff out to fill it.

BTW, I do love to recycle and reuse, but gosh, when one (like her), is looking at two other homes to go through, one cannot be that choosy and take on more tasks than humanly possible.

You could offer them to a senior center for craft projects.
It's amazing what some of those guys/gals can use different things for.

If you know of any little girls with clothes for their doll you can cut them down to make hangers for them. Have seen this on some American doll sites free info on the how too's

ga.karen beat me to it. I also suggest checking with your closest senior center. I'd take a few off your hands, too, because I've covered them with yarn for over 30 years. They make nice little thoughtful gifts. I know my boating friends enjoy them because they no longer find their clothes on the floor of their lockers when they arrive at their destinations.

Masking tape two alike hangers together in several places and use two colors of yarn; and you start it by taping two colors of yarn at the end of the hook. You work one color on each side of the hanger by working a half knot (your hands are your only tools). When you're done, the face of one side of the hanger is, say, green, and the face of the other side is red (I'm doing Christmas gifties right now). When you get back to the neck of the hook, you can put a little pompom there for an attractive finish. It takes a couple of hours to do one hanger. I've never done it with three hangers, but I bet that would really make a nice thick hangers for your clothes!

These hangers are great for keeping pants and/or blouses on the hanger, and better yet, no hanger marks!

Take them to a nursing home. We are aways running short of hangers because patients come in with clothes in bags and go home with clothes on our hangers. Also they wear out after a while and we need new ones. Call first to see if they want them.

Check out your dumps recycling area. Ours has a recycling area which includes an area for all kind of metal items.