Interview - Hangio

Professional Organizers deal with clothes and closets on a daily basis. We encourage clients to recycle their wire hangers and opt for durable hangers that clothes will actually stay put on. Of course, we are always interested in new products. Hangio caught our eye on the NAPO website. Instead of using traditional hard plastic or wood, Hangio hangers are made from moldable foam that can be configured in six ways to adapt to each garment. The hangers are a bit more pricey than traditional hangers (29.99 - 32.99 for a 3 pack) but well worth it when you think of your clothes not having bumps in all the wrong places.

We reached out to Ayodele Aigbe the CEO and founder of Hangio for information on her bendable hanger. She was more than happy to speak with us and we wish Ayo all the best as she moves forward with these promising hangers!

What inspired you to develop Hangio?

My freshman year of college, I remember vividly walking into my closet to bring out my favorite sweater. As I took off the sweater from the hanger, I noticed that it had shoulder bumps on each end. I was flustered and searched Google for options on how to remove the shoulder bumps. I tried many things from putting hot water on each end and drying it to ironing out the shoulder. None of it worked! I was curious to see if anyone had gone through the same thing. As such, I began asking more of my friends and people on campus if they had similar issues via a survey and I found a common narrative- the traditional hanger design did not work well. The current design gave way to stretching, slippage, shoulder bumps, and wrinkling. Further, I knew it was a problem worth solving when I saw that these problems created a negative social impact on people. Inspired by the idea to create better hangers came Hangio

What makes them unique?

The world's 1st premium bendable hanger that alleviates the issues of shoulder bumps, clothes slippage, and collar stretching has arrived. Hangio Hangers are unique in their quality and design aesthetic.

Will they save any space in the closet?

Hangio Hangers #1 goal is to maintain clothes in our client's closet. Our Hangers are larger than others (i.e. plastic or felt) which enables the hanger to have a bendable design to accomplish its goal. As such, we recommend reserving a "special space" in our client's closets for where they can put their special/delicate garments on Hangio Hangers.

Where are the hangers made?

Hangio hangers are made in the USA.

What is the best way for someone to purchase the hangers? Is it all online or in stores?

All of our hangers can be purchased on our website at www.shophangio.com.

Best Ways To Display Your Dishes

In many homes, dishes are stored away in cabinets, taken out only when needed for meals or special holidays. But this is truly a missed opportunity. Whether you’ve run out of conventional storage space or you’re looking for unique ways to decorate, it’s never a bad idea to consider creative ways to store your dishware collection. This article will introduce you to some of the best ways to display your dishes.

Store Dishes on Open Shelving

If you have open shelving in your kitchen, dining room, or another room in your home, this could be the perfect location to decoratively store your dishware. Displaying dishes on open shelving is both functional and visually appealing, as you can both stack and stand dishes upright on the shelves. Try using a variety of types of dishes and create a nuanced display by standing the prettiest dishes against the wall on the back of the shelf and stacking the others in front.

Mount Them on the Wall

Beautifully designed plates make for gorgeous wall décor. To decorate a blank wall in your home, choose some of your seldom used dishes to hang. This is one of the most timeless, traditional ways to display dishes, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. You can buy inexpensive plate hangers at your local craft or hardware store.

Use a Classic Hutch

If you don’t have one already, consider purchasing a sideboard and hutch to display your dish collection. A hutch is a classic way to display your dishes and some models, like those with glass doors, can give your prized china collection some extra protection. A sideboard gives your hutch a place to sit and provides storage for other dishware in its drawers and cabinets. Even if you don’t have enough floor space for both a sideboard and hutch, you can buy a hutch separately to mount on your wall.

Try a Plate Rack

A plate rack is another classic way to store and display your plates. Plate racks can either be freestanding or built into a cabinet or shelf on your wall. These storage units store your plates securely, yet keep them orderly and visible, unlike plates stored in closed cabinets. Some plate racks even have places to hang cups or stack other dishes beneath them.

Trying out one of these best ways to display your dishes will spice up your home visually and allow you to admire your dish collection rather than simply storing it. Don’t hide your dishes—display them so that they can be appreciated, even when they’re not being used at mealtime.

Guest Post - Signs you Need A New Roof

A durable and dependable roofing system protects the home and the family from the severest elements. No homeowner can undermine how incredibly essential it is to ensure that the roof stays in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Roofing is a complex system, that just like everything else comes with a lifespan. A roof’s life depends on its materials and installation. No matter how sturdy or well-maintained a roof is, there comes a time when it requires replacement. 

Roof replacement is an expensive project involving a significant investment. Homeowners should remain proactive and observe the symptoms showing the roof’s health and condition during routine inspections.

The process of roof degradation happens over time. However, every roof starts to show signs indicating that it is nearing its lifespan. Homeowners should remain proactive and notice the symptoms that highlight the roof’s health and condition during routine inspections. 

Let’s look at few telltale signs suggesting that it is time to get a new roof:

Recurring leaks and moisture

An occasional leak springing up does no harm, but if a roof develops recurrent leaks, consider installing a new roof. Several people tend to ignore small pinhole leaks as they are considered harmless. However, they are at the root of all major leaks as they continue to grow and get bigger with time, causing significant damage and demanding expensive repairs. A leaky roof usually is the first sign of a failing roof. To check if a roof is leaking, look for signs of water intrusions or condensation in the attic. Water stains on the wall or ceiling, peeling or blistering paint, dripping sounds, musty odor, water pooling, moss, mold, and mildew growth, and rotting wood all indicate water leaks and moisture presence.

Shingle condition

A roof faces a lot of abuse over the years since its installation. It bears rain, storms, thunder, lightning, heat, snow, and other weather conditions that may cause significant wear and tear. Shingles begin to show signs of wear and tears as the roof ages. Several missing, curled, buckling, or cracking shingles, finding shingle granules in the gutter, and inconsistent shingle color are all signs of a roof inching towards the end of its service life. If the roof starts to appear old and worn out, it is the best time to get a new one.

Sagging deck

One of the prominent signs of a failing roof is a weak and sagging roof deck. It indicates a compromised roof structure having severe consequences like a roof collapse. In this case, getting a new roof is the best choice to protect the home’s structural integrity.

Damaged flashing

Flashing prevents water seepage under the shingles in areas like around the chimney, pipes, vents, and skylight. Loose, rusted, missing, cracked, or deteriorated flashing sections allow water entry into the home. During the regular roof inspection, keep an eye on the flashing for any signs of damage.

Roof’s age

The most obvious sign and a perfect indicator that it is time to get a new roof is its age. Each roofing material has an expected lifespan, and the material used determines when it needs replacement. If the roofing system is made of asphalt shingles, the most commonly used roofing material, and is over 20 years old, getting a new roof will benefit in more ways than one. A metal roof lasts about 70 years, wood shingles between 30 and 40 years and clay, concrete, and slate roof lasts over 50 years. When a roof completes its lifespan replacing it using better and long-lasting materials is a wise choice.

 Regular inspection by a roofing contractor helps catch these early signs, and you may get a new roof before the old one causes significant damage to the home. If it is time to replace the old roof, hire a reliable and professional roofing company to install a new roof.  

About the author:

Richa writes content extensively for roofing contractors and garage door companies. When not busy with work Richa enjoys playing guitar, and spending time with her family. To know more about Richa, check her out on Linkedin.

The art of downsizing - expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home

Spring is a great time for changes and new beginnings. Maybe this spring you could finally make some changes in your home. The COVID-19 pandemic left us all with little or no choice for outdoor activities and socializing. Instead, we became more oriented to private, stay-at-home entertainment. Since this is the case, we might as well use this time to make our personal space, where we spend most of our time, more pleasant. Whether you are relocating your home or just redecorating, the art of downsizing can come in handy. Of course, not everyone practices this art regularly, so we bring you some of the expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home quickly and easily.

Choose a starting point for clearing the clutter

Every endeavor needs a starting point. Similarly, if you are preparing your terrain for clearing the clutter in your home, you need to know where to begin. You could, of course, start decluttering randomly as well. In fact, some people believe that the most important thing is to start as soon as possible and that coming up with the right strategy in this kind of work doesn't matter much. One can even perceive it as an unnecessary waste of time. However, that depends on the amount of your clutter. If you only need to clean one room, cleaning randomly might work. But, if we are talking about complete home organization, you are risking losing track of what you were doing, when, and where. So always choose a specific room to begin with.

Expert tip: If you have an attic or basement, this is an ideal starting spot. You can clear and clean it first and then utilize it as temporary storage until you take care of the rest. Alternatively, start from the most spacious room in your home.

Make an inventory list and precise selection of all items

Besides being in control of where you are decluttering, you should also be careful about what you are throwing away. Or even more importantly, what you aren't. Making an inventory list of all your belongings can help you a lot with this, especially if you are organizing for seniors, or anybody else, as a favor. You may not be aware of what are items they possess and how important any of them are. But once you put everything on paper, the selection becomes more straightforward. It is even better if you can divide your inventory list into categories for easier reference.

Some suggested categories are:

• Jewelry, art, and other  valuables

• Electronics

• Personal effects

• Items suitable for charity or give-away

• Clutter - the only category of things to be disposed of

Don't get too emotional when it comes to disposal

Once we start browsing through our dusty collections of god-knows-what all kinds of scrap, suddenly all the memories rush back. Unfortunately, this feeling doesn't last long. As soon as we continue with our everyday activities, we again forget about those items. And so, piles get larger and larger. Just imagine what a waste of space this is. Of course, this doesn't mean you should throw away all your memories. Instead, try to select them the best you can and keep only the dearest ones.

Expert tip: There is no point in keeping your emotional valuables in the basement away from everyone's eyes. Alternatively, you can give them some life back by using them to personalize your bedroom.

Use all the help and tools available

One of the most common beginner's mistakes is underestimating your opponent. In this case - the clutter. Yes, you are a real hero if you manage to take care of the whole clearing process alone. But is it worth the trouble? Especially nowadays, with so many tools and professional cleaning services available. Virtual organizing is one of the latest break-through in this field, and it is certainly worth considering. Think of the time and effort you could save. An alternative, more old-school way is to get your friends and family to help you. This may not be the most effective way, but at least, it is the cheapest. And at least you don't have to do everything entirely by yourself.

Expert tip: If you don't want to deal with the heavy lifting when moving out your items, you can call a local relocation crew for help. Reliable movers can be great allies in the process, as they have the tools and the skills to handle this task without damage or injury.

Organize your home in a way to prevent piling of clutter in the future

Maybe you are done clearing the clutter in your home, but your job is not over yet. The next thing is to clutter-proof all your rooms. Only this way will all your effort pay off. What are all the sweat and sore muscles worth if your house looks the same as before after a week? Once the first pile of clutter reapers, it is already too late, so start thinking about this on time. 

Here are some practical and creative ways to promote downsizing from the first day of your new life: 

• Place bins around your home - many of them, everywhere, and in different colors. This can motivate you to recycle and be more responsible about clutter.

• Get new boxes, crates, and labeling material for easier categorization of stuff.

• Dedicate a part of your basement or house for uncategorized items. Everybody needs an organized multipurpose space in their home.

• Select one day a month for decluttering.

• Stay disciplined. Motivate yourself from time to time by imagining a spotlessly clean home. 

Even though the minimalistic way of living and decorating has been around for some time, not everyone is practicing it. Some people dedicate a lot of time to create a perfect downsizing strategy, while others prefer a more free and spontaneous approach. Still, for those who are about to embrace this new lifestyle, we hope that our expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home will be of great help.