Suction cups are the best kept secret when it comes to organizing in tight spaces. It takes only a few seconds to put them up and once they’re up, you can truly maximize your wall space.
But there’s a catch–they don’t always stay put. While suction cups can create additional storage options for you, it’s not worth the effort if they’re always falling down.
If you’re tired of losing the battle with your suction cups, let us help you win with some easy advice.
Make Sure You’re Choosing the Right Surface
Some surfaces don’t work well for suction cups. Start with a clean surface, and make sure it’s completely smooth — not rough or textured. Even a little bit of texture can be a deal-breaker.
Source: Pixabay
If you’re counting on a suction cup to stick to a rough plaster wall, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. It won’t be able to create a tight enough vacuum to seal out the air.
Give Everything a Good Cleaning
Source: Pixabay
You may solve your problem with this easy step. However, if it still doesn’t have the suction you believe it should, take your cleaning to the next level.
Use some white vinegar–or rubbing alcohol to wipe down the wall and the suction cup. That will take care of any greasy or slimy film you can’t see but that might be hurting the suction.
If you’re going to hang the cup in a shower, vinegar will be just fine, but if you’re working on a painted wall, you might want to test the vinegar in a small area to make sure it doesn’t impact the paint.
Use Some Water
A little bit of water can do wonders for boosting a suction cup’s grip. Using warm water, rinse the whole cup so it softens it up.
Shake the drops of water off the cup quickly and then put it up on the wall. That can often do the trick.
Watch the Temperature
If you’re putting up a suction cup on your car window to attach a GPS unit or something else, don’t do it in cold temperatures. This can hinder the cup’s flexibility. You won’t get as good of a latch as you will in warmer weather.
Wait for the temperature to reach at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you must put it up in colder weather, run the defrost on the hottest setting to make sure your window is a bit warmer. And keep the suction cup as warm as possible until you put it up.
Be Realistic
Avoid hanging up anything breakable with a suction cup. And, if you’re trying to use it to hold up something fairly heavy, it might not work.
For heavier items, you may want to use 3M Command strips or a similar easy-to-apply strip, or stick with nails, screws, or anchors.
Now that you’ve earned your masters in suction cup-o-logy, check out these options worth sticking with: Colorful & Heavy Duty, Durable Designs, Powerful & Lightweight.
AUTHOR: AMY ANTHONY
Amy Anthony is a stay-at-home-mom, seasoned writer, and a home cleaning and organization authority. Amy enjoys having an absolutely spotless home and has worked hard to develoP strategies to keep it that way, despite having 2 kids and 3 dogs. Amy loves sharing cleaning hacks and organization tips to help others maintain a sparkling house with minimal effort.
