Command Hooks are basically a necessity if you want to hang anything on your dorm room walls. Duct tape looks messy and just doesn’t work well, and pins are typically off-limits so the walls don’t get damaged. Before coming to college, I had heard that Command hooks were great to have, so I picked up a pack of them thinking they might come in handy.
Little did I know that Command hooks would be a hot commodity. Luckily my roommate brought a ton of them, and we ended up using most of them. They’re just so versatile, they don’t damage the walls, and they come off really easily when you take them down.
There are also Command strips, which are great for hanging posters and pieces of paper on the walls. The Velcro is quite sturdy, and they’re very easy to apply.
There are so many uses for Command products. We mainly use the hooks to hang string lights and pictures around the room. My roommate also uses several hooks to hang her wipe-off calendar above her desk, and we used a combination of hooks and strips to hang our bulletin board (read more about bulletin board organization in my post Put a Pin in It: The Key to Bulletin Boards). I have a few in my closet on the wall where I hang purses and extra bags to keep them off the ground. Keep in mind that they don’t hold much weight, typically only about 3 to 5 pounds, so you may need a few of them depending on what you’re trying to hang.
Now as helpful as they are, there are some things you should be aware of when applying them to the wall. For the first few days of college, we struggled to get them to stick to our walls without falling off when we tried to stick something to them or hang something from them. What we didn’t know was that you need to wipe off the wall area where you are going to place the hook or strip with rubbing alcohol and wait for it to dry. This cleans the surface and helps the product stick to the wall.
Also, read the instructions! If it says to stick the hook or strip to the wall and hold for 30 seconds, then do it. Maybe even hold it for more than that. If it says to wait 30 minutes to hang something after applying it to the wall, then wait. We ruined several hooks before we realized we needed to wait, so be careful.
As long as you apply them correctly, Command hooks and strips will make your life much easier and will free up space elsewhere in your dorm by letting you keep things organized on your walls instead of on desk or floor space.
Organize by Ginger 