Move your heavy small appliances around your kitchen with the touch of a finger with this $1 fix. My family has been doing this for years.
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click here to go straight to the tip!
I told you about the week long deep dive I did into organizing my house a while ago. I went through every crammed closet and cupboard in an attempt to make my life easier. The goal was to make my things easier to get to and store them in a place that was logical. For instance, after serious contemplation I decided that keeping hundreds of flower vases instead of coats in my coat closet wasn't a logical use of space. For one thing they slip off the hangers.
This whirlwind of organizing led me to finally be able to consolidate all my small kitchen appliances in one space. Things like my sous vide machine, stand mixer, Cuisinart and deep fryer were scattered throughout the lower floor of the house in any space they would fit. And yes. One of those things was in my coat closet.
My newly organized dining room cupboard.
Now all my kitchen appliances are in the kitchen. Which, I have to be honest with you, feels a bit weird to me, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
An entire lower cupboard is now dedicated to these things. The only problem is they're heavy and I don't have those cupboard inserts that let you pull the shelves out like drawers. I want them and I think you can still get them for my Martha Stewart cabinets (from Home Depot). I've just never got around to getting them.
So I did the next best thing. I spent $1 on felt pads.
Yup. A $1 felt pad.
Felt pads on the bottom of small appliances makes them slip out of cupboards easily instead of either sticking or bump, bump, bumping along.
Like this ...
It's also a great solution for the bottom of your coffee maker if you have to slide it across the counter to fill it up. Any small appliance that is heavy and hard to move. In fact if you have a small child that's difficult to move you can cover them with felt pads and just push them around the house. A small harness around their belly that's attached to your leg and you can smoothly drag them wherever you go. Practical and fun!
Felt pads. They aren't just for chairs anymore.
The other thing I did to make pulling small appliances out of my cupboard easier is, I added another piece of wood (particleboard actually) to the bottom of my cupboard. This raises up the bottom of the cupboard slightly. There's a lip you see and it stops you from being able to drag anything on the bottom shelf easily.
Another reason to put felt on the bottom of your small appliances, is because without them the rubber feet on the appliances can mark your counters and cupboards when you drag and push them.
The white pads I'm using here aren't my favourite but I have a ton of them. They're from Ikea. The best ones I've ever bought are from Dollarama because they're thick, stiff and sticky. We're all thinking the same joke here, so I'll just leave it at that.
Speaking of sticky: The reason the nubs on the bottom of small appliances are rubber to to stop them from skating across your countertop. This is especially true for stand mixers and food processors. So DON'T leave them unattended on the counter when they have felt pads on them or they could skitter right off the counter.
Everyone in my family does this little $1 felt trick with their appliances, especially things on the counter so since you're like family I thought you should know about it too.
Also when I was out shopping with Betty the other day she screamed at me and told me I absolutely HAD to do a post about putting felt on everything. She stamped her foot and everything. She was positively maniacal about it.
Welcome to the family.
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Gill
Loving your sense of humour and your ideas.
Now I just need felt pads for my feet and I can pretend to skate around my house! X
Karen
Plus you'll be shining the floors at the same time! ~ karen
vicki
I am so glad I found you and started following. This hack is genius.
Karen
I'm glad you're here too Vicki! ~ karen
Cussot
Have you ever used those furniture glider things? Do they work?
Karen
I have used them! And honestly for big furniture I find sticking towels under the legs works better for sliding them around on hardwood. But the gliders would probably work great on carpets. ~ karen!
Stephanie
Ha! Great minds Karen. I use facecloths or towels to move large furniture around too - folded in half or in fours - put under dresser legs (or what-have-you) and off my furniture goes - don't even have to empty the drawers. Excellent when you can't get your kid to help you and you're on your own to move something.
Nicole
Do you think they would melt if I used them on the toaster oven? I'm constantly moving that thing to clean up crumbs.
Karen
I don't think they would melt, no. As long as you put them on the bottom of the feet they should be fine! ~ karen
dirk
I felt good about this!
Karen
Took me a few reads to finally realize what you were saying, lol. ~ karen!
Kate
Love this. Just about everything in my house that can be felted is. Except for the husband, He is heavy to move, so now I’m considering it.
My other lifesaver is Quake Gel, aka Museum Gel. It’s that clear, sticky gel that’s used to attach product samples to magazine pages, and in museums, breakable objects to display shelves. It sticks like nobody’s business and releases cleanly. I have breakable objects I’m very fond of and cats. And husband. Righteous stuff. ‘Nuff said.
Lois M Baron
this is the best sentence: I have breakable objects I’m very fond of and cats.
Jacquie Gariano
Great idea, as usual. It reminded me of my two large leather couches that I drag around to move them when I clean or rearrange for Christmas. Off to Walmart to get felt pads. LOL
Thanks, as always for great tips and laughs.
Susan
Your tips are great and your humour is a delight. Happy Canada Day!
Lynn
Ahhh yes felt pads fantastic little things that are so multi purpose it’s not funny. Have used them for years on just about everything. Love them they make life sooo much easier.
Another Stephenie
When I saw the last picture, I automatically thought, "oh, that's marbleized!" not..rubber foot drag marks!
Stephanie
Another great idea, but that's what we all come here for. But, am I really the first going to ask - why the hammer with your canned tomato sauces - is it in case you can't easily open in a tomato sauce emergency: "use hammer"? On another note, can you come do my home now please? I keep renovating and all my tools are scattered over four floors and my garage. I need help - or a pink tool belt.
Karen
The hammer, lolol! Yes, well, you see I like to have a hammer upstairs as well as downstairs in my workshop. But it's too big for my hardware cabinet drawers so I put it there where it's easy to get to. ~ karen!
Christina Blanchard
Love the idea... but I'm still starring at that closet. Never thought I could be in love with a closet, but here I stand.
Sabina
I also put felt pads on the bottom corners of all of the picture frames I have on my walls. No scuffs and it helps keep them from slanting.
Grammy
I use the thick felt pads under my huge, heavy buffet/china cabinet — so it slides away from the wall easily when I want to clean behind it or (more likely) just re-arrange furniture. Big, heavy sofa, desks, all the heavy furniture is easy to move on the hardwood floor.
Karen
Yes! ~ karen
David Acker
Get some of this Gorilla Grip Original Drawer and Shelf Liner and put a sheet under your kitchen device with the felt pads and no more "skittering". https://amzn.to/2Fzy0Pz
Karen
Oh yes, I use that stuff too! (not that exact brand but the rubber mesh) I keep a few squares of it in my kitchen drawer. ~ karen!
Julia
I think you’ll find that if you put felt pads on the bottom of Betty’s feet then she will be a lot easier to handle as well.
Karen
Hahahahahaha!!! ~ karen
Toni
Love it!
Suel
Hello Karen!
I'm with you there about the felt pads. I also use them on the backs of framed artwork and pictures. On another note, I've found an ancient four drawer card catalog that reminds me of your kitchen hardware cabinet (the mini-me version). I have four large ones under my retro 50's diner table in the dining room too.
Suel
I should say four large felt pads under the table...
Karen
I wondered about that, lol!! ~ karen
Karen
Love the card catalog! ~ karen
Martina
I put felt pads under the t.v. so it can be turned to whichever direction I need it. Now, if we could just get stand mixers to be a bit lighter without lowering the quality of the product.
Karen
I remember having a small television in my bedroom when I was young and putting it on a small lazy susan to be able to turn it. Pretty much thought it was the coolest thing ever. EVER. ~ karen!
Muff Hackett
I'm so glad that I'm not the only 'felt foot fiend' in the crowd. My husband teases me about my obsession with them, but really - they make moving so many things easier and quieter.
Karen
Love the felt feet on everything! ~ karen
Mary W
Why didn't I think of it for my HEAVY mixer? Weird about those simple things - we think you are a genius for the simplest things - thank you!