Different Types of Coat Hangers
Although they are called coat hangers, people hang an infinite variety of things on them. You might not give them much thought, but your closets and laundry rooms would be a mess without them. It's surprising that something so simple would come in so many different forms, but there are actually several different types of coat hangers.
Types
One of the most important distinguishing characteristics of a coat hanger is the material it's made of. A hanger may be wire, wood or plastic. It may be covered with padding and satiny fabric or it may have a crocheted or knitted covering to protect clothes. Most hangers come in a modified triangular shape; the apex of the triangle is at the top and a rounded hook extends from the apex and holds the hanger on its bar.
Geography
One of the most common sources for wire coat hangers is the dry cleaner. You deliver dirty laundry in a tangled heap and the cleaner returns it with every piece neatly hung on its own hanger. Occasionally, you might inadvertently bring home a nice wooden hanger from a swanky hotel. Now, you can purchase hangers of all types from any mass merchandiser or department store.
Features
Once a humble housekeeping device, today's hangers come with their own array of accessories. You can purchase a scented sachet to keep clothes smelling like roses. You can purchase an organizer to store hangers in a neat way until you need them. There are even hanger hangers--a device that lets you hang several hangers from a single hook, conserving space in a closet. Use specialty hangers for special clothing. A tie or belt hanger is just right for long, narrow pieces, while pants hangers preserve creases by clamping the hems tightly together.
Potential
Coat hangers were originally designed to hang clothes and keep them relatively wrinkle free, but clever people have found a number of different uses for wire hangers. When cars were made differently and personal security was more casual, many people used wire hangers to lift the lock on the car door if they happened to lock keys inside. You can also slide that hook into a small space to retrieve flat or small objects. For example, wire coat hangers are perfect for fishing stray socks from behind the clothes dryer. Attach the hanger's hook to the end of a long pole to string holiday lights or pick fruit from the upper branches of a tree.
History
Before the invention of the coat hanger, it was common to see a coat tree next to the front door of a home or in the coat room of a commercial establishment and clothes hooks in personal spaces. The design of these devices provided limited coat and clothes hanging space. In 1903, an inventive man named Albert J. Parkhouse took action to solve the problem of too few hooks on the company tree. He twisted a piece of wire into a shape that would support his coat and hang nearly any place. Unfortunately for Parkhouse, his employer rushed to the patent office and took ownership of the idea. The device has been reworked over the years to reflect changes in the shape, weight and size of clothing.
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