New from 3M comes this ingenious range of Command brand temporary hooks and clips, suitable for all smooth surfaces like painted walls and wood as well as glass, tiles and more. The super strong 3M adhesive will stay put as long as you need it to, and when the time comes simply remove your strips and hooks by stretching the adhesive clean away. Our reviewer Sara Walker takes a closer look.
“Sometimes, a product comes along that you’re really excited about trying, and I think the new Command range could fit that bill for me. It’s such a silly thing, but seems to cause me an inordinate amount of hassle!
I have a lot of painted surfaces in my house, including kitchen cabinets, walls, woodwork and furniture, and I never seem to have a decent place to put things like Christmas and birthday cards. I don’t have space to put them out on a flat surface, but equally who wants to put drawing pins in their nice painted doors? The clever people at 3M have thought of exactly this problem, and created a range of mini clips and hanging strips designed to hold things in place temporarily and then be removed cleanly without causing any damage.
“They’re ideal for Christmas decorations – you could even use them to create a flat Christmas tree against a wall if you’re tight for space. They’re useful all year round, though – you could replace your Christmas tree with dried flowers or twigs in season, all held neatly out of the way. You can also use them to hold pictures, keep a pen handy next to a writing pan and much more. My only reservation was if they’d really peel off cleanly, as we’ve just had the kitchen redecorated and I was a bit nervous!
“I looked at a selection of products including mini clips and mini hooks. Prices start at around £4.50 per pack (quantities of hooks/clips per pack vary) – see command.3M.co.uk for more information. These hooks do have a weight limit which is fairly light, but there’s a wide range of other products available as well, suitable for heavier-duty uses.
“I started off with an advent calendar which was light but bulky. Each pack of hooks comes with several sticky strips so that you can use each hook more than once (you have to discard the sticky strip after use). I followed the instructions, which was to peel one side of the protective backing, press the strip onto the wall, remove the other piece of backing and press the hook or clip into place firmly for a few seconds. It was very straightforward, and the hook stuck so firmly I was doubtful of being able to take it down again! It held the calendar firmly for four weeks, and at the end of that time I followed the removal instructions (slide the hook down, don’t pull it forwards) and it did indeed remove absolutely without trace. Impressive stuff, even on a newly-painted surface!
“I also tried the little clips, which were brilliant for making creative displays and would be ideal for holding wires out of the way on a temporary basis – for example, if you wanted to run a string of fairy lights for a party. I think these are a very neat idea, and I’ll be using them throughout the year. They’re not super-cheap, but the fact that you can use each hook several times makes them good value for money, and you can also leave them in place as long as you want. The little clips are very unobtrusive, so you could even use them up all year! A great solution for anyone with painted surfaces in their home who wants to maximise on space.”
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