How to Stop Almost Everything From Sliding Around
September 08, 2021
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Easy fixes to prevent (almost anything!) from sliding around in drawers, on the wall or on the floor!
I have a thing with things that don't stay put. Containers sliding around in drawers, rugs that don't stay put, pictures that don't stay leaning like they should.
At the least, it's just annoying. At the worst, like with rugs, it can be dangerous!
I have a few solutions that have worked SO well for us over the years. These work for items that lay flat and slide around, like in a kitchen drawer, and decorative items that you want to stay where they are on a shelf or leaning against a wall.
My first item is one I just recently discovered...
Museum gel/putty to prevent sliding
If you live in an area that is more prone to earthquakes, you've probably heard of this one.
I LOVE having our new cabinet drawers in the mud room for tons of storage. They are one of the best additions I've made to our house.
But it was driving me a little crazy that these plastic organizing bins would slide around EVERY time we opened a drawer:
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I added a drawer liner thinking that would help. Nope. The drawer liner and the bins would still slide around every time we pulled out a drawer.
Then I added little dabs of hot glue under the liner thinking that would help. NOPE. That stopped the liner from sliding but the bins didn't. 😂
It's not a big thing, obviously. I mean...this is small in the scheme of life. But it drove me batty.
This cool museum gel came to the rescue:
I got the clear because of our (mostly) clear bins for the drawers. It also comes in a putty color as well.
It's actually quite cool -- it levels out on it's own and is SO clear, it looks like water:
You'll need to dig some of the gel out and roll it up into smaller parts:
My lighter bins didn't take much, the bigger ones need a few more or bigger pieces of this gel.
It's not super sticky, so you'll have to do your best to get it under your item because it doesn't really attach at first, at least to the plastic bins. Press down and wiggle a bit to make sure the gel sticks well.
After it is touching the two surfaces it really grabs on. Helloooo...no sliding! I love it!:
This museum gel is so interesting to me...it helps to secure breakables in areas that experience earthquakes.
I love the ingenuity!
- It isn't oily at all and doesn't leave marks on your furniture.
- It's washable and reusable!
- It can't be used for vertical items, as it would just start to slide down. (More on that solution in a minute!)
- What a GREAT idea to secure decor if you have rambunctious cats! If you know you know! ;)
- I also hear it's great for items in RVs. So smart.
We have soft close drawers in the kitchen and bathrooms, but the items inside would still slide back every time we used a drawer.
This museum gel works great on smaller/lighter weight items:
And heavier containers like our utensil organizer in the kitchen:
Rug grippers for hard floors
If you have rugs on any kind of hard floor, you know the terrifying feeling when you catch one just right and start sliding. 😂
I used to only use rug pads, but found over the years that they didn't really secure the rugs like I wanted. They would still slide all over, especially on tile. And those pads are not cheap!
I tried this rug tape, and it always worked well at the beginning, but would start to fail the longer we had it down.
I decided to give these corner rug grippers a try a year or so ago and they work SO well:
They are the best solution I've found to keep rugs in place on hard floors. They're shaped with angled ends to fit right into the corner -- one on each side. Keep in mind that you'll want two for each corner if you plan to try these!
Because they are made for the corners, the rug won't curl up there, which is always the most annoying part.
Pros and cons of these sticky rug grippers:
- These grippers are reusable -- you're supposed to be able to rinse them and reapply. (We haven't done that yet.)
- If you need to clean your rug or the floor underneath, it's best to remove them slowly from both your rugs and flooring.
- These are definitely best for hard floors like tile, vinyl or hardwoods. I don't think they would work well on carpet. (Maybe a very low pile.)
- I've used them for both thick rugs and very thin ones like the family room rug I have pictured here. They work great on both!
- If you wash your rugs often I don't think these would be the best option, it just depends on how often you'd pull them up. (I clean our rugs a couple times a year and can do most without pulling them up.)
Art putty for securing frames and art
Looking for a vertical solution? Our leaning frames on my DIY picture ledges stay put just fine if they aren't touched. ;) But we've had a couple fall when someone runs by or hits the wall.
This solution is as easy as the clear gel, but this one works on walls instead. I used to use this same stuff for my posters back in college!
This mounting putty is strong stuff -- you hardly need any:
I just put a little dab behind the frame and lightly press it into the wall. They won't budge unless you make them! It's super simple to remove though.
This putty is also great to "permanently" straighten art that won't stay level.
When I used this on posters years ago, sometimes it would leave an oily mark on the walls, Now I don't notice that at all. I think if there were going to be issues with that, it would be on a flat finish paint.
Also, make sure your wall paint has cured before using this mounting putty!
How to prevent sliding couch cushions
Man, this one used to drive me especially crazy! If your sofa or chair cushions constantly slide out, the solution is SO simple!:
Yes, I use rug pads for the couch instead of under the rugs. ;) We're all messed up over here.
But it works! And you don't need a huge piece -- you can easily cut them to the size you need. It's an easy fix and instantly keeps your cushions from sliding all over.
Have you tried any of these tricks to keep things from sliding all over? I hope these help if you're bugged as much as I am by things moving around. 😀 They're all affordable and only take a few minutes to apply or install.
By the way, sometimes you want things to slide easier...our rattan baskets used to scratch up the shelves and built ins until I starting to cover the bottoms of the baskets:
They slide like buttah now. :)
I also shared this easy trick that allows us to slide our DIY shoe bins in and out from underneath our mud room cubbies:
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I'd love to give the cushion trick a try...I have that wicker or rattan-look patio furniture. Will this work on there too as well?
ReplyDeleteAny tricks to keep larger furniture from sliding on wood floors? There are a couple spaces we don’t use rugs and nothing I’ve tried works!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah - does the museum gel work vertically also? For pictures on the wall?
ReplyDeleteShe propose corner rug grippers
DeleteI read this article for the drawer organizers sliding solution. I can’t wait to try it! I also really like your other ideas and will eventually try them. Thank you so much for sharing this info.
ReplyDelete