Ikea BOHOLMEN Dish Drainer Hacks

Intro: Ikea BOHOLMEN Dish Drainer Hacks

I messed up my Ikea order and ended up with four of these - which was my fault, so I didn't return them. But I found other uses or them - as well as a tweak for the one that I actually needed as a dish dariner,

STEP 1: As It Came ...

I was a bit annoyed with the cutlery holder, as it let the items fall over haphazardly. I'm visually impaired, and have black-handed cutlery, so I frequently found myself trying to pull the prongs of the drainer out as well.

I won't embarrass myself by listing all the things I tried before I came up with a solution ...

STEP 2: Sorted [in Every Sense of the Word!]

I took three small water bottles and cut off the tops and bottoms, they fitted neatly inside the cutlery holder, around the prongs.

Now I can sort my cutlery, keeping knives and forks separate from wooden spoons, slices and so on.

And they stand upright, which makes them easy to get at.

STEP 3: Repurpose #1 - Plate Rack

I dislike storing plates flat on a shelf - granted, they take up less room as small plates can be stacked on top of the dinner plates, and dishes on top of them, but it makes getting the lower plates in and out a problem; and then only the top ones tend to get used.

A draining rack is made to take crockery, isn't it? so this one takes them all the time. This way, each plate has a fair chance of being used in turn.

I can't get the dishes on, but they sit neatly enough under the mini-shelf I have the rack standing on.

STEP 4: Repurpose #2 - Cutting Board Rack

Another rack takes my cutting boards and bread boards, keeping them upright and easy to get at.

The handles at each end of the rack mean that longer boards won't go along the length, but they all go across the width - either way round works.

STEP 5: Repurpose #3 - Desktop Filer

The rack is long enough for A4 folders to fit along its length.

Now I can keep a small amount of paperwork handy on the desk, each one instantly available, not in a stack where I have to sort through to find the one I want.

I should probably add a backboard for support at the back ( and maybe also a "frontboard" as well) for slimmer files that won't stand so rigidly

STEP 6: Thoughts

I haven't yet found any uses for the cutlery holders that these racks came with - the holes re too big for paintbrush holder, sunless you use very thick-handled brushes!

They might do a screwdriver holders, once I've worked out how to attach them to my tool wall.

~~~~~~~

There are probably dozens of other uses that I've not even thought of - please share any you have!

=============

ps, as mentioned, I'm visually impaired, so please be gentle with my typos!

Comments

[DirkW]

Hi Helena, do you mind selling one by any chance? Kind regards, Dirk

[HelenaTroy]

I hadn't thought of drilling a bigger hole in front to get at the back in a straight line! Thanks

The lips will just hook over a drawer front, but then it won't close. Maybe do a reverse on the above: or at least, do it the right way up, making access for the back holes.

Oh, forgot to mention in this 'Ible - I use part of a plastic-covered wire clothes airer to hang cleaning materials in the bathroom; a cutler hanger hangs on there with no probs - that's going to be another 'Ible.

[Alex in NZ]

Good recovery from a wrong order!

Regarding fixing the cutlery holders to the wall for use as a screwdriver rack:-

A couple of screws (possibly with fender washers) through the back of the inverted cutlery holder would hold them to a stud/piece of wood/wall. To get access to insert the screw and to fix it home, just drill a much bigger hole through the front of the cutlery holder so that the screw can be fed through and the driver turned through that.

Another use for a cutlery holder might be as a drawer-front basket. Is the plastic lip at the back of it able to hook over a drawer-front without fouling the closure?