25 Ways to Use a Reacher Grabber Around the Home

Most people get a reacher grabber for one reason — picking things up off the floor. Once you have it home, you start finding uses for it in every room. Here are 25 practical uses across the whole house, grouped by room, so you can see just how much it changes the day.

In this article

• In the bedroom and bathroom (1 to 8)
• In the kitchen and living room (9 to 16)
• Laundry, outdoors, and everyday independence (17 to 25)

In the bedroom and bathroom

The bedroom and bathroom are where a reacher gets used most. That's especially true during recovery, or early in the morning when joints are at their stiffest.

Bedroom uses (1 to 5)

1. Pull up blankets without getting out of bed. Hook the edge of the blanket and drag it up from a lying or seated position.
2. Retrieve items that fell between the bed and wall. An angled or rotating jaw reaches into tight gaps that are impossible to reach by hand without moving furniture.
3. Reach clothes on lower hooks or hanging racks. Grab items off low pegs or the floor of a wardrobe without bending or crouching.
4. Get dressed independently. Pull pants, underwear, or pyjamas up from the floor while seated. This is the most common post-surgery use, and one that many people continue long after recovery.
5. Plug in your phone charger without bending to the power point. Hook the cable end and guide it into the socket from a standing or seated position.

Bathroom uses (6 to 8)

6. Pick up dropped soap, shampoo, or a razor from the shower floor. No need to step out or bend. Grip the bottle from the side and lift.
7. Reach the towel rail from inside the shower before stepping out onto a wet floor. This cuts the risk of slipping while you step out to reach.
8. Turn the shower on before stepping in to check the temperature without getting wet or having to step over the shower lip twice.

In the kitchen and living room

A reacher takes the frustration out of the kitchen and keeps you in your chair longer in the living room.

Kitchen uses (9 to 12)

9. Reach items on high shelves without a step stool. Far safer for anyone who is unsteady. A step stool is one of the more common causes of falls at home.
10. Retrieve items from the back of low cupboards without crouching or kneeling on a hard floor.
11. Pick up a dropped spoon or utensil while cooking without pausing to crouch or grab the bench for balance.
12. Open and close low cabinet doors by hooking the jaw over the handle. Handy when your hands are full or bending is uncomfortable.

Living room uses (13 to 16)

13. Pick up the TV remote from the floor. Once you have a reacher, this quickly becomes its most-used job in the living room.
14. Retrieve items that have rolled under furniture, including sofas, armchairs, and coffee tables. The long shaft reaches spaces that are otherwise awkward to get to.
15. Close doors without getting up from your chair or couch. Hook the jaw over the door handle and pull.
16. Reach light switches from a chair or bed with an 81 cm model, if the switch is close enough.

Laundry, outdoors, and everyday independence (17 to 25)

These are the uses that catch most first-time owners by surprise, and they quickly become habits.

17. Transfer washing from the machine to the basket without leaning awkwardly over a front-loader or bending to a top-loader.
18. Pick up dropped socks or small items in the laundry without bending to a tiled floor.
19. Reach the back of the dryer drum to retrieve the last stray sock.
20. Pick up litter in the garden without bending. This is one of the original uses for this style of tool, and still one of the most satisfying.
21. Retrieve items from low garden shelves or near ground level without kneeling or squatting on uneven ground.
22. Press elevator or pedestrian crossing buttons from a wheelchair or mobility scooter without repositioning or leaning out.
23. Open and close drawers by hooking into handles. Helpful in the kitchen, office, or bedroom.
24. Adjust clothing in mirrors, such as straightening a collar or hitching up trousers without reaching behind awkwardly.
25. Carry small items short distances by gripping a bag handle with the jaw. Useful when your hands are full or when you need to keep one hand on a walking aid.

The more you use one, the more uses you find. It becomes one of those tools you wonder how you managed without. For technique tips on getting the best results, see our guide on how to use a reacher grabber. Ready to find the right one? See our best reacher grabbers in Australia guide, or browse our full long-handled reacher range.