Best domestic cheats, please share.

[farmersdaugther]

Basically I need some tips on how to make me look like I'm an utter domestic goddess but without all the faffing about!

Don't get me wrong I'm fully capable of making my home lovely (clean and tidy etc) cooking and baking but I struggle with having a young family.

So what are your best domestic cheats?

I've started with a bread maker and a slow cooker.

[OutInAllWeathers]

Depends on your standards I guess. Me, I don't iron apart from the odd shirt...just tumble dry and fold! Saves me hours of time!

[Seabright]

If you've only time to do one thing, Hoover.,if the carpet looks nice, it makes the rest of the room look nice

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

Never ever iron. I second the hoovering tip too. And buy those big multipurpose cleaning wipes. A quick rub with those and the bathroom and kitchen look all clean as if you've scrubbed them for hours.

[moonstorm]

I always want to try car wax in the shower.. Apparantly rubbing in (clear!) car wax to the tiles means that water skims over them and makes it harder for mould to take hold.

Lower standrds... once upon a time, everytime I hoovered, I would hoover under everything such as cushions etc. Now I have been known to hoover around mess. (If I spend all my time tidying, it never gets cleaned). It's a half- job, but better a half job than no job - it keeps me on top of things until the time I get the chance to do things properly.

[HavingALittleFaithBaby]

Spray furniture polish round before visitors arrive - it makes them think the house is clean!!

bar keepers friend is ruddy brilliant. It'll clean most surfaces. I use it on the stainless steel hob and ceramic sink. No scrubbing needed, it gets it lovely and clean. Great on taps too!

[HavingALittleFaithBaby]

Oh and someone posted on here recently - 'don't put it down, put it away' - I have tried to apply this and my home is much tidier for it!

[SneakyNuts]

Don't go upstairs empty handed

[farmersdaugther]

Thank you all, these are brilliant. I'm a SAHM and find all these chores very depressing. I just seem to spend so much time picking crap up and doing large amounts of washing! Anything to make life easier must be a bonus!

[GTbaby]

I clean the bathroom sink as I brush teeth. Saves time.
Also if time clean loo just before guest comes. So smells clean.
Deff use wipes. Big time saver.

[SashaSashays]

Dettol mould and something, has bleach in it and smells good. I pretty much just launch it around the bathroom each morning, seems to work.

Buy things that ont need ironing including bed linen etc. Also ideally things that can go in tumble drier.

I reuse to do more than one load of washing per day and it goes on overnight, spun and hung in the morning. I spend about 15 minutes a day on washing for a house of 7. I think a pre sorted linen basket helps (one that has whites, darks and lights sections).

If something is really creased that it has to be ironed I hang it up in the bathroom before I have a shower and the steam sorts a lot of the creases out.

Microfibre cloths. Don't require polish, great on glass and chrome, sometimes just dampen slightly for tough marks.

Child labour.

Febreeze fabric stuff and plug in air freshners do keep things fresh even if you haven't had a chance to clean that day.

[GTbaby]

Bump. I want more tips!

[OrangeLily]

I have a clear plastic hung on the back of a cupboard door for organising all my cleaning stuff. It's easy to see, I'm not fading around under the sink and I can easily see when something has run out.

We put things on the stairs and you have to take something upstairs or downstairs with you. We have two stories of stairs so we are always up and down them.

[OrangeLily]

Clear plastic shoe organiser!!!! Woops!

[farmersdaugther]

Brilliant, I knew MN won't fail me. More tips please

I'm now worried as I already have quite a few of the things suggested

After DD goes to bed and before sitting down for the evening, I've started spending 15/30 mins tidying up and putting this away. As then in the morning things look less depressing!

[attheendoftheday]

I clean the bathroom while I have dd in the bath.

[WhatchuTalkinBoutPhyllis]

Baby wipes. Just a cheap pack for 50p last about a week I use them to clean the kitchen and bathroom because i can't use sprays.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Clean the bathroom when it's steamy. So much quicker.

Do all messy work, like floury stuff and slicing bread on the surface above the dishwasher, then you can just open the dishwasher doot and swipe the smallish crumbs into it.

Touch paperwork once. Don't put the stuff down to be sorted later, do it now.

Use blue roll that they use in shops for cleaning,much better than kitchen roll and great on windows.

Never leave a room empty-handed.

Don't have DC.

[KnightBusRider]

Babywipes to clean sink/bath/surfaces/anything.

[AudrinaAdare]

I like the MN bedding-bale tip. Sheet, duvet cover and the other pillowcases all go inside one pillowcase of the set. They look tidy in the airing cupboard and you don't waste time searching for the right things when you're changing the beds.

Agree with Chaos about DC and would add that DHs can also make the place look untidy and are best kept out of the house at work.

[Iheartpasties]

more tips please - i have added a few things to my shopping list, and I have ordered microfibre cloths from ebay!!

[Pinot]

lolol @ Don't Have DCs. I love you Chaos :o

Lidl's pink printed loo roll is so strong, it can be used to clean the bathroom with. So spray, wipe, flush, smug.

[farmersdaugther]

chaos don't have DC whoops too late ...what about not having a DH messy bugger


Okay,
Windows open,
quick 10 min worth of hoovering,
Baby wipes for cleaning bathroom,
Candle,
Microfibre cloths,

I already do that...why then do I feel my house is always just a bit messy. Maybe I should just roll with it. I doubt hope it's not that bad.

Blue roll..can I get this at the supermarket? Brilliant.

Flowers...I think they also look so joyful and make your home smell lovely.

[Pinot]

poundshops sell microfibre cloths, as do supermarkets/wilkinsons etc

[farmersdaugther]

Whoops x-posts about DH's