Life hacks, day to day time saving tips, common sense to you but not to others?

[Namechange8123]

I've had a search and can only find (years) old threads along these lines, so I've started a fresh one.

What are your day to day life hacks that make things easier? Could be common sense to you, but others could benefit?

My contributions are freezing lemons and limes to double up with your ice in your gin, layer the cot sheets in DC cot with another sheet and bed mat so if they have an accident, you whip the top layer off and don't have to remake the bed, tin foil behind the radiators...

What do you have?

I’m the summer, when I dry clothes on the line. I take the T-shirt’s or whatever else needs ironing and stick them in the tumble dryer with a wet sock for 5 mins. Gets rid of all the creases without ironing (anything to get out of ironing)

Brilliant thread!

For me:

A few drops of fabric conditioner into a spray bottle of water, to wipe down any electric appliances- dryer sheets do the same, but I find it keeps dust at bay longer

pancake batter in ice cube trays and freeze- pancakes on demand! 2 cubes make a perfectly sized pancake

I've seen the bin liner hack here which is great, but I leave the entire roll at the bottom of all the bins I have, then when I lift the bag out, I can just drape a new one without tearing the base off.

Bicarbonate soda and vinegar clean almost anything, very well, and are not harsh- very cheap too which is always a bonus!

I even dust some bicarbonate soda into trainers and shoes to deodorise them :)

I take the T-shirt’s or whatever else needs ironing and stick them in the tumble dryer with a wet sock for 5 mins. Gets rid of all the creases without ironing (anything to get out of ironing)

Why do line dried t shirts need ironing? They dry flat anyway?
(In fact pretty much everything dries flat if you hang it right, inside or out)

Use a tumble dryer sheet in your drawers to make the clothes smell nice.
When your grinding those salt /garlic/herb mixes don't take off the plastic lid. It still grinds ok and you can see how much you have, big plus is it doesn't go damp because your doing it over a hot pan.
Store your make up wipes/ baby wipes/ kitchen etc upside down. That way you always get the wettest one.

pancake batter in ice cube trays and freeze- pancakes on demand! 2 cubes make a perfectly sized pancake

Nice idea👍🏻

@bluefoxmug

Put the roll of bin bags in the bottom of the bin

we always end up with bin juice for whatever reason. so that one doesn't work...

Same here!

Sadly not one ive done but I’m desperate to move my washing machine upstairs to the bathroom. It’s where the clothes come off!
Husband remains unconvinced and it would be a pita to move now. Wish we’d done it when we renovated.
Double wrapping cots is a life saver.

Any lemons or limes that look like they’re on the turn get chopped into wedges and thrown into g&ts at a later date.

I got fed up with laundry hampers in bedrooms being stuffed to overflowing and constantly having to yell “bring your washing down” to then be faced with a tonne of laundry. So I got rid of the individual hampers in rooms. I have one basket that sits on top of the washing machine. Everyone has to bring their washing straight from the bathroom after their shower and put it either straight in the machine or in the basket depending on what is already in the machine (darks/lights etc) and if they get changed in their room/bring a towel to their room they’ve to bring it down in the morning when they get up. Teen still needs prodded to remind him.

I keep a bowl on the countertop and throw in miscellaneous wrappers, peelings etc as I cook, feed the cats etc. So I'm cleaning as I go and it just tips into the bin when full.

hang clothes with sleeves on plastic hangers on the washing line. They dry with fewer wrinkles and can be grabbed off quickly if it starts to rain.

Is there anyone who doesn't use those octopus sock hanger peg thingys? Saves a whole line of socks.

i keep phone charger in the car. And now hand sanitizer and a pound for trolleys.

i have a cotton shopping bag which keeps the travel plugs, luggage scales, flight socks and those plug in ant mosquito things. That lives in a suitcase. Euros live in an envelope with the passports.

I hate trying to think of what to eat for supper every night so one day I sat down and tried to remember every meal we ever eat. I wrote them all down on one sheet, laminated it and now I browse that when I'm planning a few meals. It's so basic but it really helps when my mind goes blank.

I bought those printed iron on name tapes for uniforms and school trips. so easy and everything is named now. I keep them in a drawer next to where the iron lives. very quick to do.

For things I don't ever want to run out off like wash powder, washing up liquid, bin bags etc I start by buying 2. When the first one runs out you open the next one and at the same time put it on your list to buy another one. so you're always one ahead and don't have to dash out last minute.

I've got a 31 day meal plan. We have the same meal on the first of the month, the second etc. So I don't have to meal plan every week.
I obviously adjust it if we're eating out, special meals, need a 'quick and easy' before scouts etc.

Gazelda. So have you allocated a meal that no one likes very much for the 31st so that you don’t have to have it every month?

My take away from this thread is that I need more ice cube trays.

Does an egg really fit in one cube of a tray?

Squeezy Mayo/red sauce etc running out? Hold the bottle by the bottom, lid closed and pointing to the floor, swing your arm anti clockwise quite fast for a few turns. You’ll be able to squeeze more sauce out.

@sueelleker

Something I've just recently started doing; my cutler drawer gets full of bits from the worktop, so I've lined each section with a piece of kitchen paper so that I can lift it straight out.

Ours does too. I lift out the wire tray thing that has all the cutlery in and vacuum the drawer with the long nozzle attachment.

I have a very organised fridge which is huge.

One shelf has mini baskets filled with snacks for the kids lunch (cheese dippers, yoghurts etc) if they're having packed lunches I also make a weeks worth of sandwich thins up for them and put in cartons of juice so they can make their own lunch by grabbing one thing from each basket and a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl.

I also have baskets that look the the ones for files, tall thin ones, in a Sunday night I chop, weight out and sort meals for the week and put them in their baskets kind of like a homemade Hello Fresh which we had for years so I still have all the recipe cards.

Block of cheese gets grated in the processor as soon as it arrives, we use less per meal if it's grated so now I only have to buy one block not 2.

Shopping gets done and loaded back into the trolley loose and then packed in the car where the bags are already waiting open and empty. (This is for Aldi or Lidl especially)

I make 3 large trays of sheet pancakes up a a time and slice them into squares and freeze, the kids can heat them on the microwave quite easily every morning if they want them.

I have a breakfast station in the kitchen, Cereal in tubs they can pour out of, bread, toaster and spreads. Glasses live there too.
All anyone needs to get out is milk and juice.

All my things require a bit of time once a week but then the weeks runs smoothly, it's a bit anal but we are a family with very hectic lives and often go into hospital for emergency treatment for DC so it gives me comfort to know at least meals are sorted.

Sheet pancakes - same recipe as normal ones? But just baked in oven?

I buy socks in batches, all one type so I never have to pair them.

I only cook every second night (I cook enough for 2 nights).

I keep a packing list in an Excel spreadsheet so that whenever I have to travel I don't have to think too much, just pack what's on the list. My toiletries bag is always kept stocked and ready to go so I just chuck it in my suitcase (I travel a lot for work).

I've seen the bin liner hack here which is great, but I leave the entire roll at the bottom of all the bins I have, then when I lift the bag out, I can just drape a new one without tearing the base off

How does that work? You've still to rip the now FULL bag of rubbish off the roll! Much easier and more pleasant to do it when it's empty.

@RedRocketGirl, thanks for the pillow case tip. My airing cupboard is much too small for a 4 bed house, so what with all the towels as well as bedding it soon turns into an unholy muddle.

I look back with green eyes at the huge airing cupboard my mother had in a much smaller house!

I bought those printed iron on name tapes for uniforms and school trips. so easy and everything is named now. I keep them in a drawer next to where the iron lives. very quick to do.
My husband had to go into hospital unexpectedly (next day admission) so I spent half the night ironing name-tags on to everything (including underwear) as he was going to be in for 2 weeks.
@SnugglySnerd; I would, but my divider is plastic. I might think about getting a wire one.
@Smallsteps88; I store squeezy bottles upside down, so the contents are at the neck.

Make the packed lunches for the next day when prepping the evening meal.

If you have a cat, get several litter trays, pre-line and fill them and stack them. DD does the cat trays every Sunday. She also uses half a puppy pad in the bottom of the tray.

So have you allocated a meal that no one likes very much for the 31st so that you don’t have to have it every month?

TinklyLittleLaugh Day 31 is a recipe that DH and DC love, but I'm not so keen on. So I only have to suffer it occasionally, but they think they're getting a treat!

I meal plan for the week but plan for 1 day to be a meal out of the freezer. That way if our plans change or we unexpectedly eat out (not at the moment obviously) then we can swap round nights on the meal plan without wasting any fresh stuff. I freeze a lot of leftovers so there is always something good in there.
I also have one bag that I only use for work. It has a make up bag containing things like paracetamol, spare tights and tampons and a pencil case with board markers etc in (I'm a teacher). As I leave work my ID badge and keys go straight in the bag and so I never forget them in the morning. It is ugly enough to hold my water bottle and lunchbox too.

I store squeezy bottles upside down, so the contents are at the neck.

Me too. But there’s always a last bit round the neck that I don’t want to waste.