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?

Use hair straighteners on iron on name labels - easier to manoeuvre that the iron.

@Nicklebox

If you have a struggle opening jars turn them upside down for 10 mins then right them up and try again ..how it works i have no idea but i promise you it does...one the few that it does work with pierce the top with a knife and let the air out that works then seal with clingfilm and add top on.

Alternatively, a firm thwack against the worktop edge also often works. Also frees stacker glasses stick together.
Watch out doing this my dd used this method and knocked a big lump out of the worktop lol only just had new kitchen fitted too. I have found that tapping the lid with a wooden spoon helps though.

I've found the easiest thing to do is simply use the bit of the tin opener that you use t open bottles! So easy, u hear the 'pop' and voilà, the jar now opens very easily!

If you need more twist grip strength like for opening jars, using a screwdriver etc. wear a rubber glove on the gripping hand, is like a mega power boost.

Added bonus:you can pretend to be Iron Man getting his gauntlet on.

@Plummy987

Put all the knives, forks and spoons in their own slots in the dishwasher so you can them all out at once to put back in the drawer.

Thank you! So simple, so bloody brilliant

@BackforGood

When ordering name tags for school clothes. Only have the surname on it so easy to hand down to siblings.

.....but a nightmare when you've got 15 school polo shirts coming out the wash and you don't know whose is whose......

I have to say frozen diced onion has to be the best thing since sliced bread though.

I get the labels with symbols either side of the surname.

Atm all of the age 8 stuff has a star and then surname. the age 10 stuff surname then a flag (the star is tucked under). When the stuff gets handed down the younger kid knows that they are now looking for the new symbol

I actually started that with my twins. One needed the waistbands adjusted massively on skirts or trousers and it was a pain in the arse on a busy morning to discover that they both had one of her taken-in skirts. Skirts, trousers and polo shirts (because annoyingly their school had house coloured logo polos at that point) were tagged with symbol/surname. General things for sharing had the full label.

Another for opening jars and bottle tops, wrap an elastic band round, tightly then turn, works a treat !

Thought of this thread this morning while using one of my favourite tricks, removing berry juice stains by pouring boiling water onto the stains; don't soak, just flush through, and they vanish like magic!

vegan veal!!! .I'm new to posting so have no idea how to do so....that i found hilarious!!!

Clearly the solution to the name tag for uniforms etc is to give all your dc names with the same initial - Albie, Alice and Andy, for example.
They might resist is you wait till now to make the change, but they'll get used to their new name eventually

Further to the opening of stiff jars etc, if you really can't unscrew the lid, use a bottle opener to pull up the lid a small amount and it releases the vacuum-y effect (or whatever the technical term is ).

Sorry I see Tink1990 already posted that!

Wrapping paper gets stored in an old suit holder. Hanger placed in suit holder to hang it from shelf or in a cupboard.

When my kids were younger I put clear plastic tubs in the cupboard under the stairs (near our front door), when they came in from school all their gear/bags were put in their boxes so that in the morning they'd know where their bags/gear was. Kids names on the boxes.

Each outside door has a mat for wiping our feet. Dog has been taught to wait on the mat as soon as he comes in so I can wipe his feet before going into the rest of the house. Our old beach towels are handed down to the dog. This also worked with our cat. No muddy pawprints throughout the house.

The last dregs of fairy washing up liquid get diluted with water in its bottle for use on shirt collars. Just squirted straight on and in washer.

Each person has their own laundry basket in their bedroom. When full, I do a wash for that person. Shake out clothes before pegging out, saves on creases. Straight onto hangers, when bringing in, saves on ironing.

To motivate me to be quick doing housework I usually set my ironing press up and watch tv while doing the ironing. Then while the adverts are on I get a small job done, the aim is to be back before the programme I'm watching comes back on.

Cards are kept in a box with monthly dividers. I buy cards in bulk (a year supply) with spares that can be used for women or men.

Most of my clothes in my wardrobe are on hangers and sorted into colours (darks to lights). This way I know exactly what I have at a glance and before buying duplicate needlessly.

Every year I buy a few machine Dylon and refresh all my black jeans, shorts, and linen items. Really freshens them up. I did my Levi's today and they look like new. I also did all my bath mats and a few tired looking towels, and a white cotton dress that I never wear, so for £13 for 2 dyes I've now got fresh new jeans, towels, shorts. Brilliant!

[quote ememem84]@barbaraofseville ddad used to be a fire officer and when we were kids he had what he termed an “oh shit” backpack. In case something happened in the house.

I have one in our house too. It’s got changed of clothes for everyone, nappies for the dc, space blankets, torches, basic first aid kit (plasters paracetamol etc) Swiss Army knife, bottled water, cereal bars, some cash, wet wipes, and a phone charger.

Dsis has one too but hers has a fold up escape ladder (she lives in an apartment) ddad was very smug when he bought the ladder for her.

I’ve also got copies of passports etc on my phone and saved to my cloud drive. And on my pc at work. Just in case I ever need them.[/quote]
I live in a very flood prone area, I keep an OFRS but instead of being a rucksack it is a hi—viz drybag (like you’d take canoeing) stuffed with medication, chargers, contact lenses, socks, woolly hats etc.

It’s on a high shelf by the back so we can grab it on the way out. I have copies of all important docs on One Drive, and on my work email account, so I can always get the shit I need.

Freeze whole chillis and then just grate them frozen into meals as required

A tip I've seen on a previous post a few years ago that I now use is to "dot" the DC clothes. Eldest child gets 1 dot on the inside collar or label, when its passed down just add an extra dot. This works regardless of amount of children. Saves time instead of having to look for age labels as sometimes they aren't on the neck.

When I open frozen chips I use the slice of plastic I cut off the top to tie the bag closed.

I tried putting the bedding in a pillowcase but I think it wasted time rather than saving it, and pillowcases are the only thing I like properly ironed and folded (which is messed up by stuffing things inside it). I just tuck the pillowcases inside before the final fold of the duvet cover and put a sheet on top. Quicker and keeps the pillowcases nice and crisply folded.

Not sure if my tip has already been posted, but if you have a lot of wrapping up to do eg at Christmas, buy a tape dispenser and do it all on the ironing board. Easier on the back too.

To wash jars for recycling, I put a squirt of washing up liquid and a bit of hot water in the jar, put on lid, shake and tip out. Much easier than faffing about with a brush or cloth, or bothering with the dishwasher. Am guessing must people do this anyway?

@IamMummyhearmeROAR

When I open frozen chips I use the slice of plastic I cut off the top to tie the bag closed.

Ah, my mum used to do that with all frozen bags, it works well for frozen peas.

We have 3 small washing baskets a white one a black one and a colourful one. They will only hold enough for a wash, so when one is full it just gets carried to the washing machine. Saved me so much time making little piles of washing!

I'm one of these people who gets half way someone where and then I realise I have left something.

I now put whatever I need to take with me on the door handle so I can grab it on the way out. If it's something that cannot be left by the door then I put a post it note saying "Get the cheesecake from the fridge" or whatever.

On a similar vein I worked with someone who would forget to take her lunch box home, she solved this by putting her car keys in the box (often in the fridge).

How does online postage work? I’ve never heard of this!

Really useful tips on here, realise I do a quite a few of them, so I’m clearly a fan of these threads.

Some that I don’t think have been mentioned, but I find really helpful:

Line drying clothes on hangers, I use these hooks from Lakeland as keeps them in place. www.lakeland.co.uk/8829/12-Washing-Line-Clothes-Hanger-Hook-Ups

We haven’t swapped the plug sockets to include USB ports so we bought a double plug with USB ports, a 10cm iPhone charger and a phone cradle which sticks to the kitxhen tiles directly above it. Phone can charge off the surface and you can find it easily (always misplacing my phone!)

iN TECH - 2-Way Plug 2 USB Port Adaptor for TV, Desk, Home and Office with Surge Protector, Over Current Protection, Short Circuit Protection Adapter for Smart Phones, iPhones, Samsung, iPads, Tablets www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FYQVCS4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ycX5EbVWVHMKM?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

www.amazon.co.uk/Gytech-Mounted-Cellphone-Charging-Bracket-white/dp/B07GHJ45ZL?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I have the really useful wrapping paper box which houses all gift wrap paraphernalia. I am going to use the toilet roll holder trick too to keep it even tidier - thanks to whoever posted that!

I have a box with cards and nice pens for birthdays, blank cards too as sometimes it’s nice to get a thinking of you card when someone is having a tough time.

We use a shared calendar on our iPhones for all important things we each need to know about.

I have a little self catering box that gets replenished each each as we do a UK holiday with friends. Just things we prefer and a few more loo rolls etc.

Did you know whiteboard marker erases permanent markers off things (not soft furnishings)?! Great when your two year old finds a sharpie and draws on the kitchen floor.

We have a magnetic whiteboard for the fridge with days of the week and shopping list, really helpful so everyone knows what’s for dinner (and lunch at the moment). We also have another plan whiteboard which is stuck on for my five year old to draw on. He is always drawing and saves having to stop what we are doing and get him some paper.

I’m sure there’s more but I can’t think of them.

@sashh

I'm one of these people who gets half way someone where and then I realise I have left something.

I now put whatever I need to take with me on the door handle so I can grab it on the way out. If it's something that cannot be left by the door then I put a post it note saying "Get the cheesecake from the fridge" or whatever.

On a similar vein I worked with someone who would forget to take her lunch box home, she solved this by putting her car keys in the box (often in the fridge).

I do this only I put whatever it is I need to remember with the car key.

Fruit pastilles, weigh and measure your item and go to royalmail.com, enter the details, choose your option and pay online, then print off the label with the QR code, attach and either post in a letterbox or drop off at a post office if too big (still quicker than queuing and buying postage in store). Or you can use other couriers and arrange collection or drop off at a depot or local shop.