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?

@Anoisagusaris

The bed linen inside the pillow case hack is brilliant if you have different sized beds. Our house has single, double, king and super king beds. It’s very hard to tell the sheet sizes apart for the king and SK.

We just put the right sheet on top of the right duvet cover, with the pillow cases tucked inside the duvet cover. Even quicker and the pillowcases all stay lovely and flat and ironed.

We just put the right sheet on top of the right duvet cover, with the pillow cases tucked inside the duvet cover. Even quicker and the pillowcases all stay lovely and flat and ironed.

Me too! I think it would be a real wrestle to get my kinszie duvet and sheet into a pillow case, and it would make the duvet cover more creases.

Paint - I have a high shelf in the garage for all the paint, and every tin is labelled so you know which room it belongs to Shapies and/or masking tape is your friend. I always keep paint, as a clean and touch up can save a whole repaint job, especially if there are certain bits that get battered.

Oh and all the lids and bases of my Tupperware are numbered with a sharpie so it's easy to work out what goes with what!

Why didn't I think of this!

I've been doing the pillowcase thing since Anthea Turners housekeeping programme, I find it much easier than the standard stack of bedding and things stay crease free. King size bedding just slides in without any wrestling but I guess it depends how you fold.

Also my other favourite tip is before you give sheets or books of stickers to small children, peel off the negative space. It makes it much easier for them to peel off stickers themselves.

Switch to shampoo and conditioner bars. Saves on plastic and can be taken in hand luggage on flights. They double up as body wash and for shaving legs too.

@Notso

I've been doing the pillowcase thing since Anthea Turners housekeeping programme, I find it much easier than the standard stack of bedding and things stay crease free. King size bedding just slides in without any wrestling but I guess it depends how you fold.

Anthea turners housekeeping programme?! When was this on? Sounds fun!

If you don't use a clothes dryer and you've run out of radiator or clothes airer space, when drying clothes in the home. Use coat hangers and hang the clothes from the door frames.

Take the top from a 1.5L water bottle, hammer a few holes in it with a small nail, fill with water and use to water your plants.

When a jar candle has finished, chip the bit of left over candle out and use the jar as a plant pot/vase/pen pot etc.

Place a couple of slices of lemon in the kettle and boil to descale.

Clothes ready the night before is a winner for me, I also get my makeup out ready and bag ready - really helps when creeping around the house at 5:30am

@ememem84 2006! I still fold towels and t-shirts the Anthea way and she taught me how to hang my laundry out properly.

Very lazy chopped garlic in a jar

Separate work handbag to weekend handbag each loaded with what you need for either work/ leisure

[quote Notso]@ememem84 2006! I still fold towels and t-shirts the Anthea way and she taught me how to hang my laundry out properly.[/quote]
I am so checking this out!

One step further than lazy garlic jars are garlic granules- much cheaper than lazy garlic and give recipes the good savoury toasted garlic flavour without the faff of chopping garlic. Genuinely dont notice the difference.

One of my more life-changing tips is to get an A4 box file write "personal 2020" (or home or work or whatever) and stick any personal paperwork in there as soon as it comes in the door I.e bank/pension statements, important correspondence etc.
I realised the time it takes me to leaf through the contents to find a document is the same, if not quicker, than fannying about punching holes/filing things in the correct section in the correct date order, in a filing system.
I have one, sometimes 2, for each year. Literally erased the stress overnight of trying to find time to file everything. Also has solved the problem of piles of paperwork lying around!

Also to add to the pre-prepared garlic tips, we have a tube of garlic puree in the fridge which is great for making garlic butter or smooth marinades.

Burrito duvet method, again life-changing! Takes the faff and awkwardness out of changing a king sized duvet.
It's like magic!

@ememem84 I was thinking about this program the other day, was it called 'anthea turner, perfect housewive' ?? I remember she has two cloths for cleaning the bathroom- one wet one dry. One in each hand. Wipe the wet one over then buff with the dry one.

@HeartZone

Very lazy chopped garlic in a jar

Separate work handbag to weekend handbag each loaded with what you need for either work/ leisure

If you have a spare make up bag or pencil case and keep all the things you need in your handbag e.g. tampons, pen, keys, lipstick etc you can swap it between bags really easily. I have 2, a make up and toiletries one and one with pen, keys etc. It also saves a lot of time rummaging about for things in your bag!

I still watch Anthea's DVDs I live the ideas and transformation. She was better than any Mrs Hinch !!!

my new thing. strangely compulsive.

If you tuck the 2 short flaps in and one of the long ones then push the sides together and tuck the other long flap in you get it to look like this

I didn't think it could better. just has. 😁
thankyou @Effinell

'get better'

Very fancy @Effinell

What is the advantage of the cereal box folding over using the little tab thing that's made for the purpose of keeping the box shut? It seems more of a faff.

For me it keeps it all closed and sealed and not getting stale if it's not being eaten every day.

@Effinell that is amazing!