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?

You'll lose the child proof caps if you decant medicines, so need to be extra careful about where you store them.

Snap dried spaghetti into short pieces before cooking it for small children. It cooks faster and it is easier and quicker to snap it when dry than it is to cut up when cooked.

If you feed your cat or dog wet food in pouches, squeeze the pouch a few times to mash up the food before you open the pouch and squeeze it out to put it in their bowl. It’s easier than trying to mash it in the bowl and saves washing a knife or fork.

If you’re making a cheesecake or biscuit based dessert, use a potato masher to flatten and spread the crushed biscuits into the dish. It gives you a nice flat and even base.

Think they’re the only ones I have which no one has mentioned (although perhaps everyone does all of these already)

No need to decant Calpol - you can buy it in sachets. We always have a couple of them in the changing bag.

I've just got a magnetic window cleaner (does both sides at once, plus it's a lot safer for upstairs windows).
It's a life-changer! I usually hate cleaning my windows, particularly doing the upstairs where I have to perch and lean out.
I've actually enjoyed how quick and easy it is once you've got the hang of it.

@Notajogger

For the wine box one, I just cut the corner off the bag and pour. You get every last drop that way!

But it's nowhere near as much fun!

We put ketchup, mayo etc in a small bowl on the table with a teaspoon instead of the dcs trying to shake/squeeze out of the bottle and getting too much/too little/getting the top of the bottle all yucky. Much easier for them.

No need to decant Calpol - you can buy it in sachets. We always have a couple of them in the changing bag.
You can get Nurofen in sachets too; and Calpol do 250mg tablets that melt in the mouth.

mine what brand of magnetic window cleaner do you use? I would love one

@mineofuselessinformation

I've just got a magnetic window cleaner (does both sides at once, plus it's a lot safer for upstairs windows). It's a life-changer! I usually hate cleaning my windows, particularly doing the upstairs where I have to perch and lean out. I've actually enjoyed how quick and easy it is once you've got the hang of it.

I have a man who comes and cleans my windows (outside). £10 a month. Saves me from hanging out of the upper windows. OK, I still need to do inside myself, but that's a lot safer!

@notso

For me it keeps it all closed and sealed and not getting stale if it's not being eaten every day. plastic clip on the plastic bag inside does a better job. the plastic keeps it fresh not the cardbpard.

We just fold the bag over and close the tab on the box. I don't eat cereal but have had no complaints about it being stale.
The folded box is pleasing to the eye though.

I also put Nutella lids in the dishwasher with no noticeable issues.

Some of the really big boxes of cereal are too tall for the cuboard that they live in, so I fold them over and then use a clothes peg to clip the cardboard down. I did try taking the plastic bags out of the boxes and just keeping the cereal in those, but I kept mixing up the types, ditto when I tried decanting them into plastic tubs.

It always annoys me that the boxes are so massive when the contents only half fill them.

Paint all the rooms in your house the same white or cream paint. It sounds boring but it means any marks on walls can just be touched up easily and the walls always look fresh. Dh goes round the whole house once I'm a while with one can and brush and it doesn't take long.

4 week meal plan. Have all the shopping lists saved in your online shop of choice including all the usual stuff. You can then just add or remove a few things as required. If you are really rushed you can pretty much do a week's shop with the click of a few buttons and you'll have a reasonable shop in.

Meal plan - check dates as it goes in the fridge and if anything short date and you'll not get to use it when planned - stick it straight in freezer and alter meal plan.

5 minute pick up in every room at the end of the day makes a massive difference. Get the whole family involved then it'll only take 15 ish mins or so.

Spare coffee mug in car so when you forget or unexpectedly want a coffee you have a reusable one to hand. I'm out and about with work usually so also take a few latte sachets with me so I can get a coffee without always asking for milk etc at different offices.

Grate a small amount of dark chocolate into kids porridge using a fine grater. Stir it in and it melts making it very chocolatey but not adding much sugar. They think it's such a huge treat.

All kids pictures into a box file or onto wall to save them kicking about the hall table or kitchen for ages.

Pringles lids fit gu pots.

@winterisstillcoming

Pringles lids fit gu pots.

You are a goddess. Thank you.

Pringles lids also fit the top of Doritos jar dips (or equivalent own brand), I also soak the labels off the jars and use for overnight oats in the fridge.

Keep 'food bank' as a permanent item on your shopping list, so you always remember to buy an extra item to pop into the basket on your way out of the supermarket.

Snap dried spaghetti into short pieces before cooking it for small children.

I do this for myself, otherwise I always end up with sauce down my front due to the spaghetti whiplash effect.

A tip I read on here - use the fast wash setting for clothes (mines 30mins). Means I can set a load and have it hung out before I leave the house. I only use a long wash for my scrubs, muddy or really dirty clothes. Been doing this for about two years now and I can't tell the difference at all.

the short cycles are usually for a third or half on a load.
plus they use a larger amount of water and electricity.
plus they don't rinse very well.

I keep a window sguidgee wiper blade thing (?!) in my shower and use it on my shower glass to zip the water away, after I've finished showering. Glass stays cleaner and water mark free each time. Bought it on Amazon for about a Quid.

Keep 'food bank' as a permanent item on your shopping list, so you always remember to buy an extra item to pop

Yes! Always remembering as I'm walking out of the shop past the food bank Basket. Great 👍🏻 idea.

@bluefoxmug
I'll let Miele know their handbook is wrong shall I? 😉

The short cycles are to get around the appliance efficiency laws.

So you buy an A++ rated Miele. Well that only refers to the main cycle. Newer, modern machines can take up to 4 hours to do the main cycle. It washes by agitation and uses very little water, hence A++.

The short cycle uses a lot more water and electricity, as bluefoxmug said. You can use it all the time if you want (and I do), but your machine won’t be operating at maximum efficiency.

Thanks mamette that's interesting. So for energy efficiency is the longest cycle best?

If it’s a new-ish machine then yes @buckeejit

Ours has an eco setting that takes forever, over 4 hours I think. But even the cottons cycle on a normal setting is over 3 hours.

I've been struggling to sleep during much of lockdown and have found that Nytol gets me off to sleep after about 20 mins!

Another tip I learnt from MN years ago is to soak clothes in Napisol overnight, especially bedsheets to get rid of stains. Rubbing in washing up liquid is another one that works v well to get rid of stains on clothes too.