Little things for the house that make life easier - I’m doing a shop

[Dollywilde]

Right. I’m getting my act together. As I once again realised we’d run out of little clippy things for reasealing food packaging, it also occurs to me I keep meaning to buy an extra long iPhone cable so I can use my phone when it’s charging in the living room (I can rest it on the table but can’t look at it while sat on the sofa which is pissing irritating and means I’m constantly on 3% battery). I do try and avoid amazon so as not to help Jeff Bezos and his sickening wealth but sod it, I’m going to sit down this afternoon and do an Amazon shop for all those little things that make life easier but I never get around to buying. Basically all the stuff my mum used to go to Woolies for when I was little (RIP Woolies, gone but not forgotten)

So far my list is:
Kitchen clips
Extra long iPhone cable
Lighters - if I can buy them online? (I don’t smoke but I’m a candle obsessive and I am always running out of long matches)
An oven liner, threw mine away a couple of months ago as it was rank and now I need to clean the oven base instead which is much harder than running the liner through the dishwasher - sigh

Please could you suggest other things I need but can’t think of right this second? Much appreciated

Without a doubt get yourself to HomeBargains OP!
You will leave with half the shop.
Their buyers know exactly what people 'need'! :D

I haven't finished reading the thread but someone asked about a 3m iPhone charging cable. I use this one and it's fantastic, a brand called UNBREAKcable.
(This is 2m but I'm sure they do a 3m one)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RSR6YKC/ref=cmswwrcppawdbimmmt12VX6FbKRHXZND??encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It's more of an investment, but I love my boiling water tap. It's so much quicker than waiting for a kettle to boil. It's so handy for cooking vegetables and heating your knife to glide through winter-cold butter. Perfect for making a quick pot of tea too.

Another one here who has ditched all my non stick roasting trays and replaced with both Pyrex and this range from Sainsbury’s.
Easy to clean, dishwasher proof and all of my bakeware still looks great 1-year on.

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/Product/falcon-37cm-rectangular-enamel-roaster

Also definitely a large and a single mug teapot. Tea brewed in a pot is so much nicer than tea brewed in a mug. It's soich less hassle. You can just leave it to brew for five minutes rather than constant stirring and removing dripping tea bags.

@SimonJT

I have a question, people who have those silicon bowl covers etc.

When you wash them how do you stop every speck of dust in the air sticking to them? I have some Ikea ones, they were great on first use, but the moment they are ‘out’ every tiny speck in the air seems to gravitate towards them.

I don't have that problem - do you use washing up liquid? and rinse them? I have 3 different types of silicon covers - the stretchy ones, plain non stretchy ones and the pretty ones that you can get in Lakeland that come in flowers/ fruits - none of them have ever attracted dust, that I can see, and my house is NOT dust-free by any stretch of the imagination!

@SwankySharky

What is the use of a rubbish brush? I feel, without knowing what it's purpose is, I may need one of these.

I have a hard brush, and a soft brush, and a hand brush, but not a rubber brush.

Don't know if anyone responded with an answer but they are amazing at getting human (if you have long hair like me and one of my daughters) and pet hair up from carpets that even the hoover doesn't pick up.

Thanks to this thread, today I bought a silicon oven liner - didn't even know they were a "thing" until I read the thread, then saw one in the shop and thought "A-HA!" Now mine. Only trouble is, now I have to clean the Pit of Doom that is the oven to put it in there!

I'm also starting to think I need a rubber broom...

I’ve just ordered one of these www.lakeland.co.uk/20228/Oven-Rack-Soaking-Tray Genius! Now I won’t have to try to wash the oven shelves/bbq rack in the bath.

Can anyone recommend a better version of the ikea octopus clothes peg hangy things?

I currently use mine inside the heated airer to try to dry the kids' clothes quickly, but I think the warmth makes the metal in the clips expand and pop out the plastic 'teeth' bit and stuff pings out.

ThumbWitchesAbroad same here ! I’ve just bought a new oven and am delighting in looking at it’s lovely shineyness but dreading the time when I need to clean it - now I won’t have to !

I'm ordering a magnetic pen pot right now! I've also recently bought the IKEA wrapping organised- total game changer this Christmas.

Due to the Christmas threads I also discovered this I wish I'd discovered it years ago: perfect for wrapping with brown paper/ brown paper based Christmas wrap (which I always do then add lovely ribbons) and completely biodegradable. You can get it on Amazon too.

I need a new set of pans which won't break the bank. Sick of traditional non stick. Thinking of ceramic, what do we all think?

@yumscrumfatbum

Loving this thread. Has anyone got any bright ideas or recommendations for recycling bins? I currently have a pull out bin that is integrated into the kitchen. Its basically two deep tubs that come out on a runner. I use one for food waste and one for recycling. I have a normal kitchen bin for refuse. The in cupboard bins have absolutely had it and I need to replace them. I don't want another in cupboard solution as I could really do with the cupboard space.

Binopolis.co.uk

I need a new set of pans which won't break the bank. Sick of traditional non stick. Thinking of ceramic, what do we all think?

I had a couple, they were great for about a year then went downhill quickly. They stained and the enamel started chipping.

@PattyPan do they not fit in your dw? I put everything like that through the dishwasher. If it’s not suitable for the dw it doesn’t get bought.

Stellar do great pans in tk maxx.

Loving this thread.

I have a question about the Pyrex roasting trays - do you mean the glass ones or the metal ones? And if metal do they collect water from the dishwasher in the rim and drip rusty water everywhere as you take out of the dishwasher?

@Puffalicious I recently switched my pans all to stainless steel because I was sick of non stick not lasting and concerned about toxicity. I got them from John Lewis - a set of 3 saucepans, thermacore wok and thermacore frying pan, quite pricey but all with a lifetime guarantee. They are amazing! I don’t use oil for cooking and still don’t find anything sticks (although I don’t cook meat/eggs). I also got the universal steamer which fits on top of all 3 of the saucepans which is really convenient!

@Fluffycloudland77 sadly not, we have a half size integrated dw which doesn’t even fit large baking trays - another reason why I love the Pyrex I recommended because they aren’t too tall 😂 I guess they might fit if we took the top rack out entirely but that would seem like a bit of a waste.

@Peridot1 I mean glass ones - I bought mine from eBay.

Thanks @PattyPan. Will give them a go.

DH cooks bacon on roasting trays a lot and we go through so many of them. I end up chucking them regularly. I worry about the toxicity too.

Defo the glass ones - not tried the stainless steel.

I love this type of thread. I always learn something. Thanks everybody.

@WantChewbaccaForGood

You definitely need one of those drinking fountains for cats.

If you don't have a cat then you need one of them, too.

This is the content I am here for

Rubber brooms are getting a lot of love - do I need hard floors or will they work on carpet?
Will they sweep up crumbs?

@lifeinlimbo2020 Good thinking. I'll put them in the loft with all the other accumulated crap where they can live out their retirement in peace

I'm a recent convert to rubber broom & dustpan/brush too & I usually hate everything. Good for hard floors & only tried a little on rugs

So Pyrex glass for Roasting. Do chips still get crispy on glass? I think stuff gets browner on metal - am I wrong?

I love my Pyrex baking sheet- everything gets very crisp. It seems to get much hotter than a metal tray. I would love a half size one as I have a couple of metal ones and the size is v useful