If you could share one household tip/life hack, what would it be?

[Dandelion78]

Mine would definitely be that drying clothes in sunlight gets rid of tomato/sauce stains. Am weaning my second child and it's a bloody lifesaver. No more soaking things for hours that still come out with orange marks on them.

What other gems are there that I need to know?

Most things can be cleaned with soap and water or vinegar and bicarb. No need to spend a fortune on cleaning products. I do buy Magic Erasers though

I agree most things can be cleaned with soap and water.
But vinegar really isn't any cheaper than a bottle of Asda's version of flash, and if you use bicarb you need loads of it, again, not actually that cheap, and your house stinks of vinegar, instead of pine/lemon etc.
I don't buy lots of cleaning products, but honestly, if you live in a hard water area, just buy bloody limescale remover. Got black mould? Buy the mould remover spray, quick, easy, works, and doesn't cost a lot and doesn't smell strange.

The one I do agree with, and it isn't a household tip is it?

Get your elderly relatvies to write on the back of photos.
Fortunately my Mum is in to family history, so all her photos are labelled, cross referenced and there is a book of stories to go with them.

My mum and I did a story doc for us and her nephews and nieces - just stuff from her childhood and memories of their parents (passed away). Just came across it the other day. We did and and sent it to family (all overseas) just a month before she died elderly but out of the blue. She’d had lovely emails and calls from family about it before she died. Really glad we did that. Bloody hell life, eh ?

Whoever really the method rhubarb spray thank you my house smells amazing

@Advicewouldbelovelyta

I stitch ribbons on the corners of duvets and on the inside corners of covers. Its easier to put the cover on and it doesn't shift around :)

This is such a good idea. Why have I never thought of that? Or why aren't they manufactured like that? Weighted blankets are.

[quote 36degrees]**@noseofjericho* I really don't like the taste of long life milk, I guess it's a case of what you're used to. @Doomsdayiscoming* you don't keep it for ever, just until you've had a cup of tea 🤣[/quote]
Dried milk is more like milk, you can just mix it with water and pour it into your tea/coffee.

I used to always use LL milk because I didn't have a fridge (bedsit, tiny room) so it doesn't bother me, and I always keep some as a spare. I also have skimmed powdered milk for breadmaking.

@BJHair
I have indeed found some deep fitted sheets! Will be life changing 🤣
www.amazon.co.uk/Linen-Zone-Egyptian-Cotton-Thread/dp/B075HFG9SN/ref=sr_1_6?hvlocphy=1007326&hvnetw=g&keywords=deep+super+king+fitted+sheets&hvadid=259073626030&qid=1618438282&dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpdqDBhCSARIsAEUJ0hMsbCmrFZc9QmuokLZg02JyAyd5_Cqwa4-HIcAk6R6ybCYHC5dynssaAsqAEALw_wcB&s=kitchen&hydadcr=18477_1816569&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=kwd-316885805473&adgrpid=56015727587&hvrand=5537338572294851356&sr=1-6

For the people struggling with fitted sheets coming off in the night 🌙

Sheet suspenders - 2 minutes work which saves having to fix the sheets many times also available for extra deep

But as this is MN where people routinely change the bed / towels many times a day it may not make it easier but for normal people no more sheets or mattress protector curling up around you

Don't be a hoarder! Reduce your clutter as much as you can. I moved recently, and I was absolutely shocked at the amount of stuff I had accumulated. I've been selling items on eBay & taking boxes of stuff to the charity shop ever since.

One I have just discovered in the last few weeks: keep rubber bands from spring onions, asparagus etc and use them to secure open bags of frozen veg and so on. Instead of tying up the top of the bag which always comes undone, fold the top over and put the elastic band around the whole bag to stop it from unfolding.

you put the tomato sauce on the dog, tht has rolled in fox poo, and obviously rinse it off, it takes away the smell @steppemum

Wish I’d known about the tomato sauce/dog thing years ago! Our dog managed to find and roll in a dead turtle on the beach (we were living abroad) - imagine a cross between the worst of rotting meat and rotting fish and you’d just about have it.
Tried everything, including Brut shampoo - nothing really banished that stink - it just had to wear off.

I'm not a fan of cleaning with vinegar because of the smell. 90% of things can be done with hot water and a few drops of washing up liquid.

I use the Ecover multi pupose spray for anything a bit more heavy duty in the kitchen (like the sink and cooker hood). It lists vinegar in the ingredients but smells fresh and lovely.

Save Chinese takeaway plastic boxes with lids - ideal for freezing chilli etc and you can write on the lid with a Sharpie

I see your tip and raise you...use masking tape to label your boxes. It sticks well enough to last in the freezer but peels off easily so you can reuse the tubs without having Sharpie scribbles all over the lids.

I use those takeaway tubs for EVERYTHING - leftovers and general food storage (brilliant for keeping dry goods in the cupboard as they stack well so space is maximised), small screws/odds and ends in the toolbox, storing tiny bits of Lego, emergency dog water bowl if a friend with a dog visits, soaking my air plants, and I currently have one sitting under a leaky radiator to catch the drips. So useful that I sometimes order a takeaway just to stock up!

Do people really need to be told to re-use takeaway boxes for other kitchen-related purposes? 🤯😂

@SaturdayRocks

Do people really need to be told to re-use takeaway boxes for other kitchen-related purposes? 🤯😂

Once you've had an accident with one, you won't want to use them again.

@SaturdayRocks

Do people really need to be told to re-use takeaway boxes for other kitchen-related purposes? 🤯😂

I’m quite fond of take a shite tips on Twitter when I need a good laugh. Some of these would fit in quite well.

twitter.com/takeashite

@SaturdayRocks

Do people really need to be told to re-use takeaway boxes for other kitchen-related purposes? 🤯😂

Do you need to be told to... Be nice

@SaturdayRocks

Do people really need to be told to re-use takeaway boxes for other kitchen-related purposes? 🤯😂

Has anyone mentioned reusing carrier bags? I think that’s a really good tip to add if no one has thought of it yet

I actually reuse quite a lot. I’ll reuse a handbag, a pair of shoes. My TV has had at least 3 uses out of it! So I’d recommend using that quite a few times before throwing it away and getting a new one.

@steppemum

There are so many bloody useless tips on here which take MORE time not less.

My favourite waste of time mn tip is the pillow case and duvet cover one.

What the hell goes on inside your cupboards?!!
Fold up the bedding set. Open the duvet, tuck sheet and pillows in side. No need to faff around with trying to shove it all into a pillow case. Or even, just a pile of duvet cover, sheet and pillow case. When I come to get it, it is just sitting there, a piel of matching sheets.

Stuffing it all into pillow cases is such a watse of time and effort.

ditto all this cleaning with vinegar and 2p peices and baking soda, etc etc. Just buy the right stuff.
mould cleaner cleans mould
limescale remover removes limescale
bleach removes stains

etc etc.

My other least favourite tip is to freeze sandwiches for the week ahead. BLEUUURGH soggy sandwiches out of the freezer?
NO! Why would you do t his to your poor children? Not to mention the fact that that means you never put cucumber, lettuce or tomato in the sandwiches. Just make them while kids eat cereal. It takes 2 minutes!

@steppemum

You have made many valid points.
However, I would disagree about the cleaning products.
If you buy a different product for every need, you fill your cupboards and just line the pockets of cunning marketeers with your money. Most 'specialist' cleaning products are either alkali, acid or detergent diluted to varying strengths with water, sold at an inflated price with fancy labels that lay claim to great results.
For most domestic needs, aside from washing powder, all you need is:
Salt - to soak up wine stains
Bicarbonate of soda - odour absorption, cleaning
Vinegar or lemon juice - lots of really good cleaning applications and limescale removal (but I prefer citric acid for a kettle, as it does not smell)
Washing up liquid - used concentrated on stubborn stains before washing
All the above are typically in every kitchen, so no hassle to store and use. And they are cheap.
Then the only other (stronger products) you might need are::
Strong bleach - as well as disinfecting, this BEATS ANY MOULD REMOVER (which is often just diluted bleach anyway!)
Lighter fluid - will dissolve most glues
WD40 - besides lubrication of hinges, de-rusting of bolts and waterproofing of distributer leads, it dissolves hot glue, permanent marker and lots more besides

I have seen utility cupboards filled with mould remover, stain removers, bleach, disinfectant, soap, detergent, odour eliminators, oven cleaner, anti-bac surface wipes, floor cleaner, hob cleaner, mildew treatment, limescale remover... the list goes on. These are not life hacks, these are the norm.

So, FOR LIFE-HACKING, if you understand exactly which processes require alkali or acid, then most household 'right stuff' is not required. All the manufacturers do, is take a little scientific knowledge and sell it in a bottle at an inflated price. If you read the ingredients, you will see what I mean.

So, don't underestimate the power of salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Great stuff... and it has been the "right stuff" for centuries before the TV ads took over.

With regard to frozen sandwiches, yes I agree. Sloppy sludge. However, if I need to take a sandwich on a long trip in a hot climate, I have been known to freeze (cheese & pickle) sandwiches THE NIGHT BEFORE ONLY. Then hours later they are still cool and fresh. (You can't take ice packs through airport security). Otherwise they can become warm, sloppy sandwiches where bacteria would love to breed.

I think you made lots of fair comments. I particularly like your pillowcase argument :)

@SnugglySnerd

One I have just discovered in the last few weeks: keep rubber bands from spring onions, asparagus etc and use them to secure open bags of frozen veg and so on. Instead of tying up the top of the bag which always comes undone, fold the top over and put the elastic band around the whole bag to stop it from unfolding.

True, but forget the rubber bands. I just twist the top of the food bag about 4 times (by holding the top and spinning the product underneath, having squeezed out excess air) and then I roll the twisted top over and tuck it securely into itself. I might not have explained this very well, but once mastered, it take half a second to secure most food items for static storage in the fridge. If the twist top is wrapped under the bag instead, the weight of the product stops it from opening. And it is effortless to reopen. Obviously, not for storing liquids.

@SaturdayRocks

Do people really need to be told to re-use takeaway boxes for other kitchen-related purposes? 🤯😂

No, probably not! The main point of my post was to share the labelling with masking tape thing, which I do think is a clever tip...then I just got carried away waxing lyrical about my love of takeaway boxes! Feel free to scroll on by if it's not for you though!

@AbsolutelyPatsy

you put the tomato sauce on the dog, tht has rolled in fox poo, and obviously rinse it off, it takes away the smell *@steppemum*

hmm, so does dog shampoo, washing up liquid, baby shampoo.

Just can't work out why you would add red tomato sauce, rather than, you know, an actual cleaning product?

In my experience the worst of the smell is always in his collar/harness, and 10 minute soak in some washing powder get rid of it.

MakeMathsFun

Fair enough, I know that you are right in principle.

In fact I have very few products in my cupboards. I buy cheap Asda version of flash. This cleans everything from ovens to toilets, floors, serves as an anti-bac etc etc.
That and washing up liquid, which I also use as stain remover on clothes etc.

But the mould spray - most bleach can't/doesn't work in a spray bottle, and I need to be able to spray into places I can't reach with bleach. I also find that the mould doesn't return with mould spray, and it doesn't remove colour from paint walls.

and some of this stuff is so fiddly to use. Making up Bicarb paste and trying to use it v. spraying from a bottle, I understand why people spray.

"I tried this but no one ever emptied it, just got bigger & bigger basket.
We tried this too after reading a similar tip in TV Chat but found they were really too small for us, so we now have a number of wheelie bins in the sitting room, these things are freely available, in fact we found ours in the street. An added bonus is, they have numbers on so each bin is allocated to a member of the family.

The downside is, in our family of eight, we now can't really get into the room very easily and so have to sit squashed up in the hall but with the sitting room door open so we can see the telly."

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles Literally had me in tears at this!