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Original poster

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

897 replies

Dandelion78 · 12/04/2021 18:23

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
orangegina · 15/04/2021 21:01

@BalloonSlayer

😂

revampneeded · 15/04/2021 21:08

WD40 for everything that sticks and gaffer tape for everything that doesn't.

nearlynermal · 15/04/2021 21:14

@quarentini

Don't buy 80 gifts for someone's 80th 😀
I know, right? Gifting may be a Love Language but at that age all you need is 80 more bits of tat.
ichundich · 15/04/2021 21:51

@Plumedenom

If you work full time, put the washing machine on every night and put it in the dryer the next morning after breakfast, then fold it that evening. This saves the weekend clothes mountain.
Makes sense in theory, but isn't this a fire hazard?
MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 15/04/2021 23:01

washing machines caused more fires than tumble dryers last year but I don't think people hesitate to go out with their washing machine on

There are a lot more washing machines though. The relative risk from tumble dryers is higher.

Which puts the risk of your washing machine catching fire at 64,680,000:1 - 6 times lower than the (minute) risk of dying in a plane crash.

PorkPieForStarters · 16/04/2021 09:52

To remove black mould on your bath/shower sealant, tear off a length of loo roll, twist it into a rope then place against the sealant. Pour bleach along it and make sure the wet loo roll is in contact with the sealant, leave overnight, remove in morning and voila!

TheSandman · 16/04/2021 12:09

If you're painting a room and don't finish in one go, wrap the brushes bristles in cling film instead of washing them, saves a load of time and they are still soft and usable the next day.

Don't even bother doing that; unwrapping the buggers can be a messy faff. Just put them in water.

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 16/04/2021 12:50

Feel like this might be a good place to ask.. anyone got any top tips for getting the smell of cat pee out of a carpet?! I’ve scrubbed with vanish, and sprayed with febreze, but the smell won’t shift (elderly dcat has the odd accident).
Ps.. tried the bicarbonate of soda in the washing machine drawer + boil wash, and it really did get rid of the stale smell.

Ariela · 16/04/2021 12:53

Handle things only once.

SO the post comes, don't lob everything on the kitchen worksurface to sort later, lob the leaflets straight in the recycling, open the envelopes and put things away in the right place.

I can't do this every time mind you.

Woodlandbelle · 16/04/2021 12:56

Have you tried white vinegar cold

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 16/04/2021 13:39

@Woodlandbelle not yet.. would I just put it in a spray bottle then scrub and hoover??

MoreMorelos · 16/04/2021 13:56

@yellowsubmarines

I have tried every tip I've seen to clean bathroom floor tile grout but nothing has worked. Any suggestions (hopefully there will be something I haven't tried yet). Getting so fed up of dirty grout on the floor. Angry
Bio washing powder mixed with oxy white powder for clothes, mix with some water and put on grouting, go have a coffee or 3, go over with grout bush and all will be clean
fromcooktochef · 16/04/2021 16:05

@Dandelion78 this is brilliant ! Do you mean sunlight on it´s own , or after washing the article ! Never heard of this before.
thanks

fromcooktochef · 16/04/2021 16:07

@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer I learned to put washing powder on cat spray to eliminate the smell so they didn´t come back and find it again and respray the area. maybe it would work for the pee too !

Original poster
Dandelion78 · 16/04/2021 16:16

[quote fromcooktochef]@Dandelion78 this is brilliant ! Do you mean sunlight on it´s own , or after washing the article ! Never heard of this before.
thanks[/quote]
To be honest, I've never actually tried the sunshine trick before washing....maybe I should. What normally happens, is that I spray a bit of stain remover on, wash the item and then curse when it comes out the machine and its still orange! But then line dry in the sunshine and it magically disappears! Its brilliant Grin

OP posts:
vestastilly · 16/04/2021 16:16

@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer the flash with Febreeze for pets is good too. I have the type of carpet that you can bleach though which is amazing

Justmuddlingalong · 16/04/2021 16:25

Another can anyone help plea. Expensive leather bag, not used in a while. Packet of peppermint chewing gum left in the wee zippy inside pocket. The peppermint oil has soaked through leaving an oil stain on the leather. 😢It's currently sitting with a layer of talc on it to try and draw out the stain, but do any of you have any other suggestions?

BlueTiles · 16/04/2021 17:52

@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer

Feel like this might be a good place to ask.. anyone got any top tips for getting the smell of cat pee out of a carpet?! I’ve scrubbed with vanish, and sprayed with febreze, but the smell won’t shift (elderly dcat has the odd accident). Ps.. tried the bicarbonate of soda in the washing machine drawer + boil wash, and it really did get rid of the stale smell.
As PP says, bio washing powder should so it. We used for puppy accidents. It breaks down the nasties 《 technical term
CherryRipe1 · 16/04/2021 17:53

@ColdTattyWaitingForSummer

Feel like this might be a good place to ask.. anyone got any top tips for getting the smell of cat pee out of a carpet?! I’ve scrubbed with vanish, and sprayed with febreze, but the smell won’t shift (elderly dcat has the odd accident). Ps.. tried the bicarbonate of soda in the washing machine drawer + boil wash, and it really did get rid of the stale smell.
Test out a bit of surgical spirit. I was given this tip years ago & worked for me. There are pet stink remover sprays on the market, I remember Vax used to do one but there's probably others.
CherryRipe1 · 16/04/2021 18:06

To the paintbrushes & rollers in cling film, water or plakky bags posters, yes these work a treat. Also line the paint roller tray with strong foil or non holey supermarket bag, saves all that washing out.

42andcounting · 16/04/2021 18:23

To the PP with the mixed wash colour run problem, try Dr Beckman's Colour Run Remover. It smells atrocious, but it works. I've only ever used it on a fresh, still wet, disaster, but I recommended it on here (last year I think?) and the lady said it worked for her on clothes that has been damaged, rewashed and dried a few times.

42andcounting · 16/04/2021 19:04

That wasn't actually my top tip though. Mine is to store things near where you use them, they are more likely to get put away after use then. So, wrapping paper, tape, scissors - in the cupboard next to the table where you wrap presents. Hair brush, bobbles, spray - next to the bed where you brush hair. Always do school reading with your kid in bed and need a pen to write in the comments book? Keep one near the bed or in the bathroom cabinet next to their toothbrush. Face masks, hand sanitiser, specs cleaner, spare glasses, inhaler, all those things you are always looking for just as you dash out of the house - drawer/box/basket in the hall. Move stuff you don't use often to less accessible storage (tops of cupboards etc) so it's quicker to find and put away the things you use frequently.

I'm still working on the decluttering Blush

SchadenfreudePersonified · 16/04/2021 22:02

The main point of my post was to share the labelling with masking tape thing, which I do think is a clever tip...

I agree Freaky - It's a brilliant tip. (I also re-use my takeaway boxes . . . )

NeverSurrender · 16/04/2021 22:10

My sons white football shorts are stained orange on their first wear from play sand, would the sun magically make this disappear?! Hope the sun is out tomorrow!

Mummyratbag · 16/04/2021 22:25

Probably really obvious ones but..

List on inside of front door with what each child needs daily eg/ lunch, water bottle, bus pass, phone, pencil case, mask etc - plus which days need sports kit etc.

Keep the insides of cereal packets for things like fat/oil that you don't want to throw down the sink or straight in the bin.

Start Christmas as you mean to go on. It's hard to cut back when expectations are high!

Have a small bag of pound coins to hand for non uniform/Red Nose/Children in Need days.