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?

Drying washing on hangers which can also be done on the line. Virtually eliminated the need to iron. I'll then only iron when I need the garment. Obviously I'm not a pants or socks ironer 😁

Put a penny into your vase of tulips. The tulips will stand up straight and not wilt.

Making the most of your life and spending time doing things that give you pleasure is more important than cleaning. Live more, clean less

Never follow cleaning blogs/insta that make you feel your home needs to be clean like an operating theatre.

This is an amazing idea! Now if you could just tell me what bits of paper I need to keep, please?! 🤣

Money in (payslips, bank statements), money out (bills, credit card statements), insurance documents. Simple!

@flametrees

Put a penny into your vase of tulips. The tulips will stand up straight and not wilt.

Yes - this works.

Take celery out of the plastic wrap and rewrap tightly in tin foil. It will last for months.

@maddiemookins16mum I agree x

Soak burnt pots in biological washing up liquid overnight. For really tough burns pop it on the cooker, bring to the boil, and simmer on a v. low heat for half and hour. It will smell terrible but you pot will look lovely.

Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda is a better cleaner than most commercially bought cleaners and can even clean limescale beautifully.

My DS is terrible at tying his shoelaces. I got these rubber straps to attach to the holes in his shoes. It converts the shoe to a slip on but looks like laces.

1. if something literally takes less than 5 minutes do it immediately
2. Some things need doing daily but most things do not need to be washed or cleaned after a single wear or use so don't
3. Establish as early as possible everyone tidies their own mess , even make a game of putting bricks back in box from 18 months old and don't do for others what they can do for themselves just to be quicker or faster or to ensure it's done your way as you will still be doing it all for everyone years later, if your 5 year old puts their clean t shirts in the drawer that's good enough even if they don't put long sleeve ones on right or in your preferred colour order, done is better than perfect and if you re do it, it will discourage them and make them reluctant to help so you'll be left doing it

Buy a half decent dishwasher and you can use the cheapest type of dishwasher tablets instead of being conned into thinking you need £10 a pack super ones

Empty your ice cube trays before you go on holiday and fill them with milk to freeze instead. It means you can have a cuppa as soon as you get home, even if your flight's delayed and the shops are shut.

These are the laces I was talking about.

www.amazon.co.uk/KUYIA-Shoelaces-Silicon-Waterproof-Athletic/dp/B06XWY9SQK/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&crid=2PPS17ZIWE91I&keywords=shoe+ties&sprefix=Shoe+ti%2Caps%2C187&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1618257256&sr=8-9

Invite people round when your house is messy so that you (and they) get used to it. More socialising equals happier well-balanced parenting.
The more playdates and meals out the cleaner and tidier your house will be

OMG 36degrees that’s a phenomenal idea

Have one concertina folder per tax year for your important documents - DH never gets round to filing stuff as he has to pull out half a dozen different folders to do so. I just need to pull out one folder at a time, occasionally two around change of year.

Buy a seat for the hall so you don't fall over putting your shoes on or hurt your back tying shoelaces.
Always dry sheets on the Bannisters...my mother taught me this.
Never dice your own casserole meat. Buy it ready diced.

Don't shack up with a lazy bloke.

Don't shack up with a neat freak

Wrap a thick elastic band around any lid you struggle to open.

These threads always make me smile. I always want to add:

• save time in the evening by not making your DCs' packed lunches till the morning. They'll taste better too.

• Save time showering by not cleaning the bloody bath while you're in there.

• declutter and tidy your hall by not leaving a box full of paperwork right by the front door for a whole year

• save time unpacking your shopping by not sorting every item into boxes in the fridge and just bunging it all in anyhow

Fridge: keep glass jars to store food in, the taller the better. They have a small footprint and you can see what's in them. Less good for the freezer, as the base of the jar may get stuck and split off when you try to remove it.
I keep grated cheese in a tall glass jar laid on its side. Rotating it every time I open the fridge prevents it going mouldy.

PS you need a jam funnel (has a very wide mouth) to decant stuff into jars.

Method wild rhubarb is amazing for cleaning kitchen surfaces, soda crystals cleaning washing machines well zoflora dabbed inside radiators smells amazing

@1forAll74

If you have some boxes to rip up for recycling as in cat food boxes or cereal boxes, just make the boxes flat,and put them in the washing up bowl with some soapy hot water, maybe after washing up, after a minute or two, you can just roll or fold the boxes up into a small piece, and not fill your bin up with a load of boxes.. I have three cats, and it gets on my nerves to be ripping up cat food boxes every day,

Our recycling has to be dry or it 'contaminates' the entire load so can't do this.

However, I fill empty boxes with other bits of recycling and put them in carefully so they stay full, takes up less room that chucking it all in randomly.

@36degrees

Empty your ice cube trays before you go on holiday and fill them with milk to freeze instead. It means you can have a cuppa as soon as you get home, even if your flight's delayed and the shops are shut.

Save time freezing milk, and keep a carton of Long Life or some sterilized or powdered milk in the kitchen.