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?

Use less products to clean. I tend to put ponds of products on a surface over whatever needs cleaning and then leave it and come back to it another time.

The other day it was awful- coffee mixed with cleaning products and it all dripped down the sides of the units etc.

So, do not use too much product or much water for anything, and clean every little bit as it happens (I tend to let it build up until it's a nightmare, it's my ADHD.)

Same goes for cars- Use very little product when cleaning, so it gets less smeary.

South rub the 2p wherever you see the lime scale - usually around the edge of the tap where the water comes out - honestly, try it. I had spent lots of money on useless products and really didn't think it would work - but it did.

Another product that I found does work on shower screens is the Pink Stuff spray - doesn't smell very nice but does keep the shower screen clean.

Eat Kiwis with the skins on, that saves me time and tastes delicious.

On a more serious note, prioritise happiness, sleep and relationships above a flawlessly tidy and clean home.

If you gey a cleaner, you’ll need to clean before they arrive to clean :)

Have a charity-shop carrier bag permanently on-the-go in the bottom of your wardrobe or some other convenient place. Whenever you find yourself holding a book, toy, piece of clothing, or other item that you no longer need, put it in the bag. When full, take to charity shop and start another bag.

Carrots:
Carrot and lentil soup in the slow cooker, or carrot and coriander soup.
Roast chunks of carrot with olive oil, garlic and rosemary.

The above all freeze beautifully.

The button in the centre of sky q box if held down a few seconds beeps the remote control.

No more lost remote control.

Be able to tidy your house (visitor ready) in 10mins. That way it never gets too untidy.

If you get bleach on your clothes cover with permanent marker.

@Bearnecessity

If you get bleach on your clothes cover with permanent marker.

But not if it's white!

1. store food
2. get rid of clothes

re. 1) above - you never know when there will be a snow storm, flood, global pandemic... Once a week, get used to making a tasty meal using NOTHING from your fridge. Then progress to once a fortnight making a tasty meal using nothing from your fridge or freezer, only stuff from your store cupboard (ready for when the electricity goes and all the food in your freezer is binned).

re.2)
This is a great tip I think I may have read on Mumsnet some years ago. In one go, hang all the clothes in your wardrobe with the hooks on the bar the wrong way round. Remember the time of year (season) you did it. Going forward, always put hangers back the correct way round. After a year, get rid of any clothes that are on hangers the wrong way round, because you haven't worn them in a year.

@Muminabun

Marry a tradesman

DONT marry a tradesman.

Not if you expect to get anything fixed in your own bloody house. A 5 day job takes 5 years!

The bleach thing is great unless it's in a place where you've nothing to hold it there. Corners/ along bath is fine but tiles higher up? I'm stuck there

@Chicchicchicchiclana omg we fill a 50l bin every day!

For mums of young school girls

1. Buy a cash box with a combination lock.
2. Throw away the insert tray.
3. Put brush, comb, small bag of metal hair clip all the same colour (we have gold) and small bag of thin hair elastics all same colour (we have black)
4. Lock the box, don't tell anyone else in the house the number. Ever!

You will always have hair things ready for school mornings. No need to track down who borrowed your brushes last etc. No worries about finding matching things either.

I rebuy clips and hair bands every term

Forget a white sauce made from roux. Just use veggie stock, a tad of water, whatever fat or oil you have in the pan - boil it together then stir through creme fraiche on low heat.

Works a treat everytime without any of the faff.

Endlessly versatile

I bought the Elbow Grease mould spray yesterday and holy shit. Its insanely effective. I'm pretty sure its toxic as anything, but I followed the instructions to spray and come back 10 mins later and the mould had genuinely vanished. It was baaaad wall mould! Fair warning that it does take the colour our your paint but we are about to redecorate that room anyways

PLacemarking to read all the good ideas tomorrow

Start the first Christmas by putting their stockings DOWNSTAIRS and NOT in their rooms. Helps stop overexcited 3am starts. Wished I thought of it with the first child.

Amen to this. We've always had stockings in rooms without issue. Had a lovely tradition of the DC opening them on our bed.

Christmas just gone, DS1 (9 and old enough to bloody know better) woke at 2am and couldn't get back to sleep. Came into us every 30 to 60 minutes to ask if it was time. Relented at 0630. DH went back to bed at 0730 once gifts were done and I had a nap later. Stockings will be in the living room going forward.

Sani cat silica gel cat litter neutralises poo smells

I have a plastic boxes in the fridge.
All ingredients needed for tea, mon/fri go in the boxes on the day the shopping arrives

This is absolute genius.

To get pet hair up of carpets (hoovers don't always get it up) use a shower squeegee.

If you have ever gotten hair dye on the bathroom floor like vinyl (sorry mum) use vim cleaning powder on it and it gets it off. In fact use vim on most hard surfaces with stains. It works wonders.

Off*

Mum of boys here! magic sponges get rid of yellowing from under toilet seats. Bleach won't touch it but these sponges do it with just water 🤯

Fill an old sock with absorbent cat litter and leave on your car dashboard during the winter - absorbs condensation and keeps the windscreen clear.