Boring tips and tricks which have made your life easier.

[NoEffingWay]

Inspired by the purchase of a flat mop thing from wilkos with removable washable pads, and some method spray and mop bottle. No longer am I wrestling with a dirty looking mop, a kettle and a mop bucket. It took 5 minutes, the house smells like rhubarb (!) and the floor is shiny as.

Any more time-saving, life changing tips for me? I seriously hate mopping so this has made me a lot happier and life's most boring jobs!

Hi BIWI I am sorry to say that we did type it by hand, being old and useless. I am positive c&p would work, maybe your DH is more tech savvy than mine - he just got cross and started typing! We print about 90 addresses every Christmas, though, and have done for years so it has been a good return for the original effort. Once the grid is filled you have it forever, and it can be changed as needed. Maybe there is a better solution for the spreadsheet?

If you can’t face trying get printer to read the exact labels. You can just print on a4 paper and then cut n print stick onto envelopes. Still million times faster than handwriting.

-All pull out Drawer units on the bottom of the kitchen so no more rooting around in the back or cupboards
-I use a hot cloth cleanser so always give the sink and taps a quick wipe

• freeze old bananas for smoothies or baking or milkshakes once past best
• freeze lemon and lime slices for drinks
• Mari Kondo folding method for t shirts drawers is pretty life changing
• weekly grocery delivery, save basics list and amend quickly the night before - saves so much time and lets me track my spend easier
• monthly amounts into monzo pots for Xmas gifts, car service etc so it's not a big hit once a year

I can't get on board with this non ironing thing though - my cotton and linen creases something rotten !

Placemarking for later

Never leave a room without something in my hand. A weekly cleaning rota - one room a day is easier for me. I had housekeepers for years but realised when they were away on holiday that my house wasn’t actually clean. Under stairs pull out shoe drawers have been a god send along with one for school bags. All towels and bedding washed at home but dried, pressed and folded at a service laundry.

Half an empty egg box in the bottom of the kitchen compost bag soaks up all the juices and stops the bag falling to bits when you lift it out.

Masking tape to label freezer boxes and bags so they’re easier to relabel.

@BigGreen

I'm afraid mine is the Eufy robovac. I get him out and then put him on and shout "oh no the robots going to suck up all your toys!" and they think it's so funny that they actually tidy up at least some of their Lego

This is actually genius.

@Fivemoreminutes1

Make sandwiches in large batches and freeze.

How do you do this? What sandwiches do you make? Don't they go soggy?

@AnchorWHAT

Use a permanent marker pen to number tupperware, food boxes and put the same number on its lid so you can always find the right lid for the box.

Why did NoT think of this! So obvious

@NoNamesLeft234678 This should tell you everything you need www.stayathomemum.com.au/recipes/lunches/guide-to-freezing-sandwiches/

A few that have been mentioned before, but have made such a difference.

On Sunday nights I get everything ready for the week ahead. DS’s uniform is hung and steamed, one hanger per day for everything including underwear. His games kit is ready, his bags packed for football and swimming, even though they aren’t until the end of the week. This means that once I’m caught up in the everyday rush of the working week I don’t need to think about it and there’s no last minute panic because he’s missing a shin pad or his trunks.

Alexa reminders every morning for whatever DS needs for school that day.

A handheld stick vacuum upstairs means I can quickly vacuum upstairs whilst DS is in the bath without lugging the main vacuum upstairs.

Ocado Reserved with everything we need in a typical week on the list, so even if I forget to edit it I know all of our basics are covered.

Cook once eat twice. Not quite batch cooking, but for most meals I make a double portion either of the entire meal or of parts of it ready to turn into something else later in the week. If I’m bunging a casserole in the slow cooker in the morning, it’s just as easy to buy a bigger pack of beef and turn the extra in a chunky chilli a few days later.

Take photos of all party invites, important letters etc before I get a chance to lose them.

Subscribe and Save for as many things as possible so we never run out of dishwasher tablets, vitamins etc.

@Fivemoreminutes1

Make sandwiches in large batches and freeze.

What! Brilliant idea. I freeze bread, never thought of doing this. What fillings do you use?

We are at an age where we keep a supply of sympathy cards.

I use mine to clean the windows too!

@NoEffingWay

Inspired by the purchase of a flat mop thing from wilkos with removable washable pads, and some method spray and mop bottle. No longer am I wrestling with a dirty looking mop, a kettle and a mop bucket. It took 5 minutes, the house smells like rhubarb (!) and the floor is shiny as.

Any more time-saving, life changing tips for me? I seriously hate mopping so this has made me a lot happier and life's most boring jobs!

Op, just had to thank you for asking for tips and not 'life hacks'.

For some wholly irrational reason, the use of the latter phrase makes me want to explode, kick things and scream. Makes for fun browsing of social media feeds.

PS I find trugs for collecting and returning laundry, and belly baskets artfully placed in living rooms to sweep random crap off surfaces and sort out weekly actually only when you cant find something have definitely improved my wellbeing.

My life safer is Kilroc mold spray, it’s a black bottle spray, normally sold at home bargains.
I struggled and absolutely hate washing the bath and the black mold that normally grows around that area and above the shower area.
After trying everything I found this cheap and amazing spray and I don’t change it for anything!

After idolising and owning about 4 dysons I realised how crap they are and bought a powerful floor hoover that does the better job than any other, is not even the famous Henry - that I also gave up on. Sorry I forgot the actual name :)

W5 limescale to wash around basins and kitchen sinks are amazing. They used to sell on Lidl but they tend to come and go from their shelves all the time.

I am still to find a magic trick to clean windows as is my major problem still :( any advise is very welcome !

I have a magnetic notepad on the side of the fridge so everyone can jot down things we’ve run out of. I do a menu plan for the week ahead and stick it next to it too. Not exciting but helps me keep organized with meals and shopping.

@SheldonandAmy

Always doing something whilst waiting for kettle to boil (unload dishwasher, hang washing, wipe the sides etc)

I do this. Most of my cleaning gets done while dinner is cooking. I find the time restraint of getting it all done before dinner is ready really helps get me motivated. Although if you walked around my house you wouldn't believe it.

Sorry if I’m repeating as there are too many posts to go through, but you get mops like that which also hold diluted cleaning liquid in a container attached to the front. So you keep it filled up and just press the trigger, it squirts out in front and you mop! The container is large and the contents last for a number of mopping sessions so most times you just grab it and go! Life changing!

I never have to write it down I just bark at Alexa! that's me!

Neighbours must think I'm bonkers some of the stuff I shout!

Wipe down the fridge before a big shop, while it is relatively empty

Yep I do that! Since the bag free crap came in (seriously don't get me started!) and I have to prep crates for shopping now I use that time when I'm up and in kitchen to wipe fridge over, replace kitchen roll in salad drawer, set aside floppy veg for soup etc

Soon as tumble dryer finishes, taking things out and putting them on hangers. I genuinely haven't ironed a single thing in over 10 years - not even DH's business shirts (he wears Charles Tyrwhitt non-iron).

Stocking the freezer with Cook meals.

Hanging clothes together in outfits.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo

2 single duvets on Super king size bed. Less wrestling with covers

Yes, this works when you have different heat/tog requirements as well, genius.

@ginswinger

I have my electric blanket on a timer so it heats up an hour before I climb into bed and goes off at 1am. It's like a little bit of toasty heaven

You’re obviously not menopausal, that would be my worst nightmare 😳

@Fivemoreminutes1 Make sandwiches in large batches and freeze.
Mind blown!! Must adopt this.

Garlic puree and ginger puree, much easier than peeling and grating