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!

Don't buy patterned socks, buy block colours from the same shop. Massively increases your chances of finding pairs!

Don’t wear socks in pairs. Just take two that feel the same size. I haven’t worn a “pair” of socks for decades. Nobody has ever said anything.

Keep your plastic parcel bags in a drawer. turn them inside out and stick a label on, for sending birthday/Xmas presents.

I also keep small flattish boxes too.

@Fivemoreminutes1

Make sandwiches in large batches and freeze.

I would suggest not egg though - my daughter is still traumatised 10 years on from egg sandwiches from the freezer that hadn’t defrosted by lunch time 😳😂

With frozen onions - if a recipe says you need 1 onion how do you know how many frozen onions to use?

@cardoon this is going to change my life - what a brilliant idea thank you! And thank you OP x

@ruthieness

use ice cube trays for children's paint water they cannot get knocked over and the water does not go black which ruins the paints

I save the plastic trays out of boxes of chocolates for kids painting/glue activities. Use the little sections like a palette. Rinse and put in recycling afterwards and it stops them getting too much paint at once.

I have two cats that shed fur everywhere. I saw a YouTube video of someone scooping up cat hair with a disposable glove. You just wipe your hand across the carpet/cushion and the fur just comes away!

@BoredZelda

Don't buy patterned socks, buy block colours from the same shop. Massively increases your chances of finding pairs!

Don’t wear socks in pairs. Just take two that feel the same size. I haven’t worn a “pair” of socks for decades. Nobody has ever said anything.

Don't wear socks. Paint your feet with your favorite 'sock colour' using a good quality gloss paint.

It will last weeks and from an environmental point of view the modern water-based paints are a boon and be assured they don't come off on the bed sheets.

"Don't wear socks. Paint your feet with your favorite 'sock colour' using a good quality gloss paint.

It will last weeks and from an environmental point of view the modern water-based paints are a boon and be assured they don't come off on the bed sheets."

Yeah... but looks shit with sandals

‘ Buying frozen diced onion. It’s genuinely changed my life!’

Omg ! That’s a thing??? I need some in my life.

@comfortablyfrumpy

Good point about sandals, perhaps slap a quick coat of pink on (or whatever colour is closest to your skin tone) when wearing sandals.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo

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

Oh I love this one . I really struggle changing the super king cover

@CrymeaRvr

‘ Buying frozen diced onion. It’s genuinely changed my life!’

Omg ! That’s a thing??? I need some in my life.

Yes tesco sell it and that with frozen ginger and garlic is always the base for my curries.

@Higgeldypiggeldy35

I have two cats that shed fur everywhere. I saw a YouTube video of someone scooping up cat hair with a disposable glove. You just wipe your hand across the carpet/cushion and the fur just comes away!

Do you mean like the rubber PPE gloves ?

List of what's in each freezer drawer updated when taken out or shopping goes in
And stick it on the front of the freezer
Wipe clean and magnetic
No more hunting around

I know plain socks are so much easier but coloured and patterned socks give my boys so much joy.

@Higgeldypiggeldy35 a rubber broom does same thing. Like magic.

I have 4 kids
I get their letters from school/clubs etc. action it. Tick it. Punch a hole in it and pop it on their little hook. They have one for each.
They also have their own envelope folder with their name on in a wall display thing from
IKEA for certificates/pictures etc (after they’ve been proudly displayed on the fridge)

I have mummy drawers. A single cube kallax with two drawers and section holder things.

Pens. Cellotape. Scissors Hair stuff. Electronic cables/chargers/ear phones etc.

I have a telescopic shower pole attached permanently to the walls high above the washing machine and tumble dryer in the utility room. I wash. Shake like crazy and hang on a hanger on the pole. No ironing. Clothes dry in less than 24 hrs Then folded into piles. And each child takes them up

Recently bought a Joseph toothbrush/toothpaste caddy thing. They all have their own electric toothbrushes so it’s perfect for storing them. And the toothpaste.

Amazon prime and their subscription option is great for ordering every week/fortnight/3 weekly/monthly/every 2 month options. I order all the handsoaps for the 3 bathrooms and all our vitamins. I only order once and they dispatch and take money whenever I like. Brilliant system.

I make all sandwich’s/wraps for packed lunches each Sunday and freeze for the upcoming week. Grated cheese works well.

I bought a mini muffin baking tray and each Sunday make mini muffins for the week ahead. 60 of them. Freeze them.

I batch cook bolognaise, chicken or chickpea curry, and soups and freeze. So all I do is take out night before and reheat.

@NoEffingWay I feel like I am missing something...did you literally squirt the stuff on the floor and mop with no water? Doesn't it make the floor slippy? And don't you end up using a whole bottle if theres no water?

Thanks

When you put your clean super-king duvet cover on, safety pin the two top corners into the cover - makes it much easier to shake the rest of it in. When you've finished put the 2 safety pins on one of the other corners of the duvet so you know where they are for next time.
Every time you buy something new (coat, bag, shoes etc), take something similar to the charity shop to make space.

I do one wash a day- in the evening- so laundry stays manageable.

I don't have space for a tumble drier so all clothes from the washing machine go straight onto hangers and from there, straight into wardrobes. It's reduced my ironing time by almost 90%.

I have toddlers and every evening, I get their bags ready for any last min outings that might happen- spare outfits, nappies, wipes, snacks, etc. also there is always an extra bag of spare outfit, footwear prepared for me, the husband and the toddlers in the car- been saved many a times with this!

Kids and my outfits are always decided the night before and left out with all underwear and socks correct and present so there's no rummaging in drawers in a last minute panic.

As well as my bank card, I always carry £30 in cash with me. Always.

Any reminders (doctors, dentist, nursery, etc.) go into my calendar with an alert set up for 2 days to go and the second alert for the day before.

I always cook extra and save extra portions in the freezer for days I can't be bothered to cook.

For outings/events/kids classes, I ALWAYS lie to my husband and tell him they're 20 mins before they're actually due to start so he has a good chance of making them on time. It works.

Forgot my main one- I leave a small squeegee in my toiletries basket next to the bath so I wipe down the tiles/shower door as soon as I've finished a shower/bath so there are no watermarks to scrub out later.

can't find the name of them now but have a super king duvet and have a few sets if sheets now that have like little pockets at the top you can put your hand in to pull up the duvet and shake it. game changer. don't like the duvets that have covers on them that you don't need to take sheets off

@Ichangedmynameonce I have a small house, but I used about 6 small squirts of the liquid with no water, as per the instructions. No mess, no sticky and slippy floors. So easy I promise!

@shoopashoop

Love these but also depressing that you would never get men writing a thread like this!

You are right that men wouldn't write a thread like this.

I am a man and I spend half my life on MN. I know men are viewed slightly suspiciously when they are on MN but honestly, raising 2 kids and this site is a godsend. I also love these kinds of threads in particular. I'm trying to streamline our household routines and this all helps. A lot of the things I am already doing.

My simple tip is this. Instead of just setting an alarm on your phone to remember something, I use descriptions or labels. That way you can use lots of alarms to remember different things without getting confused.

So if I park my car for an hour, as I walk away I speak into my phone "hey Siri, set an alarm for 55 minutes with label car parking"

I do the same thing over and over. Hey Siri set an alarm for 4 pm with label kids swimming lesson.

Then every time your alarm goes, it tells you what it's for.

It saves me having to overload my brain.

Boil left over potatoes while still in date, mash, and freeze in freezer-bags pressing flat first, so they defrost quicker and you can break bits off if needing smaller servings.

Chop and freeze herbs in water into ice cube trays.

Batch cook & freeze.