What is ONE item that changed dramatically and surprisingly your home life for the better

[Bookbooks]

Looking for inspiration to start the process of tidying up (all aspects of) my life.
I already posted another thread related to this.
As an individual, I am very organised and perfectionist. I love order, cleanliness and tidiness. BUT, my house/ life rarely looks the part. I want to sort out my life once and for all so that it is always either spick and span or easily back on track.

On this thread I'd like to ask you what is ONE item (big or small/ expensive or cheap) that, when you acquired, changed your home life for the better so dramatically and surprisingly that you honestly wonder how you were able to cope before it graced your life.

Having a garage. What a huge different this makes to our lives, it's our first one and I'm so glad I insisted we only buy houses with garages from now on.

Our shoe cupboard. We have a basket by the door for everyday shoes but the rest live in a neat IKEA shoe cupboard.

And for a little thing- our key rack by the front door. We never lose our keys, they go straight onto it and thats it. I was inspired by Frasier, he always put his.keys in a dish by the door everytime he came home.

I live in a beautiful Victorian flat with big windows, high ceilings and terrible temperature regulation, so my Dyson Hot + Cool has been an absolute gamechanger.

I also got given a standing garment steamer by one of my friends who didn't have space for it and I LOVE it. It's so much easier than ironing.

Snap! I can't believe it took me so long to get one!

@confusedallthetime1 @Puffthemagiclizard I have a dehumidifier but I don't see it dries clothes any quicker unless I'm doing it wrong? It blows out cold air too. I have the Russell Hobbs one. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07V6MB1HS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. How am I supposed to be using this to dry my clothes quickly?

Boiling water tap. And my puppy.

My extractor is built so you can write on it (lists / messages, etc) plus it looks slick.

The architect suggested changing the front door so it opened from right to left (moved hinges from left to right). So much room now in hall plus as there is a porch in front it makes no difference aesthetically.

University!

Once the DCs had left for University my house became tidy !

Same here! I'm cooking every day, trying new things and basically loving cooking so much again.

*Air fryer
*Spray mop
*Dehumidifier
*Rice cooker
*Slow cooker

Alexa
2 large hand built double door larder cupboards - one for food , one for pots and glasses -
Dishwasher/air fryer/tumble dryer

Dishwasher

@hippygirllucky.
I've done this also several years ago! For dh and I just buy black socks his size (11) and they fit me perfect too ( size 5/6)!!

Also air fryer.... Absolutely brilliant piece of kit.

Ikea pants and sock organiser for children.

Lots of ikea storage bags for bedding winter coats etc.

Loads of schools shirts and hairbands.

learning to say no! Stopped trying to be everything for everyone.
Shark hoover
Thermomix
couch to 5k app
tumble dryer
netflix

Kallax units
A garden hammock
My lovely cleaning lady

@hippygirllucky · Today 07:00

"I stopped trying to separate socks for everyone in my house (we all wear roughly the same size sock), got rid of them all and bought 20 pairs of plain black socks. They all get washed and live in a big fabric clothes storage bucket in a wardrobe. No more trying to match socks, no more losing one in the washing. Everyone just grabs two black socks from the bucket. Seems simple, but soooo effective and saved so much time."

OMG, you are a genius! The sock situation, is the only thing I'm struggling with in my house!!!

Air fryer
Cordless hoover
Rock the housework Patreon -as someone who struggles with overwhelm to get things done this has changed my life totally. I have never been so on top of house work

Am off to google gusto as deciding what to have for tea is the worst but of being an adult for me!

Socks.. got everyone different types. So much less faff and I know who is who.

Heated clothes dryer. Do mega washing twice a week. Loads back to back.

Do click and collect once a week from a meal plan. Use meal planner and shopping list to jot down what we need.

I once was mega organised and had a list of what food is in my freezer. Those days are gone!!!!

Saying no and meaning it. Just stopped down from a voluntary role which was no longer fun

Lakeland plug in clothes dryer. We put the clothes on there carefully and spread out so they not only dry quickly but also look ironed when we take them off. Only iron shirts now but it looks like we iron everything.

Last year I chucked out all my underwear and spent a couple of hundred pounds on bras and knockers in white, black and nude - all the same style.

Now my underwear always either matches or complements. Only DH and I know, but it still makes me happy.

Lollipop for meal planning. Works like a meal box but you choose your meals and it just adds all the ingredients to your sainsburys basket and you can take out and bits you don’t like or already have.

Changed my life 🤣

Adjustable dual control electric blanket that goes under the mattress protector. Bought for about £40 a few years ago and one of the most comforting, uplifting, pure-joy-inducing purchases of my life.
We put it on 15 mins before bed about 7 months of the year.
If you’re chilly, it’s heavenly to climb into and you just turn it off and drift to sleep in seconds, if you’re achy it’s incredibly soothing for sore muscles and bones, and if you’re sad it feels like a huge warm hug. I cannot put into words the disproportionate return on what was a very modest investment that we have experienced with this thing.
https://www.silentnight.co.uk/silentnight-dual-control-electric-blanket.html

Waste disposal unit, I know they’re hated by some, we still compost heap the main bulk, but the dregs go down the sink.

Also AirTag for my car keys that I’m always misplacing

and

Karcher window vac. I use it to clean tiles, windows, kitchen, mirrors, shower screen etc and I’m amazed at how clean they come up

I spent silly money (though not full price) on a Brabantia bo dual touch bin (the 2x30l one on legs). It's so pretty, space saving and easy to use. And when I thought about it, there's hardly anything in the house that I need to use as often as my kitchen bin, so why not have something stylish and beautifully designed?