Household tips that aren't shit.

[EIsbethTascioni]

I've been getting hugely into decluttering and keeping tidy since the new year. I've been looking on websites and in magazines for tips advice and most of it is unmitigated tripe that makes life harder rather than easier.

So I'm turning to you vipers for your non-crap tips for keeping on top of shit.

I've got three to start us off.

Clean the shower while you're in it. Gamechanger. Saves masses of time.

Storing duvet sets inside their pillow case. I was sceptical about this one but with four beds in the house it has a)made my linen cupboard tidier and b)means no more rummaging.

Using the big IKEA bags as laundry bags. They are just the right size for a load of washing in a standard machine and you can fold them up and put them away tidily instead of having plastic baskets hanging around.

Aibu to think you lot will have loads more?

Agree blu because I maintain a very low level, but constant state of tidying/cleaning I never have to do a 'big clean'. I enjoy lots of free/lazy time - and it's more enjoyable for being in a home that is clean, tidy and fresh.

Living in a house that is cluttered and grubby just makes me so miserable and stressed (I hate staying at my in-laws for this reason). Always getting into a clean, neatly made bed...always having a fresh towel to hand...always being able to immediately lay your hand on a clean PE kit/car keys/matching gloves etc...never being 'caught out' when family/friends call in unexpectedly - just makes life so much less stressful and complicated.

Fab tips. I shall come back later!

NRTFT but here's a couple of mine.
The obvious-but-saves-me-time -
Lay out ds clothes the night before and make sure his bag is packed for the childminders.
Slow cook what I can, prep at night, chuck in in the morning.

I use my phone diary for absolutely everything. If it's not in there, it's not happening. On a Friday evening I check for stuff the following week, I can buy any bits I need over the weekend and make sure I've not double booked myself unwittingly.

Wipe around the sink and loo with a freshly used face wipe.

I Hoover the work surfaces in the kitchen before cleaning them, then I sweep and mop the floor.

I keep a separate medicine box for ds....all the usual suspects in there but easier to find than digging through the big box of medicine and first aid paraphernalia.

My three year old has already been trained in loading kitchen appliances (under supervision!). He can load and turn on the washer if I put the detergent in, loads all the non breakables in the dishwasher and can turn it on, he loves to Hoover so he hoovers his bedroom while I tidy upstairs. He seems to enjoy these things so I'll cling on while it lasts!

When he's in the bath I seize the opportunity to do a quick tidy upstairs. Clothes away, dust, anti-bac etc. He chatters non-stop so I know he's ok and not drowning.

That's about it really. Oh, command hooks hidden by the front door. Keys haven't been lost since I put them up!

Keep an eye out in Boots for their essential oils when they're on sale! Bicarb and eucalyptus oil cleans and freshens a loo. Toothpaste gets yellow-based stains out of white clothes, rub a bit on, rinse out and wash as normal. If you only use half a lemon in a recipe, use the rest to clean your microwave, descale your kettle or freshen your fridge. Grate and freeze fresh ginger so you can use it quickly in recipes.

Oh my god.
I got as far as page 7 and these ARE AMAZING!
To save time (as I am undoubtedly going to have to RTFL and make notes....)
My husband has an aversion to flushing and bog brushing.... need I say any more. How can I get rid of awful bog staining? (Above the normal bleach and brushing etc - I have had many hand down there scrubbing too but just with bleach....)
HEEELPPP!

Borisrules - try a good glug of Milton. Or failing that, bicarb of soda

I do this too!! Can't see the point in using two different wet wipes !!!

Borisrules if you can find Method loo cleaner - it's in a tall turquoise bottle - it's better than anything else for cleaning the loo. We have such hard water here, the loo gets horrible limescale and stains so easily, and this is the ONLy thing that shifts it! (I have tried everything else, from the strongest bleaches and bog cleaners to the folksiest remedies. Method is the one I've stuck with.)

I rarely need to iron anything other than DH's business shirts. Instead, I have perfected the tumble-dry-technique. The second the dryer stops, I whip out the clothes, give them a good shake, a quick smooth, then hang immediately. Clothes look absolutely fine. Not crumpled or rumpled at all.

I do this too! And as a bonus your clothes last longer and you aren't running the electricity meter up.

Halle71

You are a genius. I think this idea may have changed my life.

And my gravy.

If a stainless-steel pot has a burnt bottom on the inside, fill with Coca-Cola (full sugar one, not diet), about half of the it. Not the ones with Teflon, just the steel ones. Put it on hob until it boils, turn heat down. If you have a brush that you can use to scrape the bottom as it gently simmers for a bit, great; if not, take off the heat, leave to cool down and scrape with a scourer. I saved a pot twice doing this, from black to shiny silver within two proper goes. Nothing had worked before that.

If you have a pan or tray full of burnt fat, put Fairy and boiling water as soon as you served, leave to rest whilst you eat. By the time you finish, most of it will just fall off on the first rinse.

Put clothes in the drying rack straight away and flat or shape them whilst there. Use hangers for shirts. Fold and put away when dry. I don't iron anything, unless I have a wedding or job interview... And even so, most of my clothes don't really need it.

I put the make up on public transport, otherwise I can't seem to leave on time!

Every now and then, do an empty wash in the dishwasher and washing machine with distilled vinegar (200-300ml) and bicarbonate of soda (half a tub). It cleans all the insides and neutralises smells.

Wipe windows and glass with whichever product you use and newspaper. Make a ball, spray product on surface and work with newspaper to dry. Shiny and streak free.

I also try to clean the shower whilst there. Good idea on brush, though. If I'm going to wash the towels after a shower, I use them to wipe quickly anything in the bathroom, such as floors, bath side, sink, etc. I don't do the toilet bowl, though!

I put a piece of foil on the bottom of the oven (don't do if combi microwave-oven!), so it collects all the fat and I just renew that every so often.

Great idea on the pillowcase for keeping duvet covers! I also love that 5 min or less idea, I need to put that in practice!

If we are talking gravy...

Chicken gravy can be quite tasteless unless you use the mega expensive stock pots. I use standard chicken cubes and put in a teaspoon of Marmite in. It really gives it a lovely flavour, even Marmite haters love it as it doesnt taste of Marmite, just gives it a tang.

Bleach then scrub with broom on paving slabs brings them up like new

Toddlers picture jigsaw puzzles keep them in A4 zip lock bags saves all the pieces being lost.

Cordless Hoover downstairs and couple times a day go round kitchen and living room takes 2 minutes but the quick blast keeps floor looking good

We have shelves in garage and plastic storage boxes on them keeping everything neat and tidy

Stick half of young kids toys in storage boxes and rota them out fortnight/monthly keeps less lying about house and makes them more played with

If you get 4.5 tog duvets you can wash and dry them in the covers as they fit in standard washing machine. Handy if you have a bedwetter. I haven't had to faff putting a duvet cover on the kids bed for yonks. (They have a fluffy throw on top so not cold in winter).

The stuff they spray on car windows after cleaning is brilliant on clean showers .Stops the soapy splashes clinging to the glass.Has transformed my life .
Steradent or similar is brilliant on stained mugs
And no home should be without Bar Keepers friend
Vax spray carpet cleaner removes almost anything

And Aldi £1.99 oven bottom liners are as good as Lakeland £15 jobbies

Sorry, not sure if this has been mentioned yet...

I've just discovered Touchnote. You can make personalised postcards online and they're also posted out for you too. It's available as an app so for Christmas thank yous, I've literally done one postcard in a few minutes, selected a photo from my phone and the address from my contacts. Should have been printed and posted tonight. Yes, it costs more than a cheap blank card but the fact I've been meaning to write thank you cards for weeks and haven't, but have done 5 today, is worth it for me.

My plan for birthdays is to get DC to pose for a photo with the gift and pretty much send the thank you postcard straight away! Now the addresses for the usual suspects are in the app, it's even quicker.

Throw out superfluous husbands!

1001 aerosol stain remover pretty much gets rid of any stain. You definitely want a supply of white cloths though (for applying it).

Hire a skip for the weekend! I've had three in two years and have got rid of so much crap. Stuff we didn't even unpack at our last house, garage/shed rubbish, failed freecycle items. The cost and deadline focus the mind, there's no going back once it's been collected and it's so satisfying to fill it.

Eliminate cooking smells like cauliflower or frying oil quickly by lighting a candle or scented essential oil burner.
Also useful for, ahem, toilet odours.
It's all gas, you know!

Brown Detol gets rid of yellow curry stains on clothing, just splash it on the stain then pop straight in the washing machine, I use Detol poured into the conditioner tray when washing the dog towels to freshen them up

Take a freezer bag or picnic/cool bag when doing the weekly shop to keeps food cool on the way home, it's the first bag to get unpacked and put away in fridge/freezer.
Put your open bag for life shopping bags in the empty trolley whilst the shopping is on the belt then put items straight into bag in the trolley - especially useful in Lidl or Aldi when the items get whizzed quickly - I also put the heaviest items on the belt first and try and put all dry goods tinned goods together on the belt for scanning so when back home I can unpack that bag putting all the items straight into the same cupboard

I stopped doing Christmas cards years ago, instead I post a nice Christmas message on facebook at the same time I let friends and family know what charity I am donating the money I would have spend on cards and postage - each year I chose a different charity - this year I made a hamper of basics and some nicer/luxury items and gave to the local women's refuge including a few bits for the children

I love the kitchen roll in bottom of fridge drawers - esp cos ours have ridged bits and get gunk stuck in them (yep -yuk) - I have tried putting them in the dishwasher, steam cleaner to blast them, brush etc - what works best is to scrape along them with a toothpick/bamboo skewer ...kitchen roll sounds much much easier!! (And I am planning on cleaning the fridge tomorrow...)

This might not be for everyone -but I have 'clutter locator' lists as Word docs.
Basically they list the contents of all the drawers/ storage boxes etc of crap around the house ... so if I can't find something I can do a 'find' on the word doc and find out where I put whatever obscure thing I am looking for... like the spare replacement catch for the kitchen bin or half a worming tablet for the cat.... as long as when I added something new to a random crap storage place I did add it to the list - no more hunting around for ages...
I also have 'tool locator' lists - lists of where all my tools are (mainly in the shed) even down to what is in each layer of my big tool box and in storage tubs on the shelves. I do have the tubs labelled but again I can do a word search and find things easily...
And thinking about tools - in a kitchen drawer I have a small hammer, a tape measure, a screwdriver with changeable bits and a small pair of pliers ...really handy if you eg find you need a screwdriver to change a battery or a light bulb etc...(have been know to hit a bag of frozen peas that had defrosted a bit and all stuck together with the hammer to break them up - I guess I could have used a rolling pin ...slightly more hygienic- but somehow the hammer felt more controlled....)

After you squeeze lemons or limes keep the skins and rub with the inside the hands and feet to make your skin smooth.

After you steam or boil green veges such as broccoli, spring greens, artichokes, spinach or anything else collect the liquid and put some lemon juice in and keep it in the fridge. It makes a refreshing drink but you can drink it hot.

Cofee and tea solids, vinegar and lemon juice can remove odors from pots and dishes and hands.

If the fish has a bit heavy flavour I use ginger to moderate. Ginger is one of my faves and goes wih many veges.
As others said after the wash you can hang some kinds of clothes and bedlinen and they would not need ironing but some shirts would.

I have all my windows facing south so I spread the pillows and clothes from the cupboard to face the sun. Sunshine removes odors.

I use the empty glass jars to decant burned cooking oil or dripped fat.

Vertical folding: I have the Samla boxes from IKEA in DH's drawers.

I fold his t shirts as per the picture then stand them in the box - get about 10 t shirts per box and he can no longer choose the one at the bottom of the pile and disrupt all the other freshly ironed ones! lifesaver - his, not mine!

Also the rolling of the tights and stored in a shoe box inside your drawer ...and folding socks rather than bundling/rolling - condensed two drawers into one with space to spare

Method shower spray and kitchen cleaner

Bicarb for smells

De cluttering!