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?

I make my own febreeze with Zoflora. I have two or three different scents on the go. During my sweep of the house before and after work/school I give the beds/towels on towel rail/dressing gowns/beds a mist. Keeps the house smelling yummy.

Tooth brush cup and cutlery strainer now go in the dishwasher instead of scrapping out congealed whatever-that-is

Christ Cheesy that's downright dangerous!!

Cool double quantities of mash, roasties etc and freeze. Cook batches of Bolognese, stews, tomato sauce in slow cooked and freeze. When putting away washing, lay out clothes for the next day. Get up half an hour before everyone else to shower and get dressed. Have good storage in the hall for coats and shoes plus a basket for gloves etc. Prioritize and only Fri what needs doing e.g. floors don't need washing every day. Use antibacterial wipes in bathrooms for quick cleans. Train children to put dirty clothes in basket. Give away unwanted stuff regularly. Have a toothbrush mug at a downstairs sink- saves traipsing upstairs to brush teeth after breakfast.

Some of these are v useful but I have never understood the duvet in pillowcase one: I just fold them all on top of each other, so I have duvet, matching pillowcase, duvet, matching pillowcase etc. How much linen do pupils have that they can't find the ones that go together?

I've just discovered something that might be useful ! I guess others might know this and it is a gap in my knowledge...
Specifically for people with Ikea removable washable cotton sofa covers (mines a Erktorp)...but might work for other similar things...
They are really thick cotton and I've found a nightmare for creasing up in the wash -so badly you really have to iron them (and I don't iron anything else) and they are really hard to iron (I got a new iron for them -they are that bad).

I've tried lots of thing to make them less creased/easier to iron - tumble drying them (you aren't supposed to), ironing damp, low spins/anticrease setting on washing machine, my steamer in various ways, putting them on and seeing if the creases would fall out (they didn't), straightening before drying - in fact the way that worked best was ironing wet straight out the washing machine with my new iron - but still a faff...
It put me off washing them unless really really bad... and I've been dithering over replacement ones that weren't cotton /could get away with not ironing (Ikea don't do them and they are £100s) but then I have a cat and didn't want ones that would 'pluck'...
So they were bad - then we had an DC incident with a major purple yoghurt spill (and we'd had an earlier chocolate incident...flipped the cushion round ) ...I really had to wash them.
I thought I'd better soak them in bio powder first but they wouldn't fit in the bowl -so I folded them into 4...and thought might as well soak them all. Then I sort of forgot about them...cue throwing them in the washing machine whilst cooking...didn't unfold them...(and forgot to press the anti crease setting...)
They came out clean - but still folded and remarkably crease free...I could maybe even get away without ironing them...I am definitely washing them folded from now on - might even do them more often!!!

Me too!

Me too!

Me too!

If you have a lot of kale, spinach or other green veg, you can cook it, blitz it in the fruit processor, then freeze it in silicon muffin trays and then bag. You then have conveniently sized 'pucks' of green veg into stew, stir fry etc. (I have an allotment, so I often get gluts). You can also do this for gravy etc.

I blitz up slightly stale bread and freeze it for use as a topping on casseroles.

Borage flowers frozen in ice cubes make gin look beautiful.

Oh, and another one - blue IKEA bags are brilliant for garden waste you can't compost. Way better than using plastic garden waste sacks. You can just turn them upside down when you get to the tip and then reuse.

Ive just washed my bath and basin with washing up liquid, and its lovely! Nice smell, rinsed well, just need to see how it dries, but if that is good too, no more special bathroom cleaner for me. Apart from limescale remover. Plus, you get to sniff the washing up liquid before you buy, just to make sure you actually like the smell. So many bathroom cleaners have a weird smell. Unless thats just me

Ps, so thank you to whoever suggested that

Is the white vinegar distilled malt vinegar? I bought some to use on limescale but it absolutely stinks like normal brown vinegar! Have I used the wrong stuff?

Want to save time on finding the best tips from this thread?

Just look at the Daily Mail on-line because the lazy bastards have stolen yet another MN thread

@Murphys that is a very good idea. Maybe People could use it under happier circumstances, like when there dogs have surgery on there back legs.

I'd like to see the Daily Mail steal the great Trump threads.

CheesyWeez

A remote start on your car is much better. I can start my car from the house, it can't be stolen.

You can also leave dog etc in the car on a hot day leaving it locked running with the AC on

I'd like to see the Daily Mail steal the great Trump threads.

Hahahahaha ... imagine Claig going viral in the DM

I was thinking more the last ones.

You're right about the smell of some bathroom cleaners littlemiss.

DH and DS are convinced the Aldi spray cleaners smell of wee
I can only think it must be a similar smell to those bleach things they have in urinals! Either way, I've changed cleaner!

Ooh what's was Cheesy's tip? It's been deleted

Cheesy's tip was an incredibly dangerous way of heating up a car on a cold morning. Not quite lighting a fire in it but near enough.

Cheesy's tip was all but suicidal. Lethally dangerous at the very least.

Frigging daily fail.

At least they have good taste in free journalism