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?

Magic flash eraser sponges- totally amaizing at removing marks from painted walls. I didn't bother trying it for years but brought a pack today and it looks like I decorated!

I take clothing off my clothes horse in order; DH's clothes then underwear then socks, then my clothes then underwear then socks, folded into the basket. It's loads quicker than just taking it off and re-sorting it upstairs

Wooden barbecue skewers are really handy for fiddly grooves, for example the edge of my hob gets gunky, the tip of a skewer all the way round sort of peels it all out. I had to clean a washing machine recently, the buttons were caked with dirt, skewer did the job. Sharper instruments tend to damage and scratch things.

myprpertea they sound good, where did you get them from?

Loving this thread...not least because it is keeping me from the housework totally missing the point

I do already do a lot of these including airing my bed BUT I hate coming home from work to an unmade bed. If I make it before I leave then it will only have been 'airing' for about 45 minutes - is that long enough do you think? The window isn't open during that time at this time of year as I don't open the window until I am dressed and then I open windows at each end of room to vent before I go downstairs.

I wanted to know what that dangerous tip that Cheezy posted was ...

leaving an unsupervised hairdryer running in a car to warm it up . Think it was actually a serious suggestion too!

Clementine, I had literally just been wondering what to do about the washing machine buttons this afternoon- thankyou!

Those magic eraser sponges didn't do anything for me that a baby wipe wouldn't do. Might try again.

When loading the dishwasher cutlery tray put the same item in each compartment. (maybe you all do this and I am the outlier lol!)

Took me ages to do this, and it's a godsend. Put knives, forks, spoons etc. separately in each compartment.

Emptied in a jiffy and into the cutlery tray. Yay. A revelation.

But you probably know this already, sorry!

extra I thought everyone did this but Dh didnt until there was a proper stand up row with me yelling "FFS!!!!! How hard is it to put your dirty fork with the other forks and your knife with the other knives?!! You say it doesnt matter, i say if you unloaded the fucking thing once in a while you would realise what a pita you are!" then i refused to touch the dishwasher for about 2 weeks.

Funnily enough, he does it my way now :o

extrabiotin would you care to come here and train my DC? I can pay in and

Magic eraser sponges are great! But if you use them on painted walls too many times they do start taking the paint off ...
(they are abrasive - just really finely - as DD2 found out when she tried to use one of those new 'soft sponges' on her face ....nothing that suedocreme for a few days couldn't fix - but she was about 7 - and they were under the kitchen sink ...so why she thought using them on her face was a good idea....)
I use them for lots of things...getting scuff marks off things but also they are good for things like soap scum on tiles/shower trays - and a tip I got on MN - shower screens that are badly marked with soap/limescale...
But be cautious buying off ebay - I bulk bought some (DDs face sponges!) that turned out to be a quarter of the size of the ones that you can pick up in home bargains etc...so were effectively the same price. My fault for not reading the description properly -but still....

When loading the dishwasher cutlery tray put the same item in each compartment. I do this for ease of unloading but having recently got a new dishwasher, I realised that the instructions explicitly say not to do this. I think it's because the items are more likely to nest into one another and not get clean if they are the same shape.

Personally, I'll take my chances for a quicker unload.

LOL at training the OH and the kids to do this with the dishwasher!

Just DO IT.

And Blather, I haven't had that problem YET!

1tsp or tbsp of caramelised chutney in your gravy really perks it up & uses up any dregs left in jars in fridge/after Xmas.

Ikea bags great for camping holidays/Guides/Scouts/festivals - chuck in washing machine afterwards & re-use.

Holiday lists for each family member on Word document so can add/delete things as kids get older & print off so each responsible for own packing & nothing ever gets forgotten! Plus can e-mail copy to teenagers who loose paper copies & insist on packing long after you've gone to bed to get up for early flight!

Also done Xmas card & birthday labels on computer for years & just amend as & when.

When loading the dishwasher cutlery tray put the same item in each compartment

I'd settle for the pots etc to end up in the dishwasher and not in the sink above it or the dishwasher zone as described by Michael McIntyre

caramelised onion chutney

To remove dried poo from the inside of the toilet bowl above the waterline, without scrubbing, dip a small wodge of toilet paper into the water and stick it on. Leave to "soak" for a few minutes and it wipes off easily.

This is probably really obvious, but I've just discovered the magic of Viakal.

I did the manky shower today and it looks new, with no effort. It's done the glass and all the stainless steel bits. It's all shiny.

I've mastered the art of cleaning the sink whilst sitting on the loo....

You know when you get a lovely bunch of coconuts, sorry flowers, and the only vase in the house is too big at the top and they all fall over.

Well, criss cross the top of the vase with sellotape and place lovely flowers in the spaces in between, they all stand to attention!.

I hope you understand what I mean. Been doing for ages and it works great.

To remove dried poo from the inside of the toilet bowl above the waterline, without scrubbing, dip a small wodge of toilet paper into the water and stick it on. Leave to "soak" for a few minutes and it wipes off easily.

Or use a toilet brush.........?

Yes toilet brush. No messing with damp pooey bits of paper above or below the waterline.

I can't stop reading this thread and came home tn with anti-bac wipes for every bathroom + zoflora
Bathrooms are sparkly and kids radiators have drops of zoflora on top...
why does that feel so great??

I love Unfuck your Habitat- downloaded it after seeing it on here and it's been great