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?

retainer How many birthday cards do you write that would take an hour for 6 months

Drops of zoflora on radiators (when they're on obvs)

Dishwasher tablet soaked in boiling water, use this to wipe inside of oven door, wipe over with eraser cube. So quick, easy and it works.

Coke and a ball of tin foil removes rust from chrome. My shower curtain pole is beautifully shiny now.

We average one birthday a week so it's not a 5 minute job plus addressing/stamps easily takes an hour.

My no 1 has to be 5mins or less - (also heard it called JFDI - just fucking do it) ....if something takes 5 mins or less just do it - no dithering, thinking I must remember to do that later, adding it to a list - just do it straight away. The first time I tried this I spent an hour doing 5 min jobs ...but it makes a huge difference if you stick to it. Not just with little odd things but also regular things.
I used to put off emptying the dishwasher - dirty stuff would pile up on the side etc - I timed myself it takes me 3 mins to empty it - so as soon as I notice it has finished I empty it (chanting 5mins or less sometimes -if I really can't be bothered).

My second one would be vertical folding (Kondoing) clothes in drawers - with dividers if nec - no more rummaging and they keep much tidier -even DCs drawers.

(My bedding is vertical folded - in plastic boxes so I could - one box for double and one for single beds - I fold the pillow cases in the duvets)

Pick a day a week when all the clean washing is (ironed - but I don't any more) and put away. Make sure you have enough drawer space etc for what you need - which makes it easier to put away - and then stick to it.
So have a bag for clothes recycling on the go all the time - if you can't easily fit eg another Tshirt in the t-shirt drawer - pick one to get rid of - the oldest or one you haven't worn for ages - vertically folded you can easily see what you have.

Open your windows regularly to freshen the house.

When you wake up and get out of bed open the curtains and window and throw the bed covers back to air whilst you have breakfast, then make the bed when you go back up.

Buy plastic boxes and sort your larder by food type eg a box for pasta, a box for rices, a box for sauces and condiments, baking etc. Stops everything getting mixed up and you can review what's in there every time you get a box out.

When I first bought my boxes and sorted my larder out I found 12 tins of tuna!!

So much effort in sending cards - my top tip is stop sending cards...

"Never go empty handed"

Wipe over bathroom most mornings means I hardly ever have to do a big clean of it (we do have soft water, makes it much easier)

Cistern block in toilet helps keep it clean

Load of washing on EVERY day

Learn to use the timer on washing machine etc - you can put load on in morning to finish just before you get in from work.

Empty the dishwasher ASAP and full it up as you go. Before cooking, run a sink of hot water and rinse/wash up/wipe surfaces as you go.

Meal plan and online shop. Online shop is a bit time-consuming when starting off, but once you get your usuals/favourites list built up it is super-quick (15 mins for this week's groceries). If possible, get a second or v large fridge (in garage or similar?) - then you can for a week's milk /fresh food in it and never do top-up shops in week.

I've been doing the duvet thing for ages, it's an absolute life changer.

My tips:

After cooking potatoes - always put the pot straight into the sink and fill with cold water. Pot will wipe clean straight after dinner. Same with rice and pasta.

Have everything on a calender. Absolutely everything - parties, appointments, school trips and stick notes of what's needed next to it. Make sure everyone in the house does it - in this house if it's not on the calender, it's not happening!

Keys. We have two key racks - one for house keys and one for car keys. They both sit just inside the living room door so you have to pass them when you come in but aren't visible from the front door. No one loses keys here.

All jackets and shoes are in the porch. We also have a wire rack where de-icer is kept and a shoe horn. Party shoes are kept in the bottom of wardrobes but day to day boots, trainers etc are in the porch and we don't have the 'can't find my school shoes' scenario I think most of us have had. Alternatively a large plastic container to put shoes in just inside the front door works just as well.

See this vertical folding thing - how do you stop all your stuff just flopping over?

A paste of bicarb and bleach does wonders to brighten grout. Especially if you leave it for a while then scrub it with a toothbrush.

Loving these tips!

The app Unfuck Your Habitat is good for short bursts of organisation/obscure cleaning tasks which might otherwise be forgotten. It makes the suggestions then times you on a countdown timer, so it feels a bit like a race against yourself.

1/The coiled metal scourers are BRILLIANT at scouring(who knew?)
2/Stop buying so many cleaning products:white vinegar mixed with water cleans and shines most things.
3/Fold washing after drying, it will cut your ironing pile in half if not more.
4/Use microfibre cloths with number 2, they really work.
5/HG mould remover form DIY stores is fabulous shower cubicles/tiles/mouldy window seals.

If stuff has got stuck to a pan soak it with bio washing powder and hot water

Polish up stainless steel (I do the hob and extractor with it) with a drop of baby oil on kitchen towel

Lower your standards

If you see something is dirty, clean it there and then so stuff like wiping up spills straight away or dusting a windowsill you've noticed type thing

Viakal for shower screens

That's about the extent of my cleaning, I tend to go for a less is more approach

This is a great thread!
Another fan of vertical folding here. Been doing Kondo for a few months and it's made a huge difference.
My house gets messy quickly (3 DC including whirlwind toddler) so I try to never leave a room without something in my hand to put away elsewhere. I have a basket on the stairs for stuff that needs to go up.
Also, a bowl of boiling water with slices of lemon and some vinegar in the microwave for 5-10 minutes loosens all the gross stuff that's caked on the walls of the microwave, so you can wipe it off easily.

If you've got a gap between the top of your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling cover the top of the units with newspaper. The dust and grease settles on the paper which is easily and quickly changeable.

some great tips o n here keep them coming

Turn rugs upside-down the night before you plan to vacuum. Lift off floor and vacuum up the loose debris. Saves shaking outside (too heavy) and/or missing anything in the fibres if you were to just vacuum over the top

Turn rugs upside-down the night before you plan to vacuum. Lift off floor and vacuum up the loose debris. Saves shaking outside (too heavy) and/or missing anything in the fibres if you were to just vacuum over the top

Don't put it down, put it away.
Paperwork goes into bulldog clip on inside of cupboard door . All post gets looked at and junked or into bulldog clip.
I haven't school age children but a good tip was to photo school letters straight away so they are easily referred to.
I also. Do the facewipe / sink wipe / loo wipe / throw away.

These are all fab! I do like the JFDI tip, I'm a terrible procrastinator.

if you have cups that are stained with tea/coffee, put a little drop of bleach in and fill with warm water leave to soak for about 10 mins

But be very very careful no one drinks them. I know you'd think that bleach smells so strong that nobody would be that daft, but I have had several patients who did and one child who died after swigging bleach some idiot had decanted into a squash bottle

Vertical folding? I think mumsnet is about to change my life