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?

Mine's a bit silly, I freely acknowledge that.

My roommate's mother is a bit scary. We use that to our advantage. Every so often one of us will announce to the other, "[Roommate's mother] is coming over! She'll be here in twenty minutes! Aaaarrrrrgh!!!!" That's the cue to spend the next twenty minutes running around like headless chickens cleaning the house to "make it presentable". This running around time is usually accompanied by theatrical, dramatic shouting at each other and helpless giggles when we collide on the stairs.

No, she's not /really/ coming, but by being a little bit silly, we make cleaning up the house FUN, and I think that's the best tip of all lol.

Put talcum powder on oil spills on material (spilt baby oil on the sofa last week - oops). Leave for 2 days, adding more talc and then shake/hoover. The talc pulls thr stain off (i put a blanket on the sofa for the 2 days).

I've created a word document entirely made up of names and addresses of everyone I know... in label format. Next year I will just need a quick edit for anyone who has moved house/died/ pissed me off and then I can print and go. Will report back on how that works out

I have done this for years and it works a treat! The only times it has come unstuck is when people have let me know a change of address mid-year and I have altered it in my address book, but have forgotten to amend my Christmas labels list.

Love this thread!
" drinkswineoutofamug

I have a 3 month rule in my house. If it's not used for the said 3 months it's obviously not needed. So bin or charity. I have collected a huge bag of stuff for charity."
You must kick yourself in December :)

I have a question. White vinegar cones up on these threads time and time again bt I've never been able to find it in any of the nearby huge supermarkets. Is it in with the condiments or detergents? Is it in a glass bottle or a plastic tub?

I use a ceramic hotplate scraper to clean the oven glass door. No need for chemicals.

I only use peanut oil or olive oil. The little droplets stay liquid and are easier to clean. The same for animal fat. The normal vegetable oil gets awful.

I'm a Kondo convert for ds's t-shirts and some of mine. For socks and tights too.

Cat silica sand works well too for drying. Use clumping sand for vomit.

If you need to quickly dry a few clothes, iron them.

We run a family wide google calendar which we print off every Sunday . Kids are expected to enter in sports activities, birthday parties etc themselves if they want to go. I do still enter their haircuts, dentist etc. They are 10 and 14.

Bulk buy cards, presents, wrapping paper, book vouchers so always have something to hand, ditto some adult things such as chocs, nice olive oil etc.

Get Amazon prime. As much as I try to buy local, it has saved my skin on many occasions.

I never go up or down stairs empty handed and often pop things on stairs ready to take up.

Have started using those ingredient delivery companies for meals some weeks when there is a lot on. I would def say I waste less food and spend less too. But I do t want it all the time.

White vinegar should be near things like cooking oil and dressings. Ask the staff.

any of these? white vinegar

Yes, I reuse a baby wipe (quick swipe of light switches is a favourite) or a bit of kitchen roll that has just been used to mop up water. I have been known to let kitchen roll dry out on the side and use it later to clean the loo seat.

I try not to use too many wipes. They are not good from an enviornmental pov, but they are so good at getting marks off school uniform, and cleaning the stainless steel toaster and microwave.

God, I've got about a million things I don't use every 3 months!

Ooh, the ikea plastic bag holders-here

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/kitchen-products/kitchen-organisers-shelves/variera-plastic-bag-dispenser-white-art-80010222/.

Are great for holding wrapping paper rolls & extra clingfilm etc. We have a hotpress so there's a little dead room in there to store this.

Also check around for any unused potential storage areas-we've just knocked a hole in the wall under our stairs to find a sizeable space that we'll shelve for shoes & stuff. It was just walled in.

Thanks lweji and no camping. Think I've been confused as it's still called malt vinegar! !

Buy/use wooden clothes pins. They last for ever. When they discolour bleach them overnight. Good as new again.

What are they for?

Toilet wipes
Bleach
Storage boxes nice ones
Pair dry socks up straight away
Surface wipes

I also like to make all my beds and clean kitchen before school/nursery run every morning.

for pegging up clothes

For all the people saying 'if you haven't worn it in 12 months you don't need it' ..... what about formal stuff you don't always need every year? Also I had winter jumpers and cardigans I simply didn't wear last year as it didn't get cold enough.

Really? Why not just use pegs? Sorry think I'm lost!

Well I suppose uou know that yourself I have a trouser suit I never wear and keep telling myself I will. But realistically I have two work-formal dresses which I alternate. I need to admit the trouser suit can go.

Peg sock pairs together, well, next to eachother. They go together when you collect them and it's easier to pair them up later too.

If you're prone to losing invitations/school letters/yadda yadda, then use your phone camera to take a pic of it so you can quickly refer back to the information.

Also works if you see posters up in shop windows for events you might be interested in.

I stand my toaster on a shallow metal baking tray that's pretty much the size of the toaster. No crumb spillage on the worktops.

Vacuum everything before cleaning- window frames, worktops. High chair, all surfaces.

Buy toddler his own broom and feather duster. He does all my skirting boards with his 'boo' (broom)- we bought a proper one with a wooden handle and grandad sawed the end off.

Hold a sock amnesty- I only put paired socks back in rooms after washing. Any odds go in a carrier bag. Have a weekly pair up. After a few weeks you will only get pairs through the wash. Chuck the rest away. Part of the reason the odd socks appear is because dh/dd wear any similar two socks instead of a pair, so if they only have pairs to wear this stops this issue major first world problem

Proper storage. If you only have enough shelves for 100 books, or drawer space for 20 items, then that's all you can have. Either get better storage or throw stuff away.

Zoflora- makes everything smell really clean!

Oh, and clean the loo with loo roll, the seat, the lid, the back but behind the seat. Then flush. Milton tablet dropped in the water/bowl keeps it pretty clean and once a week do a proper clean with loo brush/bleach

greggs - was going to post that but happy beat me to it ...
Have a look at you tube - there is a woman who folds tshirts so they stand up on their own! (On a similar note I also found out how you neatly fold fitted sheets on you tube ...)
But I change the fold size to match the drawer size...so make things taller for in DD2's deep drawers so things are thinner and a bit floppy -so I have drawer dividers (you can get them from Ikea) - and they are useful to separate eg her long and short sleeved t-shirts too.
It does take longer at first as you get into the habit but after a few weeks it takes just as long as it did before -and you don't end up tidying up overspilling drawers anywhere near as often...
Another tip is to fold tshirts of the same colour that have images on the front - back to front - so you can see the image..if you don't they are identical in the drawer
I also put DCs washing away for them - it takes a minute or two cos there is space (and it means I can sneakily cull their clothes at the same time ...)
And also mainly cos for teen DD I found clean washing ends up on her floordrobe ...with her dirty clothes...eventually it all goes back in the wash most of it unworn ... When I made her do her own I ended up with the washing machine constantly on or found it finished and full of damp mouldy clothes or washing everywhere ...
I know she can do it - she will have to soon - but I decided it will be easier for me for her to learn from her mistakes in her own place... (I should say she ADHD and this is a battle I eventually chose not to have...)

The hoover upstairs thing - I used to have one - or rather it was a Gtech cordless carpet sweeper...and I had a cordless stick vac downstairs (not very powerful so it wasn't good on carpets). I did a quick tidy up in the mornings - and used these.
Now I have a new cordless stick vacuum - this one - www.amazon.co.uk/Ovation-Rechargeable-Cordless-Upright-Cleaner/dp/B01K4Z9Z10/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforum-21
It is more powerful than my old one and when I do my quick tidy up in the morning I run over all the main floor areas/stairs with this ...it picks up a frightening amount of fluff/dust every day - and I've found I don't need one upstairs any more. I do have a big Miele as well I get out once a week for a proper vacuum.

The ones with the sprig mechanism break too easily. The clothes pins don't.