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?

Ah ok so is it a brand of peg? Or is it literally a pin?

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.

This "tip" from the first page has got to be one of the most stupid things I've ever read.

Sunglasses, suntan lotion, sunbikinis, barbeque, ski jacket, Christmas tree, gloves, scarf, winter clothes, summer clothes, etc etc.

There are literally tons of items in a typical house that would be not used for a 3 month period for good reason. Any idiot who adopted that tip would be paying a lot of money to replace seasonal and occassional use items annually.

Hope this just about comes into the heading?! Years ago, my dear departed Pa taught me that, when painting, fix lid securely back on pot and store upside down. Any skin formed is then at the bottom when you reopen and reuse.

Not its just a type of peg that doesn't have a spring. I've never had one break. I still have the remains of several spring type ones on my line that I have got round to taking off.

Leave windows open for as long as you can bear each day (esp bedrooms). Better than air freshener (unless you live right by an A road).
I don't have a dishwasher so when having a large family meal (Sunday roast etc) I run a sink of very hot water as I serve. Then just put returning dishes in. Once we've eaten and digested, the water is still hot and most dishes just need a swipe over.
Keep bedroom doors shut and landing immaculate. Visitors are fooled into thinking everywhere is tidy.
As a PP said, keep all unpaired socks, eventually you will have enough to stuff something (toy/cushion/dog bed).

I read on here a tip about making a week's worth of sandwiches in one go and freezing them. Haven't quite got this organised yet but if we seem to have more bread than we'll use, I freeze it into separate freezer bags for each day.

Clothes pins

Ahhhh of course. Was thinking of dressmakers pins

Hoover upstairs is such a good idea - not for me, my house is tiny, but I think I'll buy my mum another hoover and get her to keep it up there. I had noticed she's struggling with keeping on top of things (my dad won't help), and I'm sure part of it will be that dragging the hoover upstairs feels a bit daunting. Especially since she can't bend so has the stand-up kind you can lean on.

I keep a A5 paper diary (prefer) any school/scouts etc notes are ticked and dated when paid, folded in half - info outwards and then slid in that appropriate week - a "brought foward" system if you will.

When I check the diary on a Sunday all the relevant info is to hand. Things with various dates on are crossed out and moved to the next relevant date when the event has happened. When the event is passed you can chuck or file as necessary.

Some fab ideas!

Pour soda bic on accidents...Soaks up wee from.mattresses, vomit smells from carpet etc. Put on liberally (I buy it in kilo tubs online as I use for everything, along with white vinegar), leave for as long as possible and hoover up.

LRD my mother in law has Gtech Hoovers, very pricey but fab. Has one upstairs and one down, they're really light.

Like these:

www.google.co.uk/search?q=gtech+cordless+hoover&oq=gtech+&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0j5j0.2971j0j4&client=ms-android-motorola&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

www.gtech.co.uk/cordless-vacuum-cleaners/airram-vacuum-cleaner.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiAzZHEBRD0ivi9_pDzgYMBEiQAtvxt-Klew7DQPLNcyFbF1XXtguxLuaxdrQfk7QqQy_MmdAcaAnFc8P8HAQ

Fantastic thread. Can I add that if you have children under three please don't sweat the small stuff. Your house will be untidy, it's impossible to keep it show home clean, that should be a given, but get the children into tidy up time as young as possible (it should just be getting them to put the toys back into clear boxes).

Have bookmarked this fabulous thread.

Can I also say that those of you with elderly parents, like me, their house is not going to be spotless either (me and dear sisters have tried to get her to have a cleaner in, but mum stubbornly refuses - she is a widow). What I did suggest was memory boxes. This has worked a treat and she loves going through things when I go to visit (I also clean for her then). She has found lots of things that are really useful and has handed them on.

santa I'm guessing seasonal items would be exempt from the rule.

Buy a pledge(other brands are available) fluffy duster and when you have a few minutes dust around every room and down bannisters, takes seconds and no more dust.

Brilliant thread, some fab tips on here

I've been inspired and emptied the dishwasher as soon as it beeped, sorted out my make up bag binned most of it and been through a couple of drawers and ended up with one bag of rubbish and one charity bag

Thanks everyone

Best tip by far for me, 'don't put it down, put it away'

santa not a stupid idea, if things are put away properly they don't get thrown. Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I'm talking about old shoes in cupboards. That plastic tub you saved in case it came in useful but never did. It's amazing what we save thinking it will come in useful but never gets used. The 2nd drawer down that you put knick knacks in? Letters ? Half of which need filing or it's junk mail and you shoved it to the side. It's amazing what you find.
Is that a better explanation for you? I've found glass jars for pasta etc never used. Why would I keep it? Perfect for charity. DVDs never watched etc.

Happy my pleasure!Much cheaper than path clear!

Lots of tips here that I probably won't get around to using because I'm a slattern with very low standards

But cleaning oven shelves - stick in dishwasher on Hottest wash - halfway through open dishwasher and go over them with the wiry scrubber things - loads of crap comes off easily and then back in the dishwasher to finish off

wit Ehere do you get the kilo tubs of bicarb? I use it but go through the little pots so quickly.

Another trick for oven racks which really, truly, honestly works:

Line your bath with about 8 tumble dryer sheets. Lay out your oven racks on top, run enough hot water to cover them and throw in a dishwasher tablet. Leave for a few hours, or overnight if you can.

Pull out the plug and grab a handful of the wet dryer sheets and rub (haphazardly) over the racks- the crap just lifts off.

I keep my de-icer and the like in the boot of the car. I bought a cheap like this and put all of my car standby stuff into it - deicer, scraper, IKEA blue bags, blanket and very old coat that I don't use anymore (in case of breakdown), first aid kit, UK map. My car comes with Isofix in it which means that there are little metal hoops on the car-boot side of the rear seats. I got a bungee cord and wrapped it round the crate and hooked the cord into the metal loop. The crate has all my useful stuff and doesn't move when I'm driving and cornering - really handy.

I've also used these crates for my kitchen cupboards. If like me you have corner cupboards which don't have a carousel in them, meaning that you are forever having to drag everything out to get to something at the very back that you don't use often. I packed the kitchen stuff on its end (baking sheets, pyrex dishes and so on) into two crates. The nearest one is my baking sheets and dishes which I use all the time, the back one is cake stuff, cutting rings, baking beads, very big pans that I don't use often. You can slide the nearest one out, reach in and pull the back one forward and get what you need (cake tins, big casserole pans - stuff that is not in use all the time). Putting away takes seconds as you just slide the second crate back and put the first crate back in the cupboard - it has saved me SO much time and swearing, from being on my knees with a torch trying to reach something at the end of the cupboard having had to drag everything else out first.

Burnt pans - put a teaspoon of washing up powder into it along with a few inches of water. Simmer it for 10 mins or so and the burnt material will lift straight off.

White vinegar is brilliant. Great for cleaning all sorts of things including your washing machine. Put one mugful of soda crystals (find them in the washing powder section) directly into the drum of the machine - run a 90 degree wash. Then when it has finished pour a litre of white vinegar directly into the drum and run another 90 degree wash. I do this every 6 months or so - the soda crystals clean everything off and the vinegar kills any mould etc., and deodorises the machine.

You can get 1kg bicarb tubs from cash and carry's and some chinese supermarkets...you can also buy large amounts (in bags) on ebay.

Someone mentioned finding white vinegar as well - you can get that in 5L tubs from the same places (cash and carry/chinese supermarket) - but I actually get something called 'undiluted condiment essence' -they sometimes sell in those places too. It is the stuff that some chip shops dilute down and use for vinegar. You can get it coloured (brown) or, better for cleaning, clear and usually It is about 80% acetic acid (varies I had some 90+% once) ...you dilute it about 1 in 16 to get normal strength vinegar..(it will tell you on the tub for the strength it is).
I have a spare 5L bottle that I fill up using stuff diluted to normal vinegar strength. You can also use it more concentrated as a weed killer or to splash down the loo (water in pan dilutes it more) and it lasts for ages. For my last lot I could only get the brown stuff from cash and carry - but the local chip shop kindly added some clear onto their order for me....