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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

LITTLE things that help keep you organised?

562 replies

starrychime · 16/04/2012 18:27

There's a lot of threads about cleaning routines, 15 min sessions etc which I love to read but never get round to following (one day, one day I will!)
Wondered if anyone has some little hints and tips that make things just a little bit easier about the house?
I use paper plates Blush for morning toast, lunchtime sandwiches etc as I HATE washing up (no washer) - and it keeps it down a little bit.
Also keeping a small Ikea drawer sorter in the bathroom with DD's bobbles and clasps so they're to hand in the morning helps a bit.
Anyone else have any little tips?

OP posts:
colditz · 21/06/2012 19:55

Just about the only thing I do that is in any way unusual is keep school uniform downstairs, and always make the children leave their shoes by the front door. I will not tolerate 'lost shoe' dramas

TimeWasting · 23/06/2012 13:51

Whereabouts do you keep the uniform colditz?

nomorecake · 23/06/2012 18:25

some of the things we do to save time or stay organise:

make the next days pack lunch when dinner's simmering away. so that after dinner, all food prep is finished, kitchen cleared.

bring down a machine load after putting dc's to bed. load machine before bed. machine ready to switch on in the morning. hang up when i get back from school run.

before hanging machine washed clothes, give them a good downward thrusting shake (to get creases out & get back their shape)and hang tops upside down (so no peg marks on the shoulders) and no twisted seams - straight as possible.
Do this, so don't need to iron casualwear.

keep a brush in the car, after dc's had a crumbly snack we brush down the seats and car mats, takes a couple of mins and saves us having to vacuum it all the time!

have a nappy changing bag upstairs and downstairs.

bought a few of rolls cheap loo paper, to give the loo a spray and wipe, then flushed/binned. easier than a cloth, cheaper than wipes. (AND means that there is emergency loo paper in the bathroom at all times!)

when something runs out, add it to the shopping list straight away.

write the shopping list in rough order of finding them in the route around the supermarket.
pack shopping in bags depending where they go, i.e. cupboard/fridge/freezer/toiletries etc. that way fridge/freezer items get put away first. (the rest after a cuppa!) i sort it as it goes on the conveyor belt.

have a check list for the end of the evening in regards of everything you need to have ready for the next day, workclothes/uniform/lunches/take food out to defrost/calender check/handbag check (purse/keys/nappy/wipes/shoppinglist/vouchers/school forms etc).
AND then i can relax!

dc's clothes ( and mine!) in their own piles, so no hunting around for things in the morning.

set an alarm on my phone, rather than the time to leave for school run, time to put shoes and coats on, 5 mins for that (and last minute faff around), and then out the door.
the dc's are so used to it, when they here the bell, they race off for their shoes! they have been programmed!!

(all shoes/coats kept by front door!)

oh and when taking shoes off, properly undo laces/straps/buckles ready to put them on again next day. i'm the worst culprit for kicking off my trainers and having to fight with knotted laces in the morning.

hope something there helps someone!

oohlalabonbons · 23/06/2012 19:00

mumat39 , I have a heated clothes airer from Lakeland, we bought it in our previous house where we had not central heating. I can fit a whole load on and it dries overnight, don't think it's too expensive to run!

slowlyburningcalories · 24/06/2012 00:41

Have just read entire thread. I think its taken two hours.

Back tomorrow. Too tired to type!

oohlalabonbons · 28/06/2012 22:05

So I just got my Mumsnet Swears By... email and the Lakeland clothes airer is featured!

I told you it was good! Smile

Killergerbil · 29/06/2012 08:18

Never leave a room empty handed, something is always lurking that shouldn't be there! Even my DP has got the hang of this!

MushroomSoup · 29/06/2012 09:29

I've got my eye on the Lakeland airer...

cheeseandmushroomtoastie · 29/06/2012 09:30

Marking my place to read later Grin

poppyboo · 29/06/2012 19:33

IAM
Have you tried drinking Sleep Easy tea by clipper? It's great for drifting off to sleep. It's great stuff!

mumat39 · 29/06/2012 21:21

oohlala

How many layers do you dry when you lay them flat over the bars of the airer. I like the idea of this esp as we have no dryer, haven't had that many dry days recently and even if we did, we wouldn't be drying clothes outside as it make hayfever worse for us all. :(

We currently use any available balustrade, radiator, surface to dry things on so the airer does sound like it would be very handy to have. Just have to convince DP that it's worth it.

Also, I couldn't see on the lakeland website what the foot print is when it's open. Do you know? and does it fold away or do you always have to have it out?

Thanks so much in advance for any info?

:)

poppyboo · 30/06/2012 08:02

When your child is sick tip: spread out large bath towel next to child's bed at night so if DC throws up during night and it goes all over floor, you can pick up towel and put straight in wash and you're not cleaning/scrubbing sick of carpet.

MushroomSoup · 30/06/2012 21:29

I just bought Clipper Sleep Easy tea!! I'll let you know how I get on...

DMCWelshCakes · 30/06/2012 23:04

Just found this thread. We're moving house soon (hopefully) so I'm looking to set up the house in the most organised way possible right from the start.

I love the idea of having a cleaning bag on the back of the bathroom doors as I've been worried about DiddyCakes getting his paws on the bleach wipes for a while.

poppyboo · 01/07/2012 08:42

mushroomsoup if you really need a helping hand with sleep there is also another brand you can try : Dr Stuarts Valerian Plus - a herbal infusion with valerian root and hops.
This is a stronger tea than the sleep easy by clipper and knocks you out a quire a bit. I only use it if I'm going through a rough patch with sleep if I have something on my mind. The Clipper Sleep Easy is much more gentle and is my daily evening drink, an hour before I settle off to sleep.

poppyboo · 01/07/2012 08:43

The Valerian Plus can be bought In health shops & Waitrose (next to regular tea.)

MushroomSoup · 01/07/2012 11:00

Poppy I don't really have trouble sleeping but I have a bad habit of taking a cup of tea to bed every night while I read. Doesn't seem to affect me or keep me awake. I've never liked fruit or herbal teas but I tried my Sleep Easy tea last night in bed - quite nice! And I did sleep very well (although I had bizarre dreams about looking at houses with no bathrooms - that's a thread all by itself!).

poppyboo · 01/07/2012 11:12

mushroomsoup I'm really accustomed to the taste of Sleep Easy tea now and look forward to drinking it of an evening so I'm glad you found it OK, it's really helped me have a good nights rest. I find I sleep better when I drink it in comparison to when I don't IYSWIM! I love to sleep well LOL I'm grumpy if I don't !

rednose · 01/07/2012 22:37

Mumat39 I too was unsure what to do with dc's art work from nursery. So now we have completed the year at pre school I have created a scrapbook to include the art. Example- sept ds draw picture of my family glued into book, June fathers day card as made by ds glued in book. Ds v pleased with result & keeps "art" together

mumat39 · 01/07/2012 22:55

Hi rednose

That's a good idea. I was going to get one of those A3 art folder things but I think the scrapbook sounds like a much better idea. Thanks :)

What do you do with any models they make? DD has a few that I'd like to keep including an easter bonnet which is actually huge.

mumat39 · 01/07/2012 23:01

by the way, where do you buy scrap books from? I've never bought one before so no idea where would be good. Thanks again.

rednose · 01/07/2012 23:34

All junk art has been recycled as nowt worth keeping tbh. I guess bonnet sounds like a keeper perhaps an old shoe or boot box. You can get scrap book in larger supermarkets stationary aisle

mumat39 · 01/07/2012 23:48

DD made a binocular storage thingy that she has to keep as she is convinced it's really useful to have boxes either side of the kitchen rolls which are slightly skewif. Grin It's funny watching her load it up with things to store and then watch her look through them and the surprise on her face when the store stuff falls out. Makes me laugh every time. Wink

Feckbox · 02/07/2012 00:44

Train EVERYONE in your family to pair their socks at the ankles BEFORE putting in washing basket.
Socks go into washing machine paired at ankles, flapping at feet.
They are then already paired for hanging on line. Easily re paired for going into sock drawer

Feckbox · 02/07/2012 00:45

Stop sending Christmas cards