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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:
MrsHoarder · 19/04/2012 12:47

ivykaty if someone is inside my house, looking for my car keys when I am in bed at night I would much rather they found them straight away (on a pretty keyholder next to the stairs) than came upstairs where we are sleeping and threatened us. It may make sense to hide valuables that no-one knows you own, but a burglar can see what car you have outside the house so knows you have the keys.

Of course this would only be the case if I could remember where I'd left them, let alone anyone else.

oxeye · 19/04/2012 12:48

some great tips, but I need to sit down having read Helen's post Smile

what is the 15 minute flylady tip?

I buy loads of cards at a time and rolls of wrapping paper - and lots of blanks so they will do for notes/ comments/ thank yous not just birthdays

Also, have a drawer in kitchen with large box of new batteries in and small screwdrivers for all those toy crises

thewickedestSMinthewest · 19/04/2012 13:00

I'm with Mrshoarder - I leave our wallets, keys, laptops and phones in the hallway all neat and ready for an intruder to make away with quietly. Would far rather that than have them snopping about my house and waking my children.

BiddyPop · 19/04/2012 13:20

I have a bank coin bag that I fill with the mixed coins larger than coppers. I usually keep this in my car (or my handbag - but it gets heavy). That's handy for the odd ?1 for a trolley, small change for collecitons, PARKING METERS, or raids on the sweetie dispenser at work late in the afternoon when canteen is closed. I keep coppers seperately (DD's moneybox is a great place, or I have a couple of small stash spots for my own stash) and exchange those for "real" money every few months.

I try to keep a pack of painkillers and a pack of band-aids in my car, my desk, kitchen at all times for whatever emergencies. I have a decent first aid kit in a box which tends to live in DH's car (usually at home unless we're on a big trip, when kit might be likely to be needed) and I have some other stuff up high in our room (spares, rarely but occasionally needed things, and ends that I'm sure may be useful sometime again).

We wash lots during the week - maybe 4-5 loads per week. But I tend to set it to run while we're out and then hang (outdoors or on indoor airer) or tumble when we get in, so there's less noise annoying us. But I also tend to put dry clothes into the ironing basket until Sat evening, when they all get folded together (sometimes just me or DH, sometimes all pitch in together in front of a movie) and DH irons on a Sunday. Means we can find clean things if needed midweek but they're out of the way until the big folding job.

I have a few giftbags for recycling, but I tend to be more of a paper wrap person. So I have a few rolls of small boy, small girl, older person and plain papers suited to most occasions in my wrapping bag. Along with lots of papers that can be recycled. I need more baby paper though. I also have a stash of generic cards for aunts, uncles, grans, grandads, nieces, nephews, small friends ready to produce when needed. I also have lots of christmas wrap from sales, and I wrap from about Sept so that I can hide away things better and have more time for family fun the weeks before the big day.

(I used to have to travel a lot, and from about Oct on, I would bring 6-10 cards with me on a flight and write/address those, so by early Dec, they'd all be done and I wouldn't hvae had much pain doing them as the flights were short hops but tended to be dull - works well if you're a train commuter and can get a table seat too).

R2PeePoo · 19/04/2012 13:33

I have one of these hanging from the ceiling by the front door. Each little section is organised into hats, scarves and gloves so when the kids decide they want a hat just as we are leaving I can just grab one. We also have a section for sunhats, sunglasses and suncream so I don't forget.

We also have a row of coat hooks up high for adult coats and another set down low for children's coats so they don't get hidden behind larger adult coats (and theoretically the kids can hang their own coats up.)

I wander around the house regularly with a couple of big reusable bags collecting dirty washing and things that are in the wrong place. Once the washing is dry it is sorted back into the resuable bags and a bag of clean clothes is dumped into each person's bedroom when it is put away later-usually by me whilst they are doing teeth and getting pyjamas on.

I bought a jute bag from the library, a big one and that is where the library books live. I make a list and put it in there and the kids know they can only take one book out of the bag at a time and then they have to show it to me to get the next one. We haven't lost a book or paid a library fine yet in 6 years and we always have the maximum out on our cards.

CointreauVersial · 19/04/2012 13:34

I have three baskets in the living room - one for each DC. Any random object I find lying around (toys, shoes, books etc) is put into the relevant basket, and once every few days (or if the basket fills up), it is handed to the relevant child for emptying/putting away. It means I can tidy the living room quickly and any "putting away" is in one burst.

With two DDs I always make sure I buy different syles of undies/socks for the two, so I'm not always peering at labels to work out which belongs to which when I fold the laundry. Although I have now decided they can both wear the same size of tights, so those are now "communal" Grin

mmmerangue · 19/04/2012 13:38

I dream of being organised, but unfortunately whenever I clean/tidy the OH comes in and wreaks havoc - how do you organise one of them?!

BoffinMum · 19/04/2012 13:41

I've got a lever arch file in the kitchen with all the appliance booklets in plastic wallets, and their receipts stapled to the cover.

I also have a day book with a section for all letters and information leaflets on cub scouts, a section on pets, a section on choirs, telephone numbers of plumbers and so on, that kind of thing. That lives next to the lever arch file.

I have the most fully stocked medicine cabinet in the village, to the point where even the GP has come over for things for personal use when the chemist is closed (she's a friend!)

I buy wrapping paper, presents, gift tags and cards in bulk, and store them in a special cupboard along with the scissors and sellotape I need.

I have a parking money wallet in each car, along with a very well stocked first aid kit, spare pants/nappy for younger children, a spare baby feeding bottle and long life formula, wet wipes, and a carton of long life juice per family member, in case of unexpected disaster, traffic jam, or forgetting of the changing bag.

fidelma · 19/04/2012 13:47

I so want to be all of you !!!! LOL
Going to make myself get into the laundry now !

IShallWearMidnight · 19/04/2012 14:04

I find threads like this help, as it inspires shames me into actually doing something Grin. So while reading this thread I've labelled the cables on my desk, and filed 6 months of paperwork. Now I'm off to shred stuff in time for tomorrow's bin/recycling day.

BoffinMum · 19/04/2012 14:34

Also try Box of Last Resort on my blog.

Pigsinblankets · 19/04/2012 15:21

I go to the tip (recycling centre) regularly, there's nothing like getting rid of loads of junk to make me feel cleansed!

bessie26 · 19/04/2012 15:45

Helen I love the sound of the "bring forward" system - what do you use to store it all in?

Tinkerisdead · 19/04/2012 16:03

Im mega organised but i've picked up some great tips. Def gonna start the bedding in pillowcase and tempted to sort washing in those ikea waste sorters!

I have a to do list on the fridge that also has the weeks meals on it

I meal plan and add shopping items to my iphone app shopshop.

I use an organised mum diary and work around six weeks ahead so all the may birthdays have been bought, cards written and addressed etc. im currently shopping for the june birthdays.

I use amazon discount finder/argos clearance and check it every few days, i have a set budget for birthday and xmas gifts. I have a list of every person and their amount in my diary so if i find a bargain that suits a person i'll buy it in advance. My friend is due to have baby in june and ive already got 15.00 worth of little me organic toiletries for 4.00 but i budgeted 20.00.

I batch cook. Each time i cook stews, bolognese etc i cook double and my shopping meal is cheaper by doing it that way.

I pack all bags immediately, changing bag gets refilled when i get in. Dd's welly bag for preschool is cleaned and repacked. Uniform is laid out the night before.

My dd is only 3 so not contending with hoards of kids but dh and i eat at 7.30pm and a portion plated for dd for the following day so im only cooking once.

And i shop for xmas from august!!!

CheerfulYank · 19/04/2012 17:25

Marking place! I am hoping to become much more organized in the next year or so. :)

SanityTrowel · 19/04/2012 17:26

Wow! So many tips I'm taking on board here.
And also coming round to the idea in making DC's work a little harder towards creating domestic order too.
I wonder how many of us have been beavering away these last couple of days at those neglected jobs because of being inspired - I know I have!

nannyl · 19/04/2012 17:31

i have never heard of dont put it down, put it away before, but im converted

have put away a lot of stuff i would have put down today, and feel alot better for it Smile

Stuntnun · 19/04/2012 18:00

My tip would be to do one thing every day, it doesn't matter how big or small. So even if you're having a bad day and slobbing round in your PJs all day you've still accomplished something, even if it's just putting the milk bottles out or something similarly trivial. This really helps when you feel like you have a million things you have to do.

Helenagrace · 19/04/2012 18:25

Bessie my bring forward system has two parts. Firstly, a concertina folder from a supermarket labelled January to December.

Secondly, the daily file is just a ring binder with 1-31 dividers from staples. Each section has a plastic pocket.

I keep them on a shelf and I can quickly add things into any section.

I have a reminder on my phone to prompt me to take the next day's items out of the folder. I put them on my desk so I can quickly deal with them the next day.

Somethingwicked · 19/04/2012 18:28

I have a low children's coat rack in the hall, then underneath it a basket with their shoes, and next to that a basket with one size fits all black and white socks. Noone has their own socks. And we have two different hairbrush and toothbrush pots for upstairs and downstairs.

bebemoojem · 19/04/2012 18:36

I bought square pencil jars for the drawers in the kitchen to put rubber bands, the bog closing clips, and small scoops/spoons for medicines so I'm not rummaging around for them.

I got rid of all the odds and sods of baking bits and cooking dishes and normal dishes (like the one plate that didn't match anything else, the random glasses we get free from places). Suddenly I had loads more room in the cupboards and could organise better and of course there are fewer dishes overall means when I need to do dishes it's not LOADS of dishes.

I put (light) cleaning things on every floor hand broom, wipes, spray, duster) so I can just grab it when I need it without having to run up or down any flight of steps.

Slowly but surely clearing out clutter/unused/broken but were going to be fixed items. I just randomly pick a drawer or shelf and do a clear out... and then freecycle it so it's gone without be having to go anywhere to get rid of it.

Petrean · 19/04/2012 18:39

Wow helenagrace... I have to say if I old my DH we'd have a weekly 'board' meeting he'd probably laugh his head off. But it is a good idea. I find I am good at organising myself and DS but my DH then throws spanners into the works by surprising me with things!

NoMoreInsomnia12 · 19/04/2012 19:00

I wrote a timetable for myself - yes I know, a bit sad - not to schedule every hour of the week but just to see where I could find the time to clean, tidy, do the work I need to do to run my business, exercise and do my art course. I put in all the non-movable things like school run, football, dancing etc and any other commitments then worked out when I could fit in the 'flexible' stuff. Also left plenty of blanks for Mumsnetting/other activities!

Then I broke down the housework into tasks to do each time to make it more manageable.

chasingtail · 19/04/2012 19:37

Just marking my place. Maybe I could get one of you lovely ladies to come round and sort my disgusting house out Grin

whoknewthat · 19/04/2012 20:34

Have developed a small crush on Helenagrace Blush