Simple useful things that took you too long to work out...

[MyCatIsAGit]

Like taking the oven shelf out of the top oven to use in the bottom (bigger) oven so you can fit 3 trays in rather than just 2.

10 years we've had that oven, juggling baking trays at Christmas and for kid's beige food and chips tea, in fact most days. Especially as top oven doesn't work v well.

Revelation this Sunday..

Make your normal night cream richer in winter by adding a drop or two of vitamin e or coconut oil.

Clean gunk from a shower head by using plain malt vinegar. Pour some into a watertight plastic bag and fix it round the showerhead with an elastic band. Then leave overnight. Next day your showerhead will be gleaming.

this may be TMI - got constipation sit down and paint your finger nails because you are not able to move until they are dry you will want to go to the loo, it works for me

Getting the twins ready for school - all bags shoes, letters to go into bags etc I put at the front door then the twins will have to trip over the stuff and will remember to take them.

this maybe a bit of a luxury - I always try to get my car cleaned out at the end of each term, it makes me feel like I want to get back in and drive the twins around even if the inside remains clean for about 5 mins

Airtight pegs can come from ikea, Lakeland, Amazon.... usually called Freezer Clips or sealing clips.

At bed time, put hand cream (usually cheapish) on first, so that you (usually more expensive) face cream does not sink into you dry hands.

"Oh and another cat litter tip... Keep a bag of cheap stuff in your car over winter. If it snows and you get stuck a good handful under your wheels will give you enough traction to get going again."

Make sure it is non-clumping litter.

Thanks BikeRunSki

For years I have battled the king size quilt. Always feels like a workout. Have tried various methods... Until recently I was a bit tipsy and changing the bed. Quilt cover correct way round, one corner in, clipped with the big teeth hair
Clip. Other corner, clipped with another. Pulled down the cover, and
Fastened poppers..no having to stand on bed to shake or drag to the hall to fling over bannister..

Fish finger sandwich, or whatever. So you've used the fish slice to flip them during cooking. You've used it
To fling on bread.. Use it to cut sandwich. Will also slice through lettuce and cheese. Less washing
Up.

Another tipsy one. So the grouting is looking a bit none white, despite constantly wiping tiles..you buy countless products and use various home remedies, that either don't work or would have been quicker to regrout.. Dove on a toothbrush. Rub along the grout, don't need to scrub vigoursly. Takes minutes..

Haven't got a baking tray/cannot be arse to dig it out.. Flip a roasting tray over. Instant baking tray.

Don't bother with the grease proof paper. Newspapers to line shelves. Lots of place it's free.

Stop shaving gel tins etc from leaving rings in bathroom. Nail varnish around the rim.

Flour etc, no matter how careful you are it makes a mess. Especially when you aren't the only one using it. Plus you often loose some of the smaller things like baking powder pot, vanilla etc.. Large plastic box.
Store it all on one, need to bake pull out the box and everything it there. Line the box with cling film for easy clean.

Keep your cleaning stuff and clothes in a handy tub. When blitzing the house everything is there inuding something to put clean water in.

Baby oil on everything chrome. Keeps cleaner for longer and easier to maintain. You will realise when it needs redoing.

Washing powder. I have seen lots mentioning buying various things.
Contact the companies and they send you out scoops or balls. I used to wing it and was using double the amount.

Salad dressings. Sauces for picnics etc.. Old water bottles are you friend. The ones with the sports lids offer more protection if taking out.

If making garlic butter I tend to make a huge batch so I don't have to keep redoing it. To make it more spreadable when spent ages in the fridge, I always mix in a bit of olive oil when making. Doesn't take a lot but stops it from hardening.

99p store also sells the airtight clips.

I get clippits in different sizes from Lakeland. One set of 4 large ones lives upstairs specifically for clipping the corners of the big duvet into the corners of its cover - I was so pleased when I realised this was the solution.

Thanks bloodyteenagers - great tips.

Fish fingers (and thus fish finger sandwhiches can be cooked from frozen in the toaster in a toaster bag.

Runny honey works well in a sports cap bottle too.

A bit of sweet potato in tomato sauce takes the bitter edge off, so does a teaspoon of bicarb, but sweet potato thickens it too.

You can get glue for Beaver badges, but then you can't take them off to eBay or for camp blankets.

Thought of another one or two.
Like carrots is salad hate grating. Use the peeler.
I often use the peeler for cheese as well instead of the grater.

Had mates round and cooking some frozen fish ( yes I know fish fingers again lol.) I thought everyone did this but seems they don't.
I do it for anything frozen. A stab the centre with fork, leave for a few seconds and pull out. Fork quickly
Onto wrist.. If it's still cold or warm then not cooked. Burns on contact (doesn't hurt honest) then cooked.. Saves cutting and prodding.

Cooking frozen potato waffles in the toaster. Read on here a while back and it's pure genius.

We don't ever buy potato waffles because I'd rather have oven chips if I have to fire up the oven. The toaster tip sounds like it might make potato waffles a viable breakfast option. How long do they need? What setting?

You do them once on defrost and then back down once on normal add though for normal toast.

It's better to use those toaster bags but you can pop them straight in. Just gets a bit extra greasy over time.

In the last minute, by reading another thread, I have just learned that putting yellow tape around small garden tools, will stop me keep losing the, in the garden. 40 years of gardening, and I never thought of that.

I'll try that too florentina, thanks. My small gardening tools are part of a set with harm green handles so I'm always losing them in the middle of the border.

We buy honey in large jars and the DC are always sticking used spoons in and dropping crumbs in etc. I now wash a used tomato ketchup bottle and pour the honey into there so can just squeeze it out. Much less messier.

*dark green handles. Not harm.
Only harm I want to inflict in the garden is on those pestering weeds.

Just remembered another one.
I've been crocheting and knitting for 50 years. In the last month I discovered that there is a much easier way to start crochet, without making a chain and that first tight foundation row, it is called "foundationless casting on"

The giant labels inside Gap childrens knickers are designed to be removed. Only you don't need to unstick then - they rip out with one quick tug

nanny, I discovered that recently too. You can even begin with a ripple row, though that takes a bit of working out and swearing!

for unstick read unpick!

It took me 4 years to realiase this.