Any housework saving tips

[happydays]

We have had money saving tips, just wondering if any one had any housework saving tips, I work PT, but hate doing housework anyway. Any Idea's.

Suew the phone & the bike both sound like great ideas. My infuriating connection disconnects itself after 2 minutes anyway (any ideas....!0

I've always thought you should be able to get a hands free set for a cordless house 'phone but never seen them - is tthis possible.

C'mon - someone must know, how do you cleam dirty, sticky wood?
How do you clean a car? Step by step idiots guide [please - as my last attempt clearly shows it's not that fool-proof!
emsiewill - I've only ever heard bad things about steam cleaners - are you the one to sway public opinion - go on - please give us a review1

SueW. I do exactly the same when I am on the phone, it's amazing how many grotty bits get cleaned when I'm on the phone to my sister for an hour!

emsiewill/monkey - unfortunately can't tell you the make of my steam cleaner; given by db when replacing his, and no makers name on the unit. Do know it's foreign tho' as the translated instructions were hilarious.

Have seen various brands demonstrated on QVC and they all look great but can be pricey. Will try to find out brand of db's new one.

Have only had mine for a couple of weeks but so far have had great success on :

Oven and hob; Toilet (yippee .... got that limescale from under the water line); Tiles and grouting; highchair; tiled floor (removed 4 yr old red wood varnish from cream tiles with ease); windows.

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monkey -

I am wondering if the new mr muscle orange cleaner works - it is the only thing that will get the old laminate bench tops in our house clean - however not sure of its suitablility for wood?!?! The orange oil/ingredient seems to clean through grease and marks - I use it to clean out glass topped occasional tables but as I said have not tried it on wood.

How to clean a car - go through the soft cloth car wash at Asda. 2 quid. Once a year treat yourself to the special wash at 6.50 which has a wheel treatment.

Phones - the Philips Zenia has a headphone socketand belt clip I think. I want call screening though, for those occasions when I don't get to the phone in time to see caller ID and want to know who it is before I pick up.

Ladies, I've admitted in the past to the disgusting state of my oven (not cleaned in over 2 years) and I have given it a good going over recently (honest guv) with some fab stuff from Lakeland (Grillomat), but the problem now is that after I smeared the cleaner over the glass on the door (pull down type) the grease/cleaner combination has slid under the glass where I can't clean it properly unless I actually unscrew the glass from the door. Do you think if I do this, it will go back on okay? Anyone else had this problem? (I'm sure all your ovens are sparkling and you would never let them get in such a state in the first place!)

jodee I also rely on irregular applications of grillomat. Went to a friend's today and seeing the state of her oven (pristine) realised it's that time again

I've never had your problem re the glass though. Good luck.

Jodee - I've had to unscrew the glass from the front of my oven a couple of times as I've let it get to such a disgusting state......
I've never had a poblem getting it back on OK

I love this thread - I thought I was the only one who lived in a pigsty (my Mum & sister are cleanaholics - unfortunately I didn't seem to inherit the trait )

Tetley, that's reassuring, thanks! Now I just have to pluck up the courage to do it ...

SueW, isn't it enough to make you want to spit, seeing other people's sparkly kitchens!

I'm not too good with the cleaning either. I usally wait until the last half anhour before dh gets in and run around like a maniac trying to get it looking at least presentable.It doesn't last though. I work everyday at a school so only have a few hours to myself in the evening. Kept saying I wish I could have a week off work to do everything prperly. Well my ds was off school with chicken pox last week and all I did was sit at home and read.
I never knew you had to clean ovens .........

It doesn't matter what I use on my oven, it never comes clean...... where can I get Grillomat???

Grillomat has had a name change but it's here

How do you clean the glass on an oven door? Bicarb of soda is a load of nonesence, on my oven at least, & I'm sure bwn me & dh we've scratched it to pieces which hasn't helped. It's permanently brown, and I think we're going to have to give up eating chicken because it's a nightmare to clean up after.

thanks suew, but we don't live in uk, no where here does a cheap wash, the car never comes out to my satisfaction (how can such a scruff bag have such high standards!?) , and I would actually like to clean it with my boys 'cos they had a great time with a bucket of water and a sponge each - but, if we are going to go to the trouble, I would actually like it to be clean - c'mon somebody, put me out of my misery & tell me how to do it???? £2 a car wash - well I suppose I do miss some things about the uk after all!

I use a combination of Cif and brillo pads on the oven door, Monkey. I'm sure it doesn't do much for the surface of the glass but it looks cleaner for a short while.

Re the car, use a good quality car shampoo in nice hot water. If car is very dirty, rinse the worst of the dirt off first. Then start shampooing at the top, doing the roof, then windows, bonnet & boot, (including lights), wings and doors. Then do the bumpers and door sills, which might need a bit more elbow grease as they may have road tar stuck on them. Last of all, do the wheels. Rinse with a hose or buckets of water, let the worst of the water drain then chammie leather it dry. Finish with a wax polish on the paintwork and a window shiner - there are ones that repel rain very effectively. HTH!!

Thanks suedonim - i guess I fell at the first and last hurdle last time.