Could we start a 'low maintenance home' lessons learned thread?

[Oncemoreuntothebeach]

Our new home needs so much doing to it, new kitchen, new bathroom, insulation, new radiators. I work some silly hours sometimes, so I thought I'd use the renovations as an opportunity to introduce some things that would make life a bit easier.

What I've gleaned from the clever MNers on this board so far is:

•Don't have wooden worktops in your kitchen, far too much maintenance/faff to the keep them looking nice.
•Make sure that your toilet is wall mounted, far easier to clean the floor, but make sure you have easy access to the plumbing if something goes wrong.
•Make sure your kitchen cupboard fronts are flat, it'll mean less nooks and crannies for dust to gather in, and make sure your kitchen cupboards go right up to the ceiling too, so the tops of the cupboards don't become dust traps.

However, I'm sure there's loads more I could be doing to make my life easier! What are your favourite things about your home that make it less of a pain to keep tidy and functioning?

I have had / not had the cut out for the door mat. I think I'm going to go with a small one again, but yes, have it not stuck down. We have a very draught-free door and it just wouldn't go over the flattest of mats otherwise.

EXPLAIN THE DOUBLEDISHWASHER LOGIC, OH WISE ONES.

If utility room is upstairs you'll need to mostly use a dryer and not air dry right?

Not if you have space for a clothes horse or one of those Sheila’s maids things. I would get UFH and dehumidifier.
If you are a SAHP or WFH then it maybe practical to dry outdoors most days but if you work out of home then it’s usually rained at some point during the regardless of the forecast.

@Oncemoreuntothebeach we reused some old paneling so it's not perfect. I think there's ideas on Pinterest. A sliding door would be better I think but we had v cheap builders who didn't fancy making it within the quote!

Unless you have a massive family I don't understand either.

Have a separate oven and hob and put the oven at waist height. No more bending down lifting hot trays out of the oven.

Actually, I don't use my main oven at all and just use it to store pots and pans. We've got a convection/grill microwave that I use for baking, and an air fryer that I use to make bread and other tasks that I used to use the oven for.

Don't get white glossy cabinets. You'll forever be wiping off fingerprints. And no open shelves in the kitchen. They look great in magazines, but they get covered in grease and then dust sticks to the grease leaving you with a layer of yucky sticky stuff.

Large box outside the front door with dog stuff inside. Muddy boots, dog bag, poo bags all stored in it. Muddy wellies don’t make it inside our house.

Make sure when you buy something new it is easy to clean. Will it easily show dust and fingerprints? Can you reach the item easily to clean it? We bought a beautiful light fitting for a high ceiling, but we have to use a ladder to clean it. It is always dusty, and it’s too much faff to keep dragging the ladder inside. 🙄

@GasPanic
Don't bother with a heated towel rail, they are just nonsense.

Install a normal rail above a radiator and hang the towel down to both warm and dry it.

I don't understand this one - do you have a bathroom radiator that works independently of the rest of your central heating? Surely the point of a towel rail is that you can use this all year round independently of your central heating .

I would love one of those Hoover things which you plug into a wall and each room has a socket. Also a laundry chute directly from the bathroom so the kids put stuff straight in the wash instead of bathroom floor.

This www.beamcentralsystems.com/central-vacuum-systems/What-is-it

Utility room for clothes horse and washing machine if not then washing machine in a cupboard

Dish dryer rack in a cupboard trust me you will thank me later

Hoover/ cleaning cupboard

Underfloor heating if possible

Automatic motion sensor lights on the stairs works great in the night and means you don't have to worry about turning the lights on and off if your carrying something or there's children/ people asleep

Stair cupboards - when the stairs or storage cupboards it's genius

Outdoor tap in the back and front so you can use a hose in the garden and wash the cars in the front

Hang your curtains in a rail as close to the ceiling as possible and have them long it makes your house look bigger

Shampoo and conditioner dispensers wall mounted gives a clean aesthetic

Two ovens one at waist height

Breakfast bar and or island in the kitchen.

If you have a walk in shower and it is small have a curved glass door it gives much more space

Dirty washing shite if possible from upstairs

*shute not shite sorry

@quietnightmare
Dish dryer rack in a cupboard trust me you will thank me later

Tell me more! How do the dishes dry without air circulating? Doesn’t the cupboard get mouldy?

Washing machine/dryer in a bathroom upstairs or upstairs utility. I don't understand why anyone would want to carry all their dirty laundry downstairs and all the clean back up again. So much easier for the washing machine to be where the washing is. Also, it means I am not listening to the noise of it running downstairs during the day.

Double dishwashers: With a family it means you never need to put everything away -

Dishwasher A - fill, run, use (Don't take stuff out until you want to use it).
The dirty dishes then go into Dishwasher B.

When Dishwasher B is full, run and use
Dishwasher A should by this time be empty as all the dishes will have been used ready to receive the dirty dishes.

@iwantabreakfastpantry

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172620921381?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338749401&toolid=20006&customid=GB117000172620921381.141234980085~1869349246213-gEAIaIQobChMIseiRnabUUAIVEN7tCh3g8geuEAQYFyABEgK1fDD_BwE

Like this and you just close the cupboard and the dishes drain out over the sink and your kitchen never has dishes out

@quietnightmare thats a brilliant idea. Shame I love nosing out of the window whilst washing up… !! 🤣

The dish drying rack in a cupboard is very popular in places like Spain. They are the business for sure, keep the sink area clutter free. The cupboard rack similar to the one shown above are normally open underneath to allow air flow, but have doors on the front.

I have a room that's just full of crap. I could make it into a good sized laundry/drying room and have room for a toilet/shower also.

I suppose I've always been a bit worried about washing machine leaks. Silly me of course, but it's something that was preventing me from doing it. Now may be the time to dust off the plans and clear out that awful glory hole that is doing nothing for the house at all!

I have seen leak trays for upstairs washing machines to stand in…

Digital shower and bath controller - no more taps!

Loving some of these ideas!

We’ve swapped to coverless duvets - no more putting duvet covers on and off, just shove the whole thing in the washing machine, much quicker.

I’ve seen adverts for machine washable rugs, but not tried one yet.

Definitely keep the kitchen and bathroom as clear as possible. Put absolutely everything in a cupboard / drawer.

Big big declutter, and keep doing it regularly.

Don’t have black towels - you will be forever cleaning black fluff off the bathroom.

Have a place for everything, including awkward shaped things like the ironing board / hoover, and occasional things like suitcases and Christmas decorations.

Avoid horizontal blinds, they gather dust.

Put in more storage and sockets than you think you will need. Lots more.

@ReeseWitherfork

I DGAF what one is 'supposed' to do!! So don't feel like you're the only one!!

mine got scrubbed within an inch of their lives when I moved in. They were disgusting. They cooked a lot of Chinese food with lots of steam & oil. The tops of the cupboards had half an inch of black bleurgh!!! They gleamed by the time we finished!!

the next time they'll get any attention is when the kitchen is replaced and they're SO SO old they'll be straight into a skip (unless collected to be used in a garage etc) beforehand.

I don't store anything on top of them though, so I don't care how manky it sounds that I don't clean them! 🤷🏻‍♀️

If your kitchen cupboards don't go to the ceiling, put a layer of newspaper up there. It catches dust & grease & is easy to change.

Oh I like that