https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 02 May 2026 23:28:34 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut/page/2#post-290152 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:20:55 +0000 April 290152@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Theresa, I like ironing flat things: napkins, linen pillowcases, things like that. I hate ironing shirts.</p> <p>But one of my shortcuts is not to fold and put away sheets. I take them off the bed, wash and dry, and put them back on the bed. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut/page/2#post-290145 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:16:49 +0000 Theresa 290145@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Girls you are inspiring me to become a domestic goddess!!! (Or maybe its just that I'm feeling a little weird now that I don't have children at home during the day!)</p> <p>Afterism I went through all our linen too and we now have 2 sets of summer sheets and 2 sets of winter sheets for each of the 3 beds in my house, and the girl have a proper comforter rather than doona in cover too - they would thrash around so much that the doona would sink to the bottom and not keep them warm, so I swapped over and now I'm loving how much quicker it is to wash and remake the beds! Not to mention how great it is to have the bare minimum in my linen cupboard!</p> <p>Does anyone else actually LIKE ironing? I don't really mind it at all and always do it in front of the TV - I do still hang as much as possible on hangers etc as soon as its out of the washing machine to minimise the wrinkles, but I still have no problems with ironing! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut/page/2#post-290127 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:34:30 +0000 Becky 290127@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I clean my microwave by heating/boiling a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup full of water (or salt water if you're afraid of explosions) for a few minutes, then letting it sit and steam a few more minutes. Stuck-on food wipes right off. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut/page/2#post-290111 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:09:33 +0000 Patty 290111@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>When I have a post that's going to need scrubbing I put water in the pot or pan and de-glase like making gravy-easy peasy. Just watch out for hot stuff. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut/page/2#post-290102 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:58:49 +0000 Louise 290102@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I never make the bed either. I'm just lazy but I did read somewhere that it allows the bed to air if you leave it awhile before making it. I'll just stick with not bothering at all and maintain I'm airing it!!!!! x </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-290071 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:06:16 +0000 April 290071@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, thank you all for sharing your tips! Some of these made me smile with recognition ("making the bed" while still in it -- check!) and some were great ideas that I will tuck away and use. </p> <p>We're all just doing the best we can, right? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289794 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:16:50 +0000 Lynne 289794@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>it's not exactly a shortcut, more a "I feel smug about doing this"...</p> <p>last week I knew I was meeting a friend in a coffee shop next door to a laundromat...SO I stripped all 5 beds, and loaded 2 huge machines full of washing before my coffee date. I popped in and transferred them all to a huge dryer while I crossed the road to a supermarket and stocked up on some groc. I folded all the warm linen on the lovely big table they have in the laundromat, and arrived home before lunch....with clean, folded linen, groc, and having caught up with my buddy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289759 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:00:38 +0000 Dusty 289759@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do the hang things up right out of the dryer thing, too, but if I forget or something gets wrinkled after it's been through the dryer I throw it back in for a few minutes with a damp towel and then hang it right up. </p> <p>Oh, and I put a little bowl of water in the microwave and run it on high for a minute or two to get it boiling. That steams up the inside of the microwave and then I can just wipe it down easily. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289747 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:46:11 +0000 Janet 289747@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ha! I do the skate on the towel thing in our kitchen too. We have three dogs, two of which are black, and our kitchen and hallway floors are white tile (gah! Can't wait to get rid of it when we do our kitchen remodel!). That floor shows everything.</p> <p>So, I would say if you reallly want to save time on cleaning, don't have pets! Also, I think the larger the house, the harder it is to keep it clean -- which brings me to our cleaning "cheat"...</p> <p>After we moved from a 800sf house to a 2600sf house, my husband convinced me to let him hire someone to come clean once a week. She does a great job, she's only here for 3-4 hrs a week, and even when my stepsons are here, I no longer feel like I can't keep up with the state of the house when I get busy with the rest of my life. Plus, I no longer have to clean 2.5 bathrooms, and bathrooms are my absolute least favorite part of cleaning! I really resisted this for a long time, because I have trouble with the idea of paying someone to do work that I am capable of doing myself! My husband likes to point out that we're helping someone else make a living, since this is a small luxury we can afford. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289739 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:22:39 +0000 Debora 289739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>April, the thought of tiny, little you skating around the kitchen on wet towels made me laugh out loud!</p> <p>No great ideas here. I mostly, like Kyle, take a few minutes every morning to make the beds, clear the counter tops, and pick up clutter. Then once a week (or so), I'll do a good cleaning, scrub, and dust. It's amazing how just making the beds and restoring order will make such a difference.</p> <p>Also, love Clorox wipes here for a quick spruce up of the bathrooms! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289737 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:09:46 +0000 Ljubica 289737@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do Louise's thing - spinning my loundry on 800 and air drying instead og ironing.<br /> This is a great thread, a lot of things are very applicable ;). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289708 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:59:56 +0000 Polly (thunalata) 289708@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Afterism - great point about the duvet covers. I sense a clear out coming on... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289685 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:32:13 +0000 Lynne 289685@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>shoes off inside saves a LOT of cleaning - i have 3 children and they are in and out all day!</p> <p>Habits - a time and a place - work for me. In the morning, I unpack the dishwasher while I'm boiling the kettle etc. On Fridays I fill the car with fuel and take it through the carwash if neccessary. If there is a time when a chore gets done it seems less arduous, and I know I don't have to worry about it at other times. make sense? </p> <p>Also, I ask 'will it take more than 2 minutes'? If I can do it in under 2 minutes (and most things I can) then I try to do it then and there. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289662 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:59:28 +0000 Sally 289662@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I find not having a lot of stuff is a big time saver. When we moved into this place, I just unpacked what we needed and left the rest in the garage. Some day I'm going to get rid of it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289661 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:44:04 +0000 AJ 289661@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>When I wake up in the morning, I usually have to go to the bathroom, but I fix my bed first so that way I do it fast and it gets done. LOL!</p> <p>On grocery shopping days, I quickly wipe down the fridge since it's mostly empty by then and with the food sitting in the bags, I need to wipe quick and get it done. Hmmm...there seems to be a time urgency trick to all my tips. Hee-hee!</p> <p>I'm trying to train myself to associate two things together so that it becomes automatic and I don't even have to remind myself anymore. For instance, empyting out the dishwasher seemed like such a pain to me. Now, I eat breakfast standing at the kitchen island and as I'm chewing, I empty a bit out of the dishwasher. Then I take a couple of bites and empty out some more, etc. By the time I'm done with breakfast, the dishes are all put away. My mind is usually occupied with planning out my day as I'm doing all this and so this doesn't even seem like a big deal to me anymore. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289612 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:57:57 +0000 mamaKate 289612@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am with MPJ and Maya here: find someone else to do it, or ignore it! My threat: if I find it cluttering up the house, I will throw it out! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289553 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:03:20 +0000 Maya 289553@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My biggest time saver is to enjoy being a little messy! Not filthy, mind you...but I am not averse to a little clutter. An overly neat and clean home disturbs me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289546 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:50:01 +0000 Kyle 289546@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I take 10 or 15 minutes in the morning before I leave for work (whenever I can) and make the bed, straighten up/put away "stuff," load any dishes in the dishwasher, fold up blankets that have been used on the couch, and wipe down the countertops. I don't like coming home to a messy house, and this keeps things from snowballing so I can stay on top of it. I'm a big proponent of pick up as you go. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289538 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:41:09 +0000 Niki Lea 289538@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>For the bathroom, I sometimes clean the sink, toilet, etc., while my little one is having her bath. It's a kill two birds with one stone strategy. </p> <p>In the kitchen, I always keep a big pyrex bowl on the counter that I toss veggie/fruit scraps and my coffee grinds in throughout the day. After dinner everyday the contents go out into the compost and the bowl gets washed. It really cuts down on the smell from our kitchen garbage and reduces the amount we throw out. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289529 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:31:09 +0000 yublocka 289529@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hate having to dedicate chunks of time to tasks like putting away dried dishes, putting laundry away, tidying my room. Instead I force myself to do a set number of items every time I walk into the room e.g. every time I go into the kitchen I put away 2 dishes. If there's alot to be done, I up the number. Means it happens slowly, but it does happen! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289527 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:30:18 +0000 afterism 289527@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Theresa, I do the sheets thing as well. I also only have 2 sets of sheets for each bed. </p> <p>I try &amp; limit duvet/doona numbers as well. If I don't like it I'm not going to put it on the bed so why keep it?</p> <p>I prefer to donate items like that. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289515 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:15:24 +0000 Theresa 289515@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>GREAT thread ladies! Getting all this stuff under control is one of my current goals :)</p> <p>My favourite tip at the moment is this:</p> <p>After I've washed the sheets, I fold them all up, and then put the fitted &amp; flat sheet, and any extra pillow cases, inside the pillowcase and pop them on my linen shelf. So now when I go to remake the beds, I just have to grab the pillowcase, and everything I need is inside it ready to go! No more rummaging through the linen to find all the matching bits and pieces.</p> <p>The only thing I really despise doing in my house is the washing up - if my landlord told me he was going to install a dishwasher I would be the happiest woman on earth! (Lots of cooking every day + lack of dishwasher = big mess in my kitchen and me stomping around grumpy and procrastinating!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289504 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:01:01 +0000 afterism 289504@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I use microfibre cloths to clean my bath/shower recess. Jump in, turn the water on &amp; wipe away. Deals with mold, soap scum and anything else that might be an issue. When I am done I just rinse the cloth out and put it back in the bathroom cupboard until next time.</p> <p>It also helps to let plenty of air into your wet areas so they can dry out. Doing this means i only do the bath every monthish. </p> <p>I also use microfibre on my windows and mirrors as it leaves no streaks. Damp cloth follwed by a dry one. </p> <p>I tend to keep my home quite free of trinkets, figurines etc. This makes surfaces easy to wipe down and it always looks tidier. I don't have them because I don't like them but the lack of visual clutter means my home generally looks tidy.</p> <p>This also extends to kitchen appliances on benches. I have atoaster &amp; a microwave on my bench tops. If I need something else it gets pulled out, used &amp; put away. </p> <p>I can take my house from dishes all over the kitchen, laundry not done for days &amp; floors in need of vacuuming to a respectable state in an hour or 2 but I prefer to do stuff everyday. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289490 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:27:55 +0000 Lisa 289490@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm in the kitchen cooking, my hands are wet, or dirty, I grab a paper towel. Then before throwing it into the trash I spray (whatever spray I am going to clean with, Windex, degreaser, etc) and wipe an offending area, maybe the counter? Maybe the toaster? Top of the fridge, the stove, garbage can? The preventative maintenance keeps the kitchen clean and I really use up my paper towels before throwing them out. I've been known to wander into a nearby room if the kitchen is already clean too. TV's are always getting black, yuck!</p> <p>I'm also a fan of the chlorox wipes, and have very small floor space not covered with a rug. With our wintery weather and my no shoe in house rule, only the patch of floor by the front door gets dirty and wet. I will grab a wipe and clean up the dirty puddles on the floor. Otherwise that light floor would be black in between more formal moppings!</p> <p>If company is coming and I have 5 minutes to clean:<br /> -Wipe down the sink and mirror in the guest bathroom, every one uses the bathroom as a visitor<br /> -Put all items that started to pile on the table in the bedroom on the floor away from the door, out of sight out of mind.<br /> -Wipe down the kitchen counter. </p> <p>I figure those are the highest profile areas, if they look clean you probably aren't gong to start checking the top of my entertainment center or something. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289479 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:15:37 +0000 fathenry 289479@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hmm, I guess my best trick is to make the bed while I'm still in it. Pull covers all the way up to my chin and then slide out the side. I also like to spray windex on the floor and run the dustmop over it in leiu of actual mopping.</p> <p>The biggest timesavings thing I've done is to swap out my duvet for an actual comforter/bedspread that is all one piece. For some reason, the duvet with the comforter fitted inside of it was a hassle to smooth out and straighten every day. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289468 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:08:04 +0000 Mo 289468@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I use old dryer sheets from a freshly dried load to pick up cat hair along the stairs and in the corners along baseboards between sweeping/swiffering days. I also put a blanket on top of the couch here in our rental unit and wash it every couple weeks instead of having to get the couch cleaned. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289460 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:02:36 +0000 Kim 289460@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I let the beagles "clean up" the food that is left on the floor after the daycare children have eaten their lunch and I'm busy getting them ready for naptime...Never a scrap of food left when I arrive back in the kitchen! LOL </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289382 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 22:44:23 +0000 Kari 289382@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Patty, I don't have a WalMart nearby, but will definitely keep that in mind. That's wonderful that they figured out a solution - I hope other brands will jump on it too.</p> <p>Louise, I am a non-ironer too - unless I *really* can't help it.</p> <p>I'm a big fan of hanging up damp items that are supposed to be ironed in my bathroom while I'm showering to steam wrinkles away. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289374 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 22:33:33 +0000 Louise 289374@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I *never* iron. I only use a 700 spin on the machine and get things out and hung up as soon as the washing machine finishes. In winter shirts, dresses &amp; jumpers go on coat hangers either in the garage or hanging on the mirror in the spare bedroom everything else goes on a rack over the bath, in summer it all goes out on the line in the garden. I only do at most 3/4 full loads seems to cut down on creasing. This all makes everything pretty crease free obviously not a sharp as when ironed but I can live with it x </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ot-whats-your-best-housekeeping-shortcut#post-289373 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 22:30:59 +0000 Patty 289373@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Kari--I hate the changed dishwasher detergents!!!!<br /> But try the cheap Walmart "Great Value" brand (a box for 3 dollars in Canada!!) -- either they haven't changed the formula yet or they've got it figured out--no more gunk and cloudiness and weird film on dishes or in the dishwasher- just like old times!! </p>