The D'oh!moment: Completely obvious homemaking tips that have, in fact, proved revelatory

(522 Posts)
ChicHeroine Tue 12-Mar-13 21:34:36

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AbuseHamzaMousseCake Thu 01-Aug-13 18:36:26

To clean gas hobs with burnt or dried on spills painlessly, sprinkle stain with a little washing powder (about a tsp) and carefully pour about half a cup of hot water onto hob. Carefully so that you don't overdo it and flood the burners! Leave for about 10 mins or while you are doing the rest of the kitchen cleaning.
This dissolves the burnt on stain and you can just wipe away with a sponge or cloth. I rinse the cloth with water until no soap left and then wipe the hob again. Presto, a sparkling hob!

I also use the same method for my white sink - sprinkle damp sink with washing powder and leave - I usually do this after washing up at the end of the day and leave overnight. In the morning, I scrub off the powder with a damp scourer and all the tea stains etc vanish! Sparkling white sink.
Alternatively you can sprinkle powder and leave for 10 mins then fill sink with water and leave overnight with dishcloths in and then in the morning just drain and rinse dishcloths.

If have burnt pan, sprinkle with washing powder, fill with warm water to cover burnt area and leave to soak. After a day, most burnt stuff iwll come away with a little scrubbing. If not, repeat and leave again until pan is clean. for severely burnt pans make take a few goes but it is better than chucking pan away.

starfishmummy Sun 21-Apr-13 00:19:37

South - I love those drawers that are hidden in the stairs

southpacific Thu 18-Apr-13 11:37:35

I have just reorganised dd's drawers with the tops placed vertically rather than horizontally like this and it makes it a joy to look for something for her to wear as you can see everything so easily.

Bejeena Wed 17-Apr-13 15:36:12

Oh booo hooo have spent the afternoon reading this and am very sad to come to the end, what a great lot of tips. Now I just have to think of the ones I use that haven't already been mentioned.....

DinoSnores Wed 17-Apr-13 15:06:39

Our odd socks go back in the laundry basket, but if I've finally got to the bottom of the basket and it still hasn't found its friend, it goes in the bin.

wol1968 Wed 17-Apr-13 12:18:28

I have a designated odd sock pile, that I go through every week or two. Chances are most socks that get separated find each other again here at some point, as washing gets done. If a sock is not paired after about a month, it's not going to be and it gets tossed.

treesntrees Mon 15-Apr-13 21:45:47

in boarding schools socks are sewn together at the top in pairs before they go to the laundry.

Downfall Sun 14-Apr-13 09:43:07

To keep Lego collections manageable store in a sheet, unroll to play. Docs aren't allowed to take Lego off sheet, roll up again to store. Saves packing up a gazillion tiny pieces, or worse vaccuming them up. Idea originally from my mum who had six kids. abigailj I am in awe. 9 years of parenting boys and this has never occurred to me. <curtseys to your mum>

newlark Fri 12-Apr-13 15:45:12

oh dear - I have just googled washi tape... grin

VenusRising Wed 10-Apr-13 17:42:12

Yes to spare dishwasher basket, we do this, it's great.

VenusRising Wed 10-Apr-13 17:40:32

Wash everything at 30degrees c. Blacks whites coloureds all together.
Nothing runs, and everything is clean, and you're saving your leccy bill.
You can even wash delicates silks and cashmere in the 30 degree wash together!

Towels, kitchen cloths and sheets/ duvet covers go in at 60 or higher.

Get a squirty bottle and fill it quarter with bleach, three quarters with water. Spray onto anything that needs cleaning, like grouting or the loos, and leave overnight. In the morning rinse, and everything's clean.

Use a drop of essential oil in the shower tray - much cheaper than any room fresher, and lovely to have a shower in.

UtterflyButterfly Wed 10-Apr-13 17:26:07

Glad this thread has risen to the top again!

My tip:

If you have a bin in your kitchen for peelings etc which will end up in the compost, line it with a sheet of newspaper once you've emptied it. Absorbs some of the moisture, stops it smelling, makes it easier to clean and the paper itself is good for your compost heap.

FriendofDorothy Wed 10-Apr-13 16:36:07

I love this thread. There are so may useful things that I need to try out now!

southpacific Mon 08-Apr-13 23:56:33

Thanks Littleboxes. Have just used a tip from your post onthis site to organise my cables using empty loo roll holders and can't tell you how deeply satisfying it is to see the spirally mess they once were now transformed and tidy. Also feel I need to buy bread that has those plastic ties so I can use them to label my cables!

looselegs Sun 07-Apr-13 17:27:20

put kids lunch boxes in the washing machine-the insulated type-you can turn them inside out and put them on a quick low temp wash.

whatsonyourplate Sat 06-Apr-13 16:44:09

If you have a dishwasher, get a spare cutlery basket (eg from espares) so you can have one out on the side for dirty cutlery to go straight into while the dw is running.

southpacific Fri 05-Apr-13 14:05:24

I LOVE this thread - have picked up so many useful tips. Following an MN thread I always put 3 or 4 bin liners in the bin. So lovely not to have put a new one in each time.

pompompom Mon 01-Apr-13 09:18:47

most supermarkets. The ones in Sainsburys are in a small green bag. Usually buried on the bottom row somewhere on the detergent aisle

Where do you buy soda crystals from?

HeroineChick Mon 01-Apr-13 00:53:05

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I've used caustic soda for clear the kitchen sink, but it bubbled and spat and made burns in our wooden worktop. Never again!

BornToFolk Fri 29-Mar-13 16:07:37

I use a caustic soda solution for unblocking drains. It works really well but if you happen to breathe in any fumes, you can really feel them catch in your throat. It's strong stuff.

Soda crystals are not so strong! I use them for making laundry gloop, for soaking clothes in to remove stains, for getting rid of grease anywhere, for doing a washing machine service wash. They are really useful to have around.

Tinwe Thu 28-Mar-13 22:45:32

Viking and Baking - sounds strong stuff. Is that what they use in the strong oven cleaners like Oven Pride? That stuff burned my skin last time I used it and a bit accidentally touched my arm

VikingLady Thu 28-Mar-13 22:11:51

Caustic soda dissolves flesh - definitely not for general cleaning!

Bakingnovice Thu 28-Mar-13 21:59:23

Tinwe - it doesn't leave my bath slippy. In fact a spoon of it in the bottom
Of a pan brings it up clean and sparkling too. Especially if it's got burnt bits at the bottom.

Caustic soda - stay away from this. Good for unblocking sinks but v dangerous! It took the top layer off my work top just by coming into brief contact.

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