Timesaving tips for busy parents

LannieDuck

valk_scot wrote: »

Your kids will not tell your grandchildren about the day they came back from nursery and the bathroom was sparkling clean. They will remember the day you spent all day painting sheets of cardboard to fit round their bed to turn it into a castle or rocket ship though, or the day you got so sick of hoovering the cream lounge carpet you tore it up in strips and threw it out the window into the garden. Ditto they will only remember the cats and how much they loved them, not the layer of fluff on the carpet or the claw marks on the sofa. Anyway it's better for their immune systems to be exposed to a bit of grime rather than the vapours of cleaning chemicals.

I think as long as your house is in a reasonable state, this is the best tip of all

jellyhead

valk_scot wrote: »

Don't iron. At all. This one tip has saved me years of my life.

My mum showed me how to hang t-shirts on the washing line so they don't need to be ironed! I waste so much time ironing the peg marks off them, and it never occurred to me that rather than pegging the bottom hem of the t-shirt to the line, simply folding it almost in half over the line so you put the pegs where the armpit bit is, it means nobody can see the peg marks

kettlefish

This works for me:

1. If a job we dislike isn't important enough to pay someone for then no one does it (eg ironing - my time and money are both worth more to me than pristine shirts)

2. If a job we dislike is important enough then funds permitting we pay someone to do it (eg cleaning windows - I like having clean windows but not enough to do it myself; decorating is a pain to do but IMO it is worth the money a decorator costs to have a lovely fresh look in a faded room)

3. All other jobs that one or both of us doesn't mind doing, get done as often as we personally feel necessary. I don't change the bedding every single week. I accept some people might think that's minging but once a fortnight is ok to me, and if anyone is close enough to me to know about my laundry habits then they love me anyway :rotfl:

4. Always, always, always prioritise having fun (especially if weather's nice)... as long as the house isn't a health hazard

Janepig

jellyhead wrote: »

My mum showed me how to hang t-shirts on the washing line so they don't need to be ironed! I waste so much time ironing the peg marks off them, and it never occurred to me that rather than pegging the bottom hem of the t-shirt to the line, simply folding it almost in half over the line so you put the pegs where the armpit bit is, it means nobody can see the peg marks

I also hang DD's dresses like this by pegging the armpit, and I also peg trousers by the waistband. I swear DH just isn't programmed for any kind of laundry stuff because if he ever (rarely) pegs out it's just washing line carnage despite having been told numerous times how to do it. Never mind eh?

Jx

This_Year

Janepig wrote: »

I also hang DD's dresses like this by pegging the armpit, and I also peg trousers by the waistband. I swear DH just isn't programmed for any kind of laundry stuff because if he ever (rarely) pegs out it's just washing line carnage despite having been told numerous times how to do it. Never mind eh?

Jx

That's a man thing. I find tops and jumpers stretched out to the full extent of their elasticity/ribbing (and they don't snap back) t-towels hanging by one corner but a handkerchief pegged out as a straight square :huh: and sheets trailing on the ground as they're "too long" :doh:

dibuzz

iwilldoitthistime wrote: »

Have a toilet roll 'pole' in each bathroom to hold 2 or 3 spares -

This may not be a good idea if you have sons

kingfisherblue wrote: »

My older son loves wearing odd socks at the moment - it drives me mad :rotfl:. Red and black stripes with Ben 10 anyone?

My daughter only wears odd socks but there has to be something matching about them e.g. same clour different pattern or same pattern different colour

I dry the washing outside but if it can be tumble dried I bring it in slightly damp, finish in the dryer then fold whilst still warm.

Owl

jellyhead wrote: »

My mum showed me how to hang t-shirts on the washing line so they don't need to be ironed! I waste so much time ironing the peg marks off them, and it never occurred to me that rather than pegging the bottom hem of the t-shirt to the line, simply folding it almost in half over the line so you put the pegs where the armpit bit is, it means nobody can see the peg marks

Please be careful if you do this on a sunny day with bright colours!!! I used to lifeguard... Mum did this; my bright red shirt had an orange line right across my boobs!!!:rotfl:

jellyhead

Owl wrote: »

Please be careful if you do this on a sunny day with bright colours!!! I used to lifeguard... Mum did this; my bright red shirt had an orange line right across my boobs!!!:rotfl:

:rotfl: I didn't think of that. It's black teenagers rockband t-shirts I'm pegging out. We don't get much direct sunlight (tiny garden facing north, overshadowed by the house and 6ft fences) so they should be okay.

tallyho88

Tumble dry every thing (less creases)

Stello

nice tips
thanks!