Housekeeping tips to keep you on top!
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Topic: Housekeeping tips to keep you on top!
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Subject: Housekeeping tips to keep you on top!
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 11:18am
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Hi ladies,
One of my hugest struggles with being a mummy is keeping on top of everything. Here's a few things I do to keep on top of housework. I am interested to see what everyone else does. It is so hard to stay motivated and keep on top of everything but it beats spending a whole weekend doing washing and cleaning..... Daily Chores -Morning Hang out the washing Empty and stack the dishwasher Wipe down the table, high-chair and bench tops Get the kids ready on time - teeth, faces and hair Quick tidy up of the lounge -Evening Dinner dishes Wipe the table, high chair and bench tops Clean the bathroom Make lunches and get the kids bag ready Put washing on Fold dry washing Vacumn every second day, mop as required Weekly Chores Monday - Kitchen Day - wipe down the kitchen cabinets and sort the pantry and fridge Tuesday- Toilet/Shower day - clean the toilet and wipe the surfaces & clean the shower Wednesday- Wall & door & window day - clean the skirting boards and walls as required and the windows Thursday- Shopping day Friday- Rubbish day & pull the weeds out of the gardens Saturday- EVERYTHING day - vacumn, mop, everything that needs to be done do it today Sunday- Tidy up bedrooms day I actually haven't even stuck to this for a whole week yet as there is always the unexpected - but *imagine* if I did lol. I just want everything to run smoothly and I feel so much better all round when the house is clean and tidy. |
Replies:
Posted By: ooEvaoo
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 11:43am
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Good plan! Laundry seems to be my down fall...always letting it pile up....though I only have two loads to hang out today.
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 11:46am
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Yes, I've got a book called speed cleaning which has some good tips, I never kinda get around to doing something each day. Mind you though Tues was bathroom, weds was washing & yesterday was lounge so I guess that worked.
The main tip this lady has is to have a bucket or basket that you put everything in that doesn't belong in that room & when you finish cleaning that room you put the contents of the basket away in their right places rather than doing it amongst the cleaning. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: susieq
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 1:19pm
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very good tips ------------- susie |
Posted By: Henna79
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 1:27pm
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I found this one day and love it. I have it on my noticeboard.
The Daily 7 for a Highly Successful Household February 24, 2009 by Stephanie Ah, chores. They are such a necessary evil. As I mentioned in my Clean Less, Play More post: I don’t like to clean. Instead, I choose to do a tiny bit each day to ensure that I never waste a day cleaning house when I could be out conquering the world. Or answering email. Our family has a list of chores that we try our best to accomplish daily. Now that the kids are old enough to help, they do. When I am sick or am away from the house, the kids and Adam step up and help maintain order in the house. Sort of. We’re still real people, and we don’t live in a museum. I’m not going to lead you astray and say that I make sure the following tasks occur each and every day no matter what. I might burst into flames. and the smoke detector started beeping last week and I haven’t replaced the batteries yet… I came up with this Daily 7 after reading the Stephen Covey books. (I told you I liked to read personal development books!) I like how Covey breaks down complex tasks into 7 steps—not too many to get overwhelmed, but not too few that nothing gets accomplished. Number 1: Make Beds Right Away Number 2: Do One Complete Load of Laundry Number 3: Empty All Garbage Cans Number 4: Keep Your Kitchen Sink Empty Number 5: Clean Up After Yourself and Help Children Do the Same Number 6: Bathroom Wipe-Down Number 7: Before Bed 10-Minute Clean Up I have outlined all of these steps in the Totally Together Book in detail, but really they are quite self-explanatory. Make Beds Right Away The second you climb out of bed in the morning, make it. It’s such a wonderful feeling to have accomplished something at 6am. Teach your children to do the same—if beds are made daily, they don’t get destroyed as easily, and it really takes less than a minute to pull a sheet taught and straighten the comforter. If you haven’t already done so, streamline your bed linen to the bare essentials. There’s no need for 50 decorative pillows or an elaborate stuffed animal collection. Really. Do One Complete Load of Laundry A complete load means one that is washed, dried, folded, and put away. I’m not trying to be mean; I’m trying to be realistic. It is no fun to save all the laundry for one day a week and not be able to leave the house. Do a little each day, and you will no longer waste away a beautiful afternoon because you are stuck inside tackling a mountain of clothing. I hate ironing, but have found that if I iron clothes while slightly damp I save a ton of time. Empty All Garbage Cans On our honeymoon, Adam promised he would empty the garbage cans every single day without being asked. This hasn’t happened. It actually kind of pisses me off. Instead, the kids help with the wastebaskets in the bathrooms and their bedroom, and I take out the kitchen garbage every morning after emptying the dishwasher. If I fill it again during the day, I put it right in the middle of the kitchen with the recycleables and hope Adam trips over it. I’m kind of mean like that. Keep Your Kitchen Sink Empty I don’t know what it is, but if you put something, anything, into the sink, other pieces of flatware are magically drawn to it and all of a sudden the sink is completely filled and rendered useless. Instead, take the time to put your dirty items into the dishwasher right away, or wash the item quickly by hand. It really doesn’t take that long. Just do it. Clean Up After Yourself and Help Children Do The Same My friend Alison homeschools her nine children. I love Alison. I met her before having children of my own, and she is hands-down my mommy idol. She shared with me once that the secret to parenting is to remember that your goal is to raise capable adults. Chores are not only okay, they are necessary. Model good behavior for your children. Take the time to put your shoes all the way into the closet and hang up your coat. Once you are putting your own things away, your children will be more likely to follow suit. Bathroom Wipe-Down This is my favorite. I keep a container of disinfectant wipes in the bathroom, and wipe down the toilet (inside and out) every day. If it’s been a particularly um, busy day—I will do it twice. This keeps me from never having to scrub out the toilet with one of those scrubber brush things that I find beyond disgusting. I also quickly wipe down the shower stall and bathroom floor. After showering, use an item from the dirty clothes pile to dry the shower walls and door. This will keep mold and soap scum from accruing. Now use your damp item to quickly mop up the bathroom floor. Dust and hair will disappear and will keep you from needing to mop. Before Bed 10-Minute Clean Up Before retiring for the night, do a super quick once over the living spaces of your house. Recycle the magazine left on the coffee table, and stack leftover drinking glasses in the dishwasher. Put the couch cushions in order, and fold the blanket. You will wake up much happier each morning if you aren’t greeted to last night’s mess. |
Posted By: anon
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 1:32pm
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I use Janola wipes on toilet surfaces, bathroom sink and around the top of the bath.
Also another tip is having a small bowl that fits inside your kitchen sink. Fill it with soapy water and put dishes into it, cleaning them as you go so that you never have a big stack until the dinner dishes of course! (Alas - we don't have a dishwasher!) It also means that if you need to use the sink to tip stuff into, you can while your few dish items soak in the bowl of water. This is a real British way of doing dishes! I'd be keen to hear tips from the Speed Cleaning book! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 1:39pm
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Ooh I love the daily 7! I am going to put that one up next to my chores list at home :) :)
I will definitly be getting some janola wipes! Awesome idea. |
Posted By: Hunnybunny
Date Posted: 09 April 2010 at 1:46pm
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Instead of using janola wipes for the toilet, I have one of those spray and wipe bottles, and I put disinfectant in it (budget stuff usually haha). I spray that over the toilet and wipe down with toilet paper, WAY cheaper...
We use the cheap disinfectant though, and only ever buy toilet paper on special, so heaps cheaper than the special wipes! And does the exact same thing! |
Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 10 April 2010 at 9:57pm
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I found that daily 7 thing early last year and I gotta say it works a treat!
I use vinegar/water/tea tree oil in a spray bottle for the toilet and have a microfibre cloth in the bathroom for the sink. I make the beds as we get up, open the curtains and a window in each room, do a quick tidy and change all the sheets every monday. Unload the dishwasher in the morning and load it as I go through the day, put dinner in the crockpot, wipe down all the surfaces and vacuum, put a load of washing on and hang out the one I put through overnight. I fold and put away any dry washing left over from the night before too. Get washed, dressed and do hair and teeth so we're all ready for the day. At night I put yoghurt/cottage cheese/sour cream on and put porridge in the crockpot for breakfast, pack lunch for DP (he takes leftovers coz it saves $$), get Jake to put his toys away in the playroom and do a general tidy. Bathroom and toilet get a final wipedown when the boys have their bath and I put a load of washing on then too. I fold and put away the washing thats been done during the day if I can. I do our meal plans up on a whiteboard every Sunday and make sure I update our appts and notes for the next week or so - makes things easy to see at a glance so I don't miss anything or run too late. We have the week mapped out on the whiteboard and in a diary and everything gets written down like dinner plans, plunket, daycare, move and groove, playdates, odd jobs, church stuff, and so on. Really helps while I have baby brain lol otherwise I'd never get sorted! I repack the kids bags everytime we get home so I know theres always a change of clothes for Jake plus some crackers and biscuits (stuff that doesn't go yucky) and a waterbottle, and enough nappies and changes of clothes for Ty if we're out for a whole day which we rarely are but JIC. Its all ready to go by the door so I don't have to stress. Having a routine is super-important in our house coz theres too much going on to fly by the seat of my pants! -------------   
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Posted By: Henna79
Date Posted: 10 April 2010 at 10:18pm
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wow Babe! You sound like a total Supermum/wife.
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Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 11 April 2010 at 5:37pm
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I am far from a domestic goddess (in fact I firmly believe that homes are for expression not good impressions) but I keep on top of the chaos by the rule of two hands - if I walk into a room to do something, I MUST fill my two hands once I finish eg walk into room to make the cot - as I leave I take ALL the dirty laundry out with me in one arm, and bin to empty or wipes to fill in the other arm. Or today I baked muffins - so I put away dishes for one hand, and wiped down the bench with the other. ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: BugTeeny
Date Posted: 11 April 2010 at 7:16pm
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Hmm...feeling a little inadequate...
Where's my magic fairy wand when I need it!! ------------- 
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Posted By: NikkiB
Date Posted: 11 April 2010 at 7:56pm
I also feel very inadequate..... 
Some great tips and tricks in here though, I'll be keeping an eye on this thread  ------------- A very lucky mummy to two gorgeous boys: RB 3/10/2008 JB 29/12/2009 |
Posted By: Jessica
Date Posted: 11 April 2010 at 11:10pm
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I go through stages when I have a grreat routine going but if something comes up and I get out of routine I find it really hard to get back into it, I am not in a routine at the moment and it really starts to get me down, tomorrows goal is to get back into it again. I have got quite a few bits and pieces from flylady.net - and works well for me when I am into it. We are moving in a month and I really wan to do it in an organised manner so that I can start well! ------------- 
Our con-joined boys 20 wk |
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 7:39am
I am exactly the same - I have 3 loads of washing to hang this morning before work and after getting the kids ready  It's so much easier to stay on top but so hard to be all of the time....
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Jessica wrote:Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 10:09am
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I have a routine of what I do each day. My family thinks its silly. but it's how I keep on top of things and know when I cleaned the loo last. Also have a meal plan of what meat if any we have for tea. and I have to have all the washing hung out before 11am ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel  07/08/2014
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Posted By: susieq
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 1:05pm
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like your plan SB ------------- susie |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 1:09pm
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People actually seperate out whites from brights? lol never done this in my life! And I don't think I've ever seen my mum do it either hehehe
I just hate house work. Washing annoys me cause I'm expected to wash it, dry it and fold it and if I dont tell DH to put it away it gets left there until I get sick of it and put his away too. I'm gonna have to boot his ass into doing some of this I think. |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 5:02pm
Windows get washed?  -------------  
 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 5:07pm
Ours get spit washed by a toddler pulling faces on them |
Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 5:24pm
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I seperate whites and brights haha and DP generally gets roped into washing the windows atleast once a month -------------
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Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 5:56pm
Same!!! SB, I love your routine! I might actually give that a go. Kebakat, Ive never seperated whites and brights either lol, I just chuck it all in and wash it!!  ------------- |
Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 6:38pm
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I kinda just do things as they need doing. If I see it needs cleaning I do it
I dont do laundry on specific days but I do always separate whites from colours and also separate white towels from coloured towels. I love clean fresh laundry so put a lot of effort into it. I also check washing instructions so if its delicate or woolens etc. Sb thats a great routine. Perhaps I should be a little more methodical with housework lol..  ------------- Our Angel July 08 Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived 
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Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 12 April 2010 at 9:15pm
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The one thing that I do when living in our own house and cooking dinner is I usually try and do the pots pans etc before I eat dinner, sounds silly but I've never had a dishwasher and it means that all we have to do is wash our plates and glasses after dinner.
I also like to was my dishes as I go, DP hates that because he thinks I'm wasting hot water but I find it easier and using the dishes from the dishrack.
I feel like my kitchen is clean at least if the bench is clean and dishes are done. I also feel good if the floor is clean/vacuumed. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 12:49pm
LOL exactly why I have to wash them. I do a the lounge one week then the bedrooms the other week, bathroom......etc. I always make my bed as soon as I'm up too. I've always done ever since in was at intermediate. I'm not as bad as Bree on Des housewives and had to make the bed before she took her hubby to the hospital with a heartattack. We have a dishwasher, but things like bottles and wooden spoons and un dishwasher things get handwashed in the morning. Do colours not run if you don't seperate them from whites. I've alwasy done this, as with washing towels seperately. My mum would always wash coloured towels with coloured clothes and white towels with whites and it always left fluffy stuff on my clothes. That why I always seperate. ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel 07/08/2014
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 12:54pm
| I do towels seperate to everything but I don't seperate brights and whites at all and have never had any colour run. I just make sure when I buy new stuff they get washed seperately first time, especially jeans. |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 1:02pm
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I seperate my whites and brights. Actually, it usually becomes lights and brights. They do stay whiter longer, it delays that 'kind of off-white' look. I haven't had any trouble with actual colour running, though.
The bulk of my housework usually gets done on a Saturday, on weeks I'm working. I try to plan it so I have a nice clean house on Sunday morning - that's DH's and my time together - but it doesn't always happen. I'm sure everything will change when Bubs arrives! -------------   
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 1:06pm
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I seperate colours from whites - mostly cause I've found Dh's navy blue work shirts do sometime still run. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 1:11pm
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Gosh some of you are very organised - I've got a very good DH he cleans the shower, dusts and washes his own clothes. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 1:18pm
| Haha I have to be domesticated or else it won't get done. Working, 2 terrorific sprogs and a DF that is at work far too much and helps far too little = mess & lots of it lol! Even though I work hard at it, it's just enough to keep on top of things... |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 2:01pm
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I don't act it (i.e. the house is a mess), but I'm really rather domesticated at heart. I kind of enjoy doing the washing, etc.
In saying that, I do find it a bit ironic that DH and I both work full-time, and I do the bulk of the housework. At the same time, it comes in handy as a card to play when I want my way... DH does know I do most of the work and wants to make up for it... so I don't really feel hard done by! -------------
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 2:24pm
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I've got a little strategy in play with getting DH to do more. I started with the kitchen. Deal is that I do the cooking, therefore he has to do the cleaning up afterwards.
When he was going to be on leave I made a list of all the chores that needed doing that were out of the ordinary and left that sitting on the bench and told him that we had to get them all done by the time he was finished leave. It worked well, he got them all out of the way within a day or two cause he didn't want that list hanging over his head! heheh I'm gonna do the same with washing, tell him that I'll get it washed and dried during the week but he has to fold it. And we all put it away. If I work on these things one at a time he doesnt really notice that hes doing more which means no bitching from him about it
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Posted By: TheKelly
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 5:17pm
Wow , some of you are so organised ....which is exactly why im not, I don't want to upset the balance of the universe .... ------------- 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Blankney94
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 10:22pm
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Ah yes one of my fav topics since we got our new house! I read the 7 daily tips and have to say I have adopted the bedmaking one. I also clean the shower when I'm already in there having a shower. I find it too hard to clean from the outside as I'm too short to reach the far corners. Can do a better job if I'm in there, and it's just quicker. Laundry - I find it better to do my washing in bulk - not little and often. I also have a rule about no washing on weekends unless there is sometimes that is required pronto. I found this good when I was on maternity leave - it meant I got a 'weekend' too. I now work Mon, Wed, Fri. Tue is cleaning day, and Thurs is grocery/errands day. It's a great routine. It addition I like to clean everywhere little and often. I have one of those rechargeable vacuums in the kitchen cupboard, it's great to use between proper vacuuming. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 10:34pm
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when we do washing we wash in a weird order
1) towels 2) more towels 3) sheets 4) DP's shirts and work pants 5) underwear, socks and bras 6) clothes 7) clothes 8)polar fleeces/sweatshirts not always that many loads but thats the order we go on. means sheets get the fluff from the towels, his shirts get done and we get socks and undies done if weather turns to crap, as that order can all go into dryer if needed too. and then the rest gets done if the weather holds out |
Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 10:39pm
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I just throw everything in the machine during the day and turn it on before I go to bed at night. Sheets and towels are separate washes though, just because they don't fit in the machine. I agree with keeping on top of the washing. I'd rather do half a load than end up with a pile at the end of the week.
I tend to wipe things down when I am in that room, like kitchen benches and stove when I am doing dinner dishes or bathroom sink when brushing my teeth, so the place doesn't get that bad. I use jiff for my weekly clean so it gets a proper clean, I find those spray n wipes only look good for the day so you end up having to clean every other day. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: WestiesGirl
Date Posted: 13 April 2010 at 10:59pm
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Mrs_tiger that makes complete sense to do laundry like that. I also wash sheets separately.
My Dh is very good, (must be that Army training coming out) he cleans the shower and the other bathroom generally after he's had a shower and after he's bathed Jackson. He also does the mopping after I vacuum, although sometimes he's a bit slack. I wash and dry his laundry but he folds it cos he is ridiculously fussy with the folding. If I cook DH cleans and vise versa. I do the ironing which I generally enjoy cos its normally just DH work shirts which are easy peasy. ------------- Our Angel July 08 Gone but not forgotten
And to complete our family, our princess has arrived
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Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 14 April 2010 at 1:02pm
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Ooh and we have an Internal access garage (its attached to the house with a door in between) and the laundry os in there, ( I hate it with a passion) but we have and extendable washing lin in there too so on yucky weather days I can just hang it up in there and open the garage door a wee bit to let the air flow through. ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel 07/08/2014
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Posted By: Bexee
Date Posted: 15 April 2010 at 4:36pm
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Okay, am I the only one who puts towels in with everything else? Obviously not blacks but pretty much anything else...
Maybe I need to up my domestic skills me thinks! |
Posted By: BusyMum2three
Date Posted: 15 April 2010 at 5:14pm
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Bec! Just joking lol...... xx
My hubby and I are minimalists which I am not sure if that actually helps or continues to frustrate me as I constantly aim for a clean and tidy house! I seperate my colours from my white, towels are washed seperately as are my sheets...no wonder I feel like I am constantly doing washing! I am liking some of the tips on here...must go search of the books mentioned...me OCD never! |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 15 April 2010 at 7:28pm
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I wash everything together unless it's a dark item that's new or something I know will run.
I used to do separate loads but now we pay for our own water I can't really afford to do heaps of little washes. -------------
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