Author Topic: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain  (Read 170701 times)

Goldielocks

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #550 on: January 02, 2018, 01:39:09 AM »
Laundry - Great question.   I don't have an ultimate solution as I am slow to put away, too, but like others, have found ways to reduce the work.

I separate the clothes that need ironing / line drying into a separate (usually gentler) wash cycle.
That load then gets hung to dry and removed to a separate laundry basket.   This means that the heaps of laundry that cause a bigger mess due to ironing procrastination doesn't happen . Why?

 The rest of the clothing (no ironing, some line hung or put into the dryer) are washed together without the iron - required items and just get pulled out when warm -- or I bump the dryer back on for 10 more minutes, and quickly hand folded, and put into a  two other baskets for his / hers. 

I have tried to reduce the ironing to work clothes (that don't get dirty after a single wear) and just cut them out as much as possible, so the ironing load is done only every 2-3 weeks.  Hang drying works well for many items to eliminate the iron.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #551 on: January 02, 2018, 02:03:59 AM »
While we're sharing laundry - or what we Aussies would call "washing" - stories...

I cold-wash, line-dry everything.

People who peg washing like they are decorating a Christmas tree (hang this here, drape this there) (including my husband and my MiL who "taught" him) annoy the fuck out of me.

I peg with military precision because it makes folding and ironing that much easier.

I've slowly cut back how much I iron. Husband basically refuses to do it, and I don't see why I should be more invested in him having a wrinkle-free appearance than he does.

He wears a lot of t-shirts (can go through two or three a day while travelling for work), so I take them off the line, fold them with a foldy thingy, and put them on his shelf. His jeans go straight on a hanger (this works for heavy denim but not lighter blends that are prone to wrinkles).

I wear a lot of sheer tops for work - they go straight on a hanger, as do my corporate dresses.

I fold as soon as things come off the line which means the only things in the ironing basket are actually ironing (no socks or undies or PJs or running gear or whatever).

Does anyone have any pro tips for easing that final, crucial step of laundry: putting away? We line dry in summer and tumble in winter and both wear shirts a lot that require ironing. What usually happens is that stuff comes in and I don't have time to iron it straight away so it rests in a tangled mess in the laundry basket and then I do another load and have to put that on top and it spills out onto the floor and...argh!

@shelivesthedream, are you both involved in this process or are you doing it all?

marty998

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #552 on: January 02, 2018, 02:12:14 AM »

 His jeans go straight on a hanger (this works for heavy denim but not lighter blends that are prone to wrinkles).

I wear a lot of sheer tops for work - they go straight on a hanger, as do my corporate dresses.

This is the way to go. Work shirts on a hanger, line dry by hanging the hanger on the line.

Collect all hangers off line (indicated exactly what needs to be ironed), iron shirts, rehang hangers in wardrobe. All done.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #553 on: January 02, 2018, 04:20:38 AM »
Does anyone have any pro tips for easing that final, crucial step of laundry: putting away? We line dry in summer and tumble in winter and both wear shirts a lot that require ironing. What usually happens is that stuff comes in and I don't have time to iron it straight away so it rests in a tangled mess in the laundry basket and then I do another load and have to put that on top and it spills out onto the floor and...argh!

@shelivesthedream, are you both involved in this process or are you doing it all?

Generally I do the putting in the washing machine, the hanging up and the taking of dry laundry up to the bedroom, and then he does his own ironing and I do mine. I often do both of our putting-away of non-iron items too. I love hanging out laundry so it makes sense for me to take charge of the bits immediately either side of that, but dislike ironing so I won't do more than 'my share'.

I would line dry everything if the weather was amenable, but it rains a LOT here in winter (and, let's be honest, autumn and spring) and if I waited for the weather and my schedule to align we would never have clean clothes - so I'd say I line dry about half the year and tumble the other half. I moved out of a mouldy flat six months ago and know this house has had mould problems in the past (now hopefully fixed!) so will not have anything drying inside the house.

nickybecky1

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #554 on: January 02, 2018, 09:46:13 AM »
I've always had trouble getting over the hump for putting away things, which has been helped immensely by two things - 1) I started hanging a lot more things even in winter and 2) I started folding as things come out of the dryer (I have no folding counter or anything, I just put a basket in front of the dryer and fold everything against my chest kind of marie kondo style as it comes out and then put it in the basket.

Caveats: we don't iron anything and haven't for years. I use my iron for crafts every 6 months or so and always have to remember where I put it. Also, while I live in a climate that is cold and rainy, our home is well insulated and I have a ceiling mounted drying rack that hangs right next to our ventilation fan in the bathroom. In the summer I hang everything out to dry, in the winter, I hang faster drying and delicate things and turn on the fan. The room has just enough heating to dry things over the course of 8-16 hours with the fan on.

The thing that really made a difference is that I take things off the line in groups. Underwear and socks are hanging on something like this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80189663/ so they're all together. I take down the socks and underwear, then I fold and pull down all the shirts. Like someone else, jeans (in warmer weather usually - in winter they usually get tumbled) and dresses are on a hanger already for drying. With everything organized in the laundry basket, the putting away part is much shorter so that helps.

If I had a house prone to mold, it would make it much much harder for me because it really was being able to hang more things that helped. Also, I'm in the US and have separate washer and dryer so I it sounds like that might help with not having to iron. In past years, I did all my summer drying on one of those folding drying racks, and this summer we got one of those real rectangle things with a bunch of lines and it's amazing! I am already dreaming of sunny weather again (which I may not see until June or July).

YogiKitti

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #555 on: January 02, 2018, 10:10:52 AM »
I use the dryer for most things, but for things that can't go in the dryer I wash them in large lingerie bags. That way I don't have to think when switching laundry to the dryer as it is easy to see what needs to be air dried.

With This Herring

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #556 on: January 03, 2018, 03:30:13 PM »
For the habits, I've found that it helps me keep the dishes in check (no dishwasher machine) if I do dishes while the kettle is boiling for tea and then as my tea is steeping.  It's just enough time to get a bunch of plates and tableware washed.  Similar little waiting-times might be enough time for you to do one or two shirts, if hanging from wet/the dryer isn't enough.

jeninco

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #557 on: January 03, 2018, 05:03:32 PM »
I do laundry for 4, and have a few suggestions:
I actually take iron-able shirts (and pants that get wrinkly) out of the dryer after 10 minutes or so and then put them on hangers -- they're still warm and dampish, but less wet then they were. This seems to help. They dry the rest of the way on hangers. I can smooth out plackets and such when I hang them. This means I count when I put stuff in the dryer: 1 DH shirt, 1 kid1 shirt, 2 DH shirt, etc. Then I have the appropriate hangers handy.

Socks: you have two possibilities here. 1 is get a zillion pair of identical socks and only wear those. Wash, dump into a drawer. Option 2 is that you have to match up the socks. Then roll them up like sushi rolls and put in your drawer. You will have to spend a little time the first time dumping your sock drawer on your bed and organizing it, but after that it's pretty easy to put socks away, it's easy to see everything you have, and it's fairly obvious if you own some you never wear. (Option 2 is a Marie Kondo variant.)

People who are not me who put clothing into the laundry inside out get their laundry washed, dried, folded and put away inside out. Life is too short for me to have to turn 25+ shirts right side out each week, much less socks! (4 people, 7 days, plus exercise clothes, but I put my stuff in the laundry the right way.) If you leave crap in your pants, woe is you! (We've had some near misses with gum, but no pen incidents ... yet.)

Actually, the best advice I have is "clean together". Dealing with the laundry is less of a burden if you're working with the other people in your house to get everything nice once a week or so.

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #558 on: January 04, 2018, 02:36:11 PM »
People who are not me who put clothing into the laundry inside out get their laundry washed, dried, folded and put away inside out. Life is too short for me to have to turn 25+ shirts right side out each week, much less socks!

Thank you for this. I am going to start doing that!

Our dryer caught fire for the second time (turns out this model was the subject of a class action lawsuit but we missed the deadline to benefit) so we are going to replace instead of repairing.  We're going to redo the laundry nook a little while we're at it... it's terribly inefficient and a big mess.  Will be mining this thread for suggestions! Some things we are going to build in are:
-platform with storage for baskets/drawers
- fold out drying racks so we can use the dryer less
- bar for hangers (same)
- table for folding laundry/craft projects
- 4-5 storage bins for too-small kid clothes and textile recycling
- Ironing bin
- iron/board
-vertical shelving for electronics (our printer/router live in that room)
- and possibly a small TV so we can lure the kids in there to fold laundry while watching (we haven't owned a TV in their lifetimes)

jeninco

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #559 on: January 04, 2018, 02:56:12 PM »
People who are not me who put clothing into the laundry inside out get their laundry washed, dried, folded and put away inside out. Life is too short for me to have to turn 25+ shirts right side out each week, much less socks!

Thank you for this. I am going to start doing that!

Our dryer caught fire for the second time (turns out this model was the subject of a class action lawsuit but we missed the deadline to benefit) so we are going to replace instead of repairing.  We're going to redo the laundry nook a little while we're at it... it's terribly inefficient and a big mess.  Will be mining this thread for suggestions! Some things we are going to build in are:
-platform with storage for baskets/drawers
- fold out drying racks so we can use the dryer less
- bar for hangers (same)
- table for folding laundry/craft projects
- 4-5 storage bins for too-small kid clothes and textile recycling
- Ironing bin
- iron/board
-vertical shelving for electronics (our printer/router live in that room)
- and possibly a small TV so we can lure the kids in there to fold laundry while watching (we haven't owned a TV in their lifetimes)

Also:
- a high enough shelf to very conveniently hold laundry detergent (and whatever else you use regularly). Place to put the dryer tennis balls (for drying puffy stuff).
- a way to be sure you regularly clear out the too-small clothing, so they don't pile up.
- make sure you can get through when all the drying racks are spread out.
- we also have a couple of cabinets in there that hold school supplies and craft supplies (and desperately need to be cleaned out)
- place to put the laundry baskets
- sink? bucket for pre-soaking things (that fits in the sink, hopefully)?

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #560 on: January 04, 2018, 03:49:02 PM »
People who are not me who put clothing into the laundry inside out get their laundry washed, dried, folded and put away inside out. Life is too short for me to have to turn 25+ shirts right side out each week, much less socks! (4 people, 7 days, plus exercise clothes, but I put my stuff in the laundry the right way.) If you leave crap in your pants, woe is you! (We've had some near misses with gum, but no pen incidents ... yet.)

My mum's rule was that socks that didn't get turned through stayed in the bottom of the washing basket.

I do check pockets though. I don't want to ruin a microSD card or a passport, I don't want bits of delaminated business card all over my clothes, and I don't want to damage my machine by washing coins.


[Edited to fix quote formatting]
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 01:43:05 AM by mustachepungoeshere »

With This Herring

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #561 on: January 06, 2018, 09:24:07 AM »
*snip*
I do check pockets though. I don't want to ruin a microSD card or a passport, I don't want bits of delaminated business card all over my clothes, and I don't want to damage my machine by washing coins.

When I check the pockets of pants, I then zip and button those pants.  First, it keeps the zippers from catching on and destroying other clothing, and second it tells me I've already checked those pants.  We don't have kids, though, so I don't know if this would work for parents.  (My friend's four-year-old daughter doesn't ever unzip or unbutton her pants, which led to her putting her tiny jeans on backwards when she dressed herself for playschool once.)

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #562 on: January 08, 2018, 05:15:01 PM »
Also:
- a high enough shelf to very conveniently hold laundry detergent (and whatever else you use regularly). Place to put the dryer tennis balls (for drying puffy stuff).
- a way to be sure you regularly clear out the too-small clothing, so they don't pile up.
- make sure you can get through when all the drying racks are spread out.
- we also have a couple of cabinets in there that hold school supplies and craft supplies (and desperately need to be cleaned out)
- place to put the laundry baskets
- sink? bucket for pre-soaking things (that fits in the sink, hopefully)?
Very good point about the presoak bucket!  There's no sink in our laundry room but I definitely want a basin there as the nearest sink is the first floor bathroom, where all the guests go.

TheWifeHalf

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #563 on: January 08, 2018, 05:58:06 PM »
This doesn't add much to the discussion, and I won't be surprised if it's removed:
I don't think my parents realized it, but  I was named after the patron saint of LAUNDRY WORKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That explains my life

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #564 on: January 09, 2018, 03:01:24 AM »
This doesn't add much to the discussion, and I won't be surprised if it's removed:
I don't think my parents realized it, but  I was named after the patron saint of LAUNDRY WORKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That explains my life

Veronica?

They could have named you Mary for the Magdalene laundries.

@marty998 is named after the patron saint of alcoholics. We have drinks on his feast day. :D

marty998

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #565 on: January 09, 2018, 03:15:12 AM »
To whom it may concern....

I am not an alcoholic. I sometimes post shit here when I'm drunk, but that does not imply anything!

Thankyou
Marty

(I'l get you back @mustachepungoeshere hehe)
« Last Edit: January 09, 2018, 03:18:02 AM by marty998 »

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #566 on: January 09, 2018, 03:19:15 AM »
To whom it may concern....

I am not an alcoholic. I sometimes post shit here when I'm drunk, but that does not imply anything!

Thankyou
Marty

Yeah, no-one thought you were an alco until you posted that!

Anyway, this is a cleaning thread. Post a tip for sparkling windows or immaculately pressed collars, or be gone with you!

marty998

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #567 on: January 09, 2018, 03:24:26 AM »
To whom it may concern....

I am not an alcoholic. I sometimes post shit here when I'm drunk, but that does not imply anything!

Thankyou
Marty

Yeah, no-one thought you were an alco until you posted that!

Anyway, this is a cleaning thread. Post a tip for sparkling windows or immaculately pressed collars, or be gone with you!

In the same manner that you posted a tip two posts up?? Oh wait...

;)

HappierAtHome

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #568 on: January 09, 2018, 03:39:05 AM »
For the habits, I've found that it helps me keep the dishes in check (no dishwasher machine) if I do dishes while the kettle is boiling for tea and then as my tea is steeping.  It's just enough time to get a bunch of plates and tableware washed.  Similar little waiting-times might be enough time for you to do one or two shirts, if hanging from wet/the dryer isn't enough.

This is brilliant.

Minnowstache

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #569 on: January 09, 2018, 03:56:52 AM »
@shelivesthedream  we buy non-iron cotton shirts from m&s for dh - they may do women’s as well. Either line dry or take out of the dryer warm then hang straight away - i have hardly ever ironed dh’s shirts - he would never do it himself and doesn’t care less what he looks like - but I would prefer him to not look like a homeless tramp

Linea_Norway

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #570 on: January 09, 2018, 04:30:29 AM »
@shelivesthedream  we buy non-iron cotton shirts from m&s for dh - they may do women’s as well. Either line dry or take out of the dryer warm then hang straight away - i have hardly ever ironed dh’s shirts - he would never do it himself and doesn’t care less what he looks like - but I would prefer him to not look like a homeless tramp

Since I never started ironing my DHs shirts, he found out decades ago that non-iron shirts are they way to go. We always hang them out on a hanger after coming out of the washing machine. There we stretch them out by hand and let them dry. Works fine.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2018, 07:09:08 AM by Linda_Norway »

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #571 on: January 09, 2018, 05:12:48 AM »
@shelivesthedream  we buy non-iron cotton shirts from m&s for dh - they may do women’s as well. Either line dry or take out of the dryer warm then hang straight away - i have hardly ever ironed dh’s shirts - he would never do it himself and doesn’t care less what he looks like - but I would prefer him to not look like a homeless tramp

Women's shirts from M&S are woeful (I remember them being better). This is an ongoing sadness in my life. They are transparent, need ironing if you take them out of the dryer too soon and shrink if you leave them in the dryer too long (if the dryer goes cold they will be both shrunk and creased). Recommendations for alternative shirts are welcomed.


Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #573 on: January 09, 2018, 08:30:15 AM »
Question about laundry room: retractable multiple clothesline vs foldout rack? Or one of those racks that look like several horizontal metal rods that swivel around a hinge?

Lews Therin

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #574 on: January 09, 2018, 08:39:59 AM »
I have a rack because I can move it outside in the summer, place it over heating/air vents in winter. Just make sure it is a solid one, since it would be wasteful to have it break from the weight of lots of wet clothes!

Poundwise

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #575 on: January 11, 2018, 08:16:35 AM »
We've been using the standing laundry rack for weeks and it's fine, but we are short of indoor floorspace, so I'd like to find a wall-mounted alternative.

Here are some of the options I'm mulling over (click on Google images)
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=retractable+clotheslines
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=foldout+drying+rack
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=swivelling+towel+rods

The last option is probably good only to dry a few items, whereas sometimes I'd like to dry an entire load indoors.  The retractable lines look the most compact and easiest to install, though it seems like people have issues with flimsy construction and sagging lines.  The fold out wooden racks are sturdiest, but it seems like they would be harder to maneuver around in a cramped space.
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=laundry+pullout+rack

We would of course be building this ourselves whenever possible.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2018, 08:18:31 AM by Poundwise »

Lews Therin

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #576 on: January 12, 2018, 11:49:18 AM »
I`d use the clothesline, and have some sort of system on each wall allowing you to tighten the line when all the clothes are on it (Could be as simple as a bar that twists along the line to take all the loose away) It would be easier to install, and just as solid as the racks, since you can find metal wire. Then when you are done, you roll it back into place. (Who looks at the corner of the ceiling really?)

4alpacas

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #577 on: January 12, 2018, 01:30:24 PM »
We've been using the standing laundry rack for weeks and it's fine, but we are short of indoor floorspace, so I'd like to find a wall-mounted alternative.

Here are some of the options I'm mulling over (click on Google images)
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=retractable+clotheslines
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=foldout+drying+rack
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=swivelling+towel+rods

The last option is probably good only to dry a few items, whereas sometimes I'd like to dry an entire load indoors.  The retractable lines look the most compact and easiest to install, though it seems like people have issues with flimsy construction and sagging lines.  The fold out wooden racks are sturdiest, but it seems like they would be harder to maneuver around in a cramped space.
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=laundry+pullout+rack

We would of course be building this ourselves whenever possible.
We have both.  I have an indoor retractable closeline that I use for light things (undergarmets, dry fit shirts, etc.).  I also have a folding rack that I keep in between my washer and dryer.  I pull it out when I need it, but I keep it folded up most of the time.  Since the rack is taller than my machines, I do use it to hang a few heavier items when it's folded.

This is face-punch worthy, but it helps me a lot.  I buy the disposable Lysol wipes.  I keep a container on my counter, and I wipe down my counters quickly while drinking my evening tea.

Goldielocks

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #578 on: January 14, 2018, 01:42:48 AM »
Another alternative:  Use hangers on one of these racks.  You can clip pants or socks to hangers, like on a line.  I have a folding stand rack and I certainly miss not having hangers.  I will install a clothes rod for hangers shortly...

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=52553&cat=2,67373&ap=1

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=55186&cat=3,67405&ap=1

I use this one outside, and it retracts when we want to use the yard.  Great for sheets that won't fit on the above.
I have had mine for about 10 years now.
https://urbanclotheslines.com/indoor-outdoor-retractable-clothesline-40-foot.html

firelight

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #579 on: January 14, 2018, 03:27:31 AM »
I might have missed it but why not use the dryer? Other than electricity costs, am I missing something? Growing up, we had to hang laundry and keep an eye on the sun all the time, which was tedious. I still think dryer and dishwasher are one of the best inventions for cutting down on time and effort.

My laundry routine is to throw everything into washer before dinner, have washer finish as we cleanup dinner, switch to dryer and let it go when we go to sleep. I wake up ten minutes earlier to fold everything from the dryer and put it in everyone's closet. We do laundry every three or four days based on when the basket becomes full (2 adults, a toddler and a baby). We don't sort by color since most of our clothing is colorfast and don't iron since we steam right before wearing. I run baby clothes and diapers separately since we cloth diaper. Once baby grows out of diapers, her clothes get added to the family bin.

former player

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #580 on: January 14, 2018, 03:51:37 AM »
I might have missed it but why not use the dryer? Other than electricity costs, am I missing something?
Carbon emissions: your contribution to the warming of the planet.  Unless you are on 100% renewables, of course, but even then there are the manufacturing costs of the dryer.

It's also better for your clothes and linens: tumbling around in the dryer wears them out quicker than hanging on the line.

And another one: if there are artificial fibres, then micro amounts of plastics get washed into the environment, causing pollution and getting into the food chain.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2018, 03:53:21 AM by former player »

shelivesthedream

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #581 on: January 22, 2018, 04:41:13 AM »
@shelivesthedream  we buy non-iron cotton shirts from m&s for dh - they may do women’s as well. Either line dry or take out of the dryer warm then hang straight away - i have hardly ever ironed dh’s shirts - he would never do it himself and doesn’t care less what he looks like - but I would prefer him to not look like a homeless tramp

Women's shirts from M&S are woeful (I remember them being better). This is an ongoing sadness in my life. They are transparent, need ironing if you take them out of the dryer too soon and shrink if you leave them in the dryer too long (if the dryer goes cold they will be both shrunk and creased). Recommendations for alternative shirts are welcomed.

I have identified my optimal shirt. It is the standard Oxford from Crew Clothing Co. The fabric is thick enough that you cannot see the outline of my underwear through it! This is a rarity in women's shirts. I have two white ones currently and will be buying more as my other shirts wear out - and even if I wear a white vest underneath, you cannot see the vest zinging through the shirt fabric! They are shaped but not skintight. If you are looking to buy shirts, I would definitely recommend trying one on - you can always send it back. It is by far the best fabric quality I have found in my extensive survey of white women's shirts, and the fit suits me very well.* They do pastel colours and I think stripes, but I wanted just plain white.

Downsides:
- perhaps they are not formal enough for super-formal offices.
- I imagine very tall people would find the sleeves too short.
- They have a line of blue bias binding down the side of the placket the buttons are sewn onto (the one that ends up underneath) which has shrunk fractionally compared to the placket it is sewn onto. Honestly, I am sure that most people would not even notice, let alone care, but it minorly bothers me because they could just not have that binding.
- you have to iron them. They do iron up nicely, though!

*such pregnancy sadness: the buttons are now straining over my bump so I will have to wait til May to wear them again. They are the item of clothing I will miss most.

MrsDinero

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #582 on: January 22, 2018, 07:49:24 AM »
Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but I just stumbled upon a crazy way to keep the dishes from piling up.  Having everyone who uses a dish, immediately wash, DRY, AND put it away!  This has been a total game changer for us. We used to let a few dishes pile up, then wash and put them in the drain board.  It was good for keeping the sink cleared but I realized no one likes putting away their dishes!  The drain board would get so overloaded that kitchen towels would appear on the countertops with drying dishes on top. 

Not anymore.  Mrs. D put her foot down.  Take a dish, use it, wash it, dry it, put it away.  Problem solved.  So far.

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #583 on: January 22, 2018, 12:07:14 PM »
Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but I just stumbled upon a crazy way to keep the dishes from piling up.  Having everyone who uses a dish, immediately wash, DRY, AND put it away!  This has been a total game changer for us. We used to let a few dishes pile up, then wash and put them in the drain board.  It was good for keeping the sink cleared but I realized no one likes putting away their dishes!  The drain board would get so overloaded that kitchen towels would appear on the countertops with drying dishes on top. 

Not anymore.  Mrs. D put her foot down.  Take a dish, use it, wash it, dry it, put it away.  Problem solved.  So far.


You can maintain this if you are willing to take the dirty dish of any offender and insert it inside their pillowcase in such a way that it won't be obvious until they lie down. Just saying.

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #584 on: January 22, 2018, 07:17:50 PM »
*snip*
I have identified my optimal shirt. It is the standard Oxford from Crew Clothing Co. The fabric is thick enough that you cannot see the outline of my underwear through it! This is a rarity in women's shirts. I have two white ones currently and will be buying more as my other shirts wear out - and even if I wear a white vest underneath, you cannot see the vest zinging through the shirt fabric! They are shaped but not skintight. If you are looking to buy shirts, I would definitely recommend trying one on - you can always send it back. It is by far the best fabric quality I have found in my extensive survey of white women's shirts, and the fit suits me very well.* They do pastel colours and I think stripes, but I wanted just plain white.
*snip*

This US-UK difference is new to me.  :)   In the US, I've only ever heard "vest" used to describe a sort of sleeveless jacket/coat, such as might be part of a three-piece suit or a light-weight cold-weather top layer, never an undergarment.  A UK vest I would call a tank top or camisole.

But that sounds like a great line of shirts!

former player

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #585 on: January 22, 2018, 08:40:04 PM »

This US-UK difference is new to me.  :)   In the US, I've only ever heard "vest" used to describe a sort of sleeveless jacket/coat, such as might be part of a three-piece suit or a light-weight cold-weather top layer, never an undergarment.  A UK vest I would call a tank top or camisole.

Your vest is our waistcoat.  Perhaps Americans prefer "vest" because they no longer have waists?  [/jk]

With This Herring

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #586 on: January 22, 2018, 10:21:52 PM »

This US-UK difference is new to me.  :)   In the US, I've only ever heard "vest" used to describe a sort of sleeveless jacket/coat, such as might be part of a three-piece suit or a light-weight cold-weather top layer, never an undergarment.  A UK vest I would call a tank top or camisole.

Your vest is our waistcoat.  Perhaps Americans prefer "vest" because they no longer have waists?  [/jk]

I would have called it a waistcoat, but I didn't know if the UK used that term, haha.  And, I didn't want to rule out puffy cold weather vests that we do not call waistcoats.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #587 on: January 23, 2018, 12:59:08 AM »
*snip*
I have identified my optimal shirt. It is the standard Oxford from Crew Clothing Co. The fabric is thick enough that you cannot see the outline of my underwear through it! This is a rarity in women's shirts. I have two white ones currently and will be buying more as my other shirts wear out - and even if I wear a white vest underneath, you cannot see the vest zinging through the shirt fabric! They are shaped but not skintight. If you are looking to buy shirts, I would definitely recommend trying one on - you can always send it back. It is by far the best fabric quality I have found in my extensive survey of white women's shirts, and the fit suits me very well.* They do pastel colours and I think stripes, but I wanted just plain white.
*snip*

This US-UK difference is new to me.  :)   In the US, I've only ever heard "vest" used to describe a sort of sleeveless jacket/coat, such as might be part of a three-piece suit or a light-weight cold-weather top layer, never an undergarment.  A UK vest I would call a tank top or camisole.

But that sounds like a great line of shirts!

A camisole is a vest that is slightly fancy and decent enough to be seen. Maybe silk or a colour or with a bit of lace.

Depending on your age, a tank top is either a sporty vest worn by teenagers as a top, or a knitted sleeveless jumper.

A vest comes in white, black or beige and you buy them in packs of five from M&S and wear them exclusively to keep warm. It's the kind of thing you'd sneak off to quietly remove from underneath if you thought an early date night go really well, but by the time you're married it's more like, "Honey, what's that stain on your vest? Oh well, it's still functional. Now, will you fill up the hot water bottles or shall I?"

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #588 on: January 23, 2018, 02:03:55 AM »
In the US, I've only ever heard "vest" used to describe a sort of sleeveless jacket/coat...

See my vest, see my vest,
Made from real gorilla chest...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyWVaZsUQjc

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #589 on: January 23, 2018, 04:57:23 AM »
*snip*
I have identified my optimal shirt. It is the standard Oxford from Crew Clothing Co. The fabric is thick enough that you cannot see the outline of my underwear through it! This is a rarity in women's shirts. I have two white ones currently and will be buying more as my other shirts wear out - and even if I wear a white vest underneath, you cannot see the vest zinging through the shirt fabric! They are shaped but not skintight. If you are looking to buy shirts, I would definitely recommend trying one on - you can always send it back. It is by far the best fabric quality I have found in my extensive survey of white women's shirts, and the fit suits me very well.* They do pastel colours and I think stripes, but I wanted just plain white.
*snip*

This US-UK difference is new to me.  :)   In the US, I've only ever heard "vest" used to describe a sort of sleeveless jacket/coat, such as might be part of a three-piece suit or a light-weight cold-weather top layer, never an undergarment.  A UK vest I would call a tank top or camisole.

But that sounds like a great line of shirts!

A camisole is a vest that is slightly fancy and decent enough to be seen. Maybe silk or a colour or with a bit of lace.

Depending on your age, a tank top is either a sporty vest worn by teenagers as a top, or a knitted sleeveless jumper.

A vest comes in white, black or beige and you buy them in packs of five from M&S and wear them exclusively to keep warm. It's the kind of thing you'd sneak off to quietly remove from underneath if you thought an early date night go really well, but by the time you're married it's more like, "Honey, what's that stain on your vest? Oh well, it's still functional. Now, will you fill up the hot water bottles or shall I?"

I bask in the glow of this wisdom.

And I wipe coffee off my keyboard in the glow of this humour.

The shirts are on a 2 for £80 offer now.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #590 on: January 23, 2018, 03:19:55 PM »
*snip*
I have identified my optimal shirt. It is the standard Oxford from Crew Clothing Co. The fabric is thick enough that you cannot see the outline of my underwear through it! This is a rarity in women's shirts. I have two white ones currently and will be buying more as my other shirts wear out - and even if I wear a white vest underneath, you cannot see the vest zinging through the shirt fabric! They are shaped but not skintight. If you are looking to buy shirts, I would definitely recommend trying one on - you can always send it back. It is by far the best fabric quality I have found in my extensive survey of white women's shirts, and the fit suits me very well.* They do pastel colours and I think stripes, but I wanted just plain white.
*snip*

This US-UK difference is new to me.  :)   In the US, I've only ever heard "vest" used to describe a sort of sleeveless jacket/coat, such as might be part of a three-piece suit or a light-weight cold-weather top layer, never an undergarment.  A UK vest I would call a tank top or camisole.

But that sounds like a great line of shirts!

A camisole is a vest that is slightly fancy and decent enough to be seen. Maybe silk or a colour or with a bit of lace.

Depending on your age, a tank top is either a sporty vest worn by teenagers as a top, or a knitted sleeveless jumper.

A vest comes in white, black or beige and you buy them in packs of five from M&S and wear them exclusively to keep warm. It's the kind of thing you'd sneak off to quietly remove from underneath if you thought an early date night go really well, but by the time you're married it's more like, "Honey, what's that stain on your vest? Oh well, it's still functional. Now, will you fill up the hot water bottles or shall I?"

I bask in the glow of this wisdom.

And I wipe coffee off my keyboard in the glow of this humour.

The shirts are on a 2 for £80 offer now.

I should totally write adverts for M&S. Majoring on vests, granny pants and long socks - let's be honest, that's their core product line.

The shirts come round on that offer regularly every four to six months. I'm just waiting for a few old ones to die and also to not be pregnant any more.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #591 on: January 23, 2018, 03:39:04 PM »
Here's a question to get, cough, back on topic...

I was looking for a 2nd hand robot vacuum a while ago to help with pet hair and asked about it here. The dog is now deceased :( :( :(  I could vacuum once a fortnight now and that could be enough, but I just can't be arsed cleaning is what it comes down to.

My question is - do non-pet owners that own one think it's worth it? A cheap no-brand one is available for $35 or a possibly better one for $100.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #592 on: January 24, 2018, 06:13:18 AM »
Here's a question to get, cough, back on topic...

I was looking for a 2nd hand robot vacuum a while ago to help with pet hair and asked about it here. The dog is now deceased :( :( :(  I could vacuum once a fortnight now and that could be enough, but I just can't be arsed cleaning is what it comes down to.

My question is - do non-pet owners that own one think it's worth it? A cheap no-brand one is available for $35 or a possibly better one for $100.

One of my colleagues has 2 children and no pets. She loves her good quality robot vac, bought on sale for 1/2 the price. One of my other colleagues without a dog and without children loves his robot as well.

Do you have carpet? Then you might not see the dust so well. But it probably still there. We (2 adults without pets) have a wooden floor and a week after cleaning it is usually looking quite dusty and I feel the need to clean it.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2018, 12:50:06 AM by Linda_Norway »

jengod

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #593 on: January 30, 2018, 10:39:03 PM »
PTF


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4alpacas

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #594 on: January 31, 2018, 09:17:53 AM »
Here's a question to get, cough, back on topic...

I was looking for a 2nd hand robot vacuum a while ago to help with pet hair and asked about it here. The dog is now deceased :( :( :(  I could vacuum once a fortnight now and that could be enough, but I just can't be arsed cleaning is what it comes down to.

My question is - do non-pet owners that own one think it's worth it? A cheap no-brand one is available for $35 or a possibly better one for $100.

One of my colleagues has 2 children and no pets. She loves her good quality robot vac, bought on sale for 1/2 the price. One of my other colleagues without a dog and without children loves his robot as well.

Do you have carpet? Then you might not see the dust so well. But it probably still there. We (2 adults without pets) have a wooden floor and a week after cleaning it is usually looking quite dusty and I feel the need to clean it.
I used to have a basic Roomba, and I loved it.  My place was small, so I would start it every day when I would leave for my run.  It rarely made it back on the charger, so I would spend a few minutes looking for it.  However, I didn't vacuum at all (didn't own one), and my place was fine. 

With a bit bigger place, I don't think my value model would have been helpful.  I don't know the battery life of the newer, expensive models.  I did a lot of repairs on it--brush replacements (buy on eBay), replaced a sensor (bought on a site that specializes in iRobot parts and soldered it on myself), and general cleaning.

jengod

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #595 on: February 02, 2018, 08:46:35 PM »
If you can afford it, get high-quality  allergy dustcovers on your mattresses and pillows.

In addition to keeping everything cleaner longer, and blocking dust mites, they are also useful for precluding fleas and bedbugs.


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shelivesthedream

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #596 on: August 30, 2018, 08:10:42 AM »
Posting this here to keep it all together...

If you could recommend one book (or other substantial, organised resource) on cleaning routines and efficiency, what would it be? I know "Speed Cleaning" has been mentioned a few times but I'd be interested to know if there are any other candidates.

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #597 on: August 30, 2018, 12:04:10 PM »
@shelivesthedream I'm a fan of the Unf*ck Your Habitat book. Simple , contemporary, and customizable.

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #598 on: August 30, 2018, 02:35:45 PM »
2. Sort laundry (dont fold)

Can you please explain how this works? I hate folding laundry.

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Re: Advice for making your home interior easier to clean and maintain
« Reply #599 on: February 15, 2021, 03:32:41 PM »
I love this thread - so many new-to-me ideas.  And I've ordered the Speed Cleaning book that many recommended.  I am bumping this post to see if anyone else has ideas or is just interested in reading.

The 2 big take-aways for me were 1. Dusting in the bathroom before cleaning.  It's really made the overall process go much quicker.  2. Multiple microfiber cloths and dumping dirty ones in a bucket rather than rinsing over and over.  Another big time-saver.