# Domestic tricks to make life easier. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089 "2010-10-14T04:08:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/41 "2010-10-15T13:15:45Z")
> [@MissSwitac](#): > > To make your mildewy shower curtain liner look like new again. Throw it in the washing machine with an old towel and a cup of white vinegar. Wash in hot water. Hang back on the curtain rod directly out of the washer. I might get a lot of flack for this, because it’s wasteful…but I just buy a new one. I clean the liner when I clean the tub, so it doesn’t get grimy soon, but after a few months it will still get gross, so I pay the whopping $2 for a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/42 "2010-10-15T13:28:49Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > > [@Caffeine.addict](#): > > > > Make a menu for the week, and use that to make your shopping list. > > I don’t do this, as I’m completely unable to plan that far ahead. However, I tend to plan today’s dinner around what I have left in the cupboards from previous days, and try to use all the leftovers. If I have a red onion and two potatoes left from yesterday, today’s dinner will have that in it. Half a can of soy milk left and some flour sitting in the back of the cupboard? Well, then, today is pancake day. > > Oh, and another tip: Have a reasonably well stocked spice rack. It’s amazing how much easier it is to whip up a decent meal with some simple ingredients when you can chuck some chili powder or garlic powder or oregano or basil or curry powder or whatever into it. I know a lot of recipes or techniques to create meals from ingredients. I also have an idea of what I want to keep in my pantry or fridge all the time. I have a checklist of ingredients that I go over, to see what needs to be replenished when we go shopping. For instance, I like to keep a couple of packages of ground meat in the freezer, because it’s so versatile, and I’m not happy unless I have at least a couple of onions in the house. I keep basic spices around. Any menu planning is on the order of “let’s have a pot roast this week”, rather than “Pot roast on Tuesday, and hash on Wednesday”, because we might very well have sandwiches on Wednesday. Then we see if there’s anything that looks good and/or is on sale. If I DO plan to make something out of the ordinary, then I check the recipe before I even think about making it. If I’m going to need rice wine, I want to shop for it at my leisure. I bought several cheap pairs of scissors and have put them in the bathroom, kitchen, den, and my husband’s room. This way nobody has an excuse to use my good sewing scissors. And anyone who DOES use my good sewing scissors has to buy me a new pair within a week. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/43 "2010-10-15T14:48:13Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > > [@sandra\_nz](#): > > > > Similarly, we use our staircases as temporary resting places for stuff that needs to get moved. So if you’re going up the stairs and there’s something at the bottom of the stairs, you take it up with you. If you’re going down the stairs and there’s something at the top of the stairs, you take it down with you. (Our house has three storeys so constantly climbing up and down two flights of stairs can be a bit onerous, hence our stair system). > > We do this in theory. In practice it often results in tripping over the 12-pack of toilet rolls that my wife had left at the bottom of the stairs to be taken upstairs when I come down in the dark. 😛 Get out of my life Colophon! ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/44 "2010-10-15T15:48:56Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > > [@voguevixen](#): > > > > And bread twisties for some reason. Even if you prefer the fancy “tie handle” trash bags at one point in your life buy the cheepo bags for the glut of twist-ties. You would be surprised at how often you’ll use them. > > At gardening stores you can buy a reel of twist-tie material with a cutter blade to cut to the length you need. I have one with the gardening stuff and one in the kitchen and I use both all the time. What are you guys using twist ties for? When we buy cheap garbage bags, they just accumulate in our junk drawer until we move and are forced to de-junkify. We don’t even use them for the garbage bags themselves…it’s easier to just tie the tops in a knot. If I need to close a chip bag or something, I find a clothes pin to be the quickest way to handle that. I do, however, use a zillion dish towels (although almost never for drying dishes…we’ve got a dishwasher). I cook a ton and that means my hands get rinsed off a lot, and need to be dried. Counters need to be cleaned. Spills to be wiped up. I probably use 5-7 dish towels a day, on average. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/45 "2010-10-15T17:38:35Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > > > [Dryel](http://www.dryel.com/) instead of taking stuff to the dry cleaners. Saves a TON of money, and you end up wearing your dry clean only stuff more often. I can attest personally that it can be used on wool and cashmere and rabbit hair. > > Be aware that Dryel just remedies the scent of the item; it doesn’t remove dirt. Before you store an item for the season (like, a nice cashmere sweater), DO either get it drycleaned or find a way to hand-wash it and actually remove dirt. Otherwise, critters may move in and start munching on it I do dryclean at the season’s end, but I wasn’t aware Dryel wasn’t cleaning the item. I was under the impression that the cloth contained scent and cleaning agents, as per their website. Were they lying to impress me? For those who don’t have a good garbage disposal, I recommend the odor-eater/scented kitchen trash bags. Target makes a good one. If we threw out the trash every time it stunk, we’d throw it out when it was 1/3 full! Baking powder in the bottom of the can plus a double liner (in case it leaks! Easier to take out 2nd bag than clean the whole can) plus odor eater bags is the best solution I’ve found. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/46 "2010-10-15T17:45:48Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > For those who don’t have a good garbage disposal, I recommend the odor-eater/scented kitchen trash bags. Target makes a good one. If we threw out the trash every time it stunk, we’d throw it out when it was 1/3 full! Baking powder in the bottom of the can plus a double liner (in case it leaks! Easier to take out 2nd bag than clean the whole can) plus odor eater bags is the best solution I’ve found. Alternately you can get clear plastic bags. Put one in a tupperware container next to the sink to scrape dishes into and tie it up and throw it away after dinner. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/47 "2010-10-15T17:54:08Z")
True, but then you have to _walk outside_ to toss it! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/48 "2010-10-15T17:56:39Z")
Stuff I keep in a drawer in the kitchen - I may have dupes in the main tool chest or in a bathroom or something, but having these things handily-available in the kitchen is essential: - small slot and Phillips screwdrivers - Krazy Glue - Duct Tape (in addition to the assumed Scotch and masking tape) - a Bic lighter - some string - a calculator - a long under-the-fridge getter-outer stick, aka a yardstick (I hear you can measure with them, too) - enough Post-it’s to paper the kitchen. Our shopping lists consist of a Post-It on the front of the refridgertor; folks just write on it until it’s full, peel it off and take with to the store. We taught the kids to add to it, too, so we are aware of stuff they use… ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/49 "2010-10-15T18:01:05Z")
…and a bottle of Scotch! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/50 "2010-10-15T18:08:27Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > - a long under-the-fridge getter-outer stick, aka a yardstick (I hear you can measure with them, too) Can I borrow yours? I have a small plastic cutting board behind the oven and… ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/51 "2010-10-15T18:15:51Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Stuff I keep in a drawer in the kitchen - I may have dupes in the main tool chest or in a bathroom or something, but having these things handily-available in the kitchen is essential: > > - small slot and Phillips screwdrivers > … This reminded me. I have a Leatherman tool in the kitchen and a couple spare (cheap) knock offs around as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/52 "2010-10-15T18:29:11Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > > [@Sattua](#): > > > > Be aware that Dryel just remedies the scent of the item; it doesn’t remove dirt. Before you store an item for the season (like, a nice cashmere sweater), DO either get it drycleaned or find a way to hand-wash it and actually remove dirt. Otherwise, critters may move in and start munching on it > > I do dryclean at the season’s end, but I wasn’t aware Dryel wasn’t cleaning the item. I was under the impression that the cloth contained scent and cleaning agents, as per their website. Were they lying to impress me? What I have found is that Dryel will freshen up my cashmere sweaters, but they really don’t get the pit stains, sweat, and stink out completely. I don’t think the sweaters are really clean. I’ll run 'em through with Dryel, but every other cleaning, they go to the dry cleaners to get clean. The “cleaning agents” don’t seem to do shit except mask the worst of the stank. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/53 "2010-10-15T18:43:29Z")
Then there’s also the school of thought that cashmere should be handwashed in cold water and rolled in a towel, then laid flat to dry :D. Someday I’ll have my own personal cashmere cleaner… ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/54 "2010-10-15T19:25:48Z")
Yeah, hand-washing is better for the cashmere in the long run. But… you know… my house elves are overworked as it is 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/55 "2010-10-17T03:16:49Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > \ > I bought several cheap pairs of scissors and have put them in the bathroom, kitchen, den, and my husband’s room. This way nobody has an excuse to use my good sewing scissors. And anyone who DOES use my good sewing scissors has to buy me a new pair within a week. I keep scissors, tape, and pens everywhere in the house, too. I hate searching frantically for any of those things at the last minute when I’m trying to wrap a gift or something and I know they’re in the house _somewhere_ but where the hell are they this time? ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/56 "2010-10-17T03:54:40Z")
My tip is that when I open a package of bacon, I store the package in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. The Ziploc bag is just big enough so that the package just fits. I roll the package in the Ziploc bag all the way up, squeezing out the air and then zipping the bag closed. The bacon lasts for an incredibly long time in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/57 "2010-10-17T05:47:58Z")
[ul] [li]We run the dishwasher right after dinner, then unload it before going to bed. That way we start every day with an empty dishwasher, so dishes don’t end up piling up in the sink or on the counter.[/li][li]I have a “one touch” rule when cleaning. If I find an item in one room that goes in another, I don’t pick it up, walk it into that room, then put it down. That just makes more clutter in that room and I have to pick that item up again to put it away. When I put it away the first time, I save a lot of time and aggravation![/li][li]We also pack lunches at night before bed. That way we get to sleep an extra 10 to 15 minutes in the morning![/li][li]I save most vegetable scraps (snapped-off ends of asparagus, cut ends of onions, green beans and carrots, etc.) and toss them in a ziplock freezer bag, adding to the bag as I get more scraps. When the bag is full, I make a pot of vegetable stock, then strain and throw away the cooked veggies.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/58 "2010-10-17T08:13:44Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > The bacon lasts for an incredibly long time in the fridge. How do you know? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/59 "2010-10-17T11:16:07Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > My tip is that when I open a package of bacon, I store the package in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. The Ziploc bag is just big enough so that the package just fits. I roll the package in the Ziploc bag all the way up, squeezing out the air and then zipping the bag closed. The bacon lasts for an incredibly long time in the fridge. We cook the entire package of bacon, and then individually freeze the extra strips, and pop them into a zippy bag. When we need bacon crumbles for a garnish, or want 2 strips with breakfast and don’t need to take the time to fry them up [actually we cook them in the foreman grill, they drain off nicely and stay nice and flat] A smidgeon of time in the microwave and you have ready bacon =) The bacon fat can be strained, and stored in the fridge in a plastic margarine tub I stole from my parents house, so when you need a tiny dab of it to flavor a pot of beans, it is ready. I love potatoes friend in bacon fat, but rarely get it because it really isn’t in my normal food plan - though I will use a teaspoon full to make an entire 14" skillet of bauernfruhstuck [diced cooked leftover potatoes, chopped onions, a small amount of diced ham, grilled tomatoes, eggs, some people like adding peppers but I don’t. Sort of like a german denver omelet but less eggy] ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089/60 "2010-10-17T13:20:41Z")
Have a designated spot or container for temporary stashing of recent purchase and shipping receipts, library or video rental due-by slips, etc. Get your towels to dry faster and discourage mildew by using clotheshangers under them to force them to spread out and apart in a tent-like fashion. (With a bath towel, use a fat plastic hanger on the shower-curtain rod; drape towel over hanger. For kitchen dishtowels, if you have a towel hook-thingy, bend a wire clotheshanger into a prongy-shape with at least two outstretched prongs, using the original bottom corners of the hanger. Hang from towel hook; hang towel on hook and drape over hanger. Et voila!) Enjoy fresher-smelling bedlinens and/or launder them less frequently by rotating your bed topsheet after a few days, as needed: reverse head-foot orientation, and/or flip it. (NB: I sleep clothed, with clean socks on my feet.) Even using this trick, I’ll change my topsheet every week or so, but the bottom sheet might be good for up to two weeks or more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/domestic-tricks-to-make-life-easier/557089.md?page=4)