# What's your best practical tip for around the house? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899 "2010-05-18T16:26:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**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:** [May 21, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/121 "2010-05-21T03:46:22Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > \ > > If you’ve stripped the wood taking a screw out of the wall too many times, cram a toothpick in there. The new wood will pick up the threads.\ We saw this being done by a hotel handyman - a larger version of this is a short piece of wooden chopstick, inserted in the hole (ideally flush with the surface) and insert the screw into the chopstick/hole. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/122 "2010-05-21T04:21:28Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Learn to tie a decent knot. There is no reason to pick through some horrible mish-mash that slips or jams anyway. Learn to tie half hitches, a clove hitch, a slip hitch or a trucker’s hitch, a sheet bend, and maybe a bowline. And most of all, remember this: Square knots kill. Don’t tie a square knot in anything important. Forever and ever amen. Square knots are suitable for tying packages with twine. Even in that case, if done improperly, you can accidentally create a Granny knot or even worse, the Thief knot. Do not use a square knot to join 2 pieces of rope together, that’s what the sheet bend is for. ---
**Author:** ![Heckity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Heckity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heckity)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/123 "2010-05-21T12:48:00Z")
> [@maplekiwi](#): > > I have just done a list of my elderly mother’s health history & emailed a copy to every family member who is ever likely to have to take her to hospital. I have a number of chronic illnesses (largely autoimmune) which all have a familial indication. While I’m not crazy about sharing my personal business, as my nephews and nieces grow up, marry and have their own children, I have told my siblings what to pass along with respect to my ailments. Anyone who has gone through a lengthy and anxious diagnostic process knows that having an extended family history can be very helpful in helping doctors direct their testing. At the very least your own children would appreciate knowing your medical anomalies, your parents history and grandparents if possible. When I’m able to get out for an extended walk, I slip the wallet copy of my ailments and medications into my pocket – just in case. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/124 "2010-05-21T15:56:42Z")
Take digital pictures of useful articles or information. Then you can throw away the originals and are able to find the information easier than paging through old magazines or newspapers. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/125 "2010-05-21T20:41:29Z")
When my oldest started kindergarten this year I realized I needed a way to keep temporary paperwork easily available. I was good at permanent filing but all the papers you need ‘just for a while’ were getting lost. Each family member now has a file hanging on the wall over the desk in the kitchen. I got some vertical files from Container Store that look nice. When kids or anyone comes home with paperwork that needs to be kept for a while, it goes into their own folder. Then when I am looking for that handout about the details of the field trip that day, or the class list, I know exactly where to look. The files are for temporary storage only, when the task is complete it goes out of the folder. Each time paperwork comes into the house I either file it temporarily like this, permanently, or discard it. I also keep our family schedules together with Google calendar. My husband and I can both add appointments and reminders for each other or the kids from anywhere. Then we have a one-week white board on the fridge where at the beginning of each week I transfer what is happening so we can all see it at a glance. I like to be able to see a week at a time and it is color coded by family member. I have a house binder that holds all appliance manuals, repair job receipts, renovation info, etc. It’s useful now but also when we sell the house anything that is permanently part of the house can stay with the new owners (no more wondering when the roof was replaced or who did the carpet in the basement, or what that plant is in the yard.) I keep a clorox wipes container in each bathroom to make it easy to wipe down the sink and counter each day. Magic erasers work on almost everything. That funky smell in your kitchen is probably a misplaced potato. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/126 "2010-05-21T20:49:28Z")
> [@Velma](#): > > When my oldest started kindergarten this year I realized I needed a way to keep temporary paperwork easily available. I was good at permanent filing but all the papers you need ‘just for a while’ were getting lost. Each family member now has a file hanging on the wall over the desk in the kitchen. I got some vertical files from Container Store that look nice. You , ma’am sound extremely organized. I have a simpler version of this system. When I moved here, I put up a couple square yards of softboard on the walls of the hallway. Then I painted them in the color of the walls. Now all those temporary papers, as well as coupons etc, go with tacks on that board. The other board in the hallway is for displaying postcards we got, for X-mas or birthdays. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/127 "2010-05-21T20:51:54Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > We saw this being done by a hotel handyman - a larger version of this is a short piece of wooden chopstick, inserted in the hole (ideally flush with the surface) and insert the screw into the chopstick/hole. If you don’t want to hunt down a chopstick, use a wooden golf tee. Sturdy, cheap, and plentiful; hammer one in, saw it off flush, and re-screw. Worked wonders to snug up a loose screw in a door hinge. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/128 "2010-05-21T20:57:22Z")
Another list idea (I don’t do this, but I have a friend)… If you cook the same large holiday meal each year (Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving), start a document. It has the menu, the shopping lists, the recipes, the timing (at 4:45 the potatoes go into the oven), hers even has what recipe gets served in what dish - because one year she used the medium casserole for the green beans instead of the small one and then didn’t have a place for the sweet potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/129 "2010-05-21T21:43:18Z")
> [@TheTerribleTako](#): > > This is such a great thread. > > Here’s my contribution: If you have cats who seem to barf on a semi-frequent basis, keep those junk mail envelopes and magazine subscription cardboard paper in a pile somewhere instead of tossing them out. When the cat barfs, just get a small plastic grocery bag and scoop the solids up with two of the envelopes and toss it all in the bag. \*\*It’s less messy than using your hands \*\*or a mop and you can just use a few paper towels to soak up any liquids that are left over. Toss this in the bag too. Tie up the entire bag and throw it in the trash. Easy and efficient, especially if the cat barfed on the carpet or rug. > > Junk mail can also be used to line the trash cans. We use grocery bags in our trash cans too, but they can sometimes have holes, which can be a pain when you’re throwing away smaller items. Put a few sheets of junk mail at the bottom of the bag and it’ll prevent leaks and give the whole bag more structure when you go to throw it away. Who knew junk mail could be useful? You use your HANDS!!! :eek: I mean, I love my cats and all, but … My tip: I keep old dryer sheets after they’ve run through the dryer a couple of times. They still have just enough fabric softener residue on them to stand up to static electricity. That, coupled with their disposability, makes them perfect dust rags, particularly for running over a computer or TV screen. I keep them in a Kleenex box near our electronics. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/130 "2010-05-22T06:25:32Z")
A few people on the boards here have mentioned tossing shower curtain liners (or vinyl shower curtains with no liners) when they get dirty and just buying new ones rather than deal with cleaning them. All you have to do is throw them in the washing machine with some rags or towels or something. They come out like brand new. Don’t put them in the dryer. I’m so lazy I don’t even take the rings off them before I wash them. ---
**Author:** ![TheTerribleTako](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@TheTerribleTako](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTerribleTako)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/131 "2010-05-22T06:34:27Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > You use your HANDS!!! :eek: I mean, I love my cats and all, but … Ah, no. Sorry, didn’t want to give that impression, but I’m so used to the two stiff pieces of junk paper scooping method that I didn’t think of other more useful methods. Instead, I should have said that it’s less messy than using any scooping instruments like a pooper scooper or something since you don’t have to wash that as well when you clean up. ---
**Author:** ![MsChilePepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MsChilePepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsChilePepper)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/132 "2010-05-22T07:50:06Z")
We use nothing but cloth napkins. They don’t have to be washed after every meal, but it’s easy to toss them in the wash with a load of towels. We keep 'em in a basket that sits on the kitchen island. Great for parties, just stick the basket on the buffet table. They don’t all match, but matchy is boring anyway; there’s a mishmash of fabrics and patterns and colors. My 5yo niece only wants to use the ones printed with grape clusters, which she calls “blueberry napkins”. No ironing needed, either, as long as you fold them soon after taking them out of the dryer. So much nicer than paper, better for the environment, and cheaper, too. If you’re prepping veggies to cook a meal, chop a bunch and keep the excess in the refrigerator. I have a Tupperware container I’ve designated the onion box. Chopped onion keeps for more than a week, so why not chop the whole onion since you’ve already dirtied the knife and cutting board? Same for chopped/sliced carrots, celery, cabbage, grated cheese, bacon, whatever you use most in cooking. Having things prepped and ready to throw together for a meal makes the cooking go a LOT faster. I very seldom use plastic wrap or foil; I store leftovers in the myriad Tupperware containers I own. I buy Tupperware at thrift stores whenever I find decent pieces; treat it carefully and it’ll last a lifetime. Yes, I admit I’m a Tupperware whore, but I also really dig the cheapo containers I’ve bought at Daiso. In any case, square or rectangular containers are best, because they take up less room than round ones, and you can stack them to save space. Speaking of Tupperware, they have a line of produce storage containers called FridgeSmart™ that _really work_ to extend the lifespan of your fresh fruits and veg. There are two snap-vents in each, and there’s a printed guide on the side of the container to tell you whether to open zero, one or two vents. They’re great! White vinegar is a fantastic all-purpose cleaner. It’s also a super laundry additive. Helps keep whites white and brights bright, eliminates odors, and kills mildew/fungus. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/133 "2010-05-22T09:34:20Z")
My tips are more practical than economic: 1. Turn on the hot water in the shower before brushing your teeth in the morning. It will save you a minute or two. 2. If you and your wife both have the same charger for your cell phone, leave one charger at work and one in a common area at home. 3. When using pants hangers (with the two clips on them,) lay the pants down flat on the bed and then attach the hanger to it. It’s rather embarrassing to admit that I used to hold both at the same time. Laying the pants down and then clipping it to the hanger takes about 5 seconds, and I can hang all my clothes in less than 5 minutes. Also, I pile them on the bed, and then move about 7-10 things to the closet at the same time. 4. If you are hanging clothes to dry, put them on the hangar first. This not only saves time putting it away, but it also saves space on the line. 5. Flip up the collars on shirts when hanging them. It prevents them from getting wrinkled. 6. If you don’t have time to iron, throw the item into the dryer for a few minutes on high heat. Some people recommend spraying it with a little water first. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/134 "2010-05-22T10:33:23Z")
**For the George Foreman Grill** : The best time to clean these are directly after you use them when the grill plates are still hot. But wait, you don’t want to do that right now. Because well, you’re hungry and that steak is look’n mighty fine. No problem. Just take a wet wash cloth (don’t ring it out) throw it on the grill and close it. Make sure you unplug it. It will give your grill a nice steam bath and keep the left over debris “soft” and workable until you are ready to clean it. Also, I buy my wash cloths 30 for $5 at Walmart. At that price I just throw mine away when they get dirty. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/135 "2010-05-22T11:02:07Z")
All my beds in my house are twin beds. ( Yes, even ours.) All our sheets are white. It makes things much easier if I don’t have to deal with the Transformers sheets are in the wash and the My Little Pony sheets are in the dryer and Why do I have Spongebob sheets on my bed and my husband has Carebears on his. Keepin’ in white for years. ( Our pillow cases are all different and practically involve knife fights if you touch anyone elses pillow case.) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/136 "2010-05-22T11:15:08Z")
> [@melodyharmonius](#): > > Afraid you are going to forget where you parked at the mall or in a parking garage? Take a picture of the Floor number/section with your phone. > > My boyfriend does this all the time and I think he’s so smart. I’ve done this for quite some time. But before cellphones I use to always park in the same area at the store. At one store it is by a specific cart corral. At the mall, by a specific store/light post. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/137 "2010-05-22T11:26:46Z")
I don’t buy paper towels anymore. I have a huge assortment of white kitchen towels and napkins (some started out colored, but they get bleached when they are washed.) All the linens in the house are white - sheets pillowcases, towels, etc. I buy cheap white flour sack towels and napkins whenever I see them - only 100% cotton. Once a week or so I run a bleach load and put the clean ones at the bottom of the kitchen basket where they reside. I probably go through 2-3 per day, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. I’ve been doing this for 20 odd years, and just last week for the first time I threw away one that was just too worn out to keep. Never put bleach in the laundry unless you actually need it. If you do, run the load through the first cycle twice. Once with the bleach, and the second time with a half dose of regular detergent. Then let the rinse cycle start normally. This way the bleach comes completely out of the fibers and your fabrics won’t break down. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/138 "2010-05-22T12:03:03Z")
> [@](#): > > White vinegar is a fantastic all-purpose cleaner. Actually, vinegar isn’t a cleaner at all. It’s a rinsing agent, and a very mild acid. What you’re doing is just rinsing something well, which is sometimes good enough. Put vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washer, and the detergent will come out better. Vinegar is excellent at loosening alkaline deposits in things like coffeepots, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a CLEANER, it means that it’s an acid. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/139 "2010-05-22T12:16:20Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > 1. If you and your wife both have the same charger for your cell phone, leave one charger at work and one in a common area at home. How do you decide which one gets to have a charger at work, though? Draw straws? Arm wrestle? ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899/140 "2010-05-22T12:19:23Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Speaking of towels, try to buy towels, sheets, and washcloths in white, unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise. A compelling reason is that your daughter is a Pink (or Purple) Princess, and refuses to accept white sheets. Or if one set of sheets is for the waterbed and the other set is for the regular bed. It’s fairly easy to tell a kingsized sheet from a fullsized. Another compelling reason: Someone in the house shaves and can’t be trained to stop wiping his bloody chin on the towels. Get a pair or so of black hand towels for his use, so you don’t have to treat a bunch of blood stains all the damn time. (Dark brown or navy blue or something would also work, depending on your bathroom decor.) Don’t wash them with your other towels even after they stop bleeding (heh!) dye, because they’ll come out all covered in white lint – wash 'em with jeans and other heavy darks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-best-practical-tip-for-around-the-house/539899.md?page=8)