25 (more) clever ideas to make life easier
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We heard you loud and clear. When we published our first list of clever ideas to make life easier last year, we received an overwhelming response. So without further ado, here’s another 25 ingenious household tips and organisational tricks that will have you saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?!”
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1. DIY pet feeding station
Source: chezerbey.com
Got an empty kitchen shelf? Feeling handy? Cut holes in a the bottom shelf and countersink dog food bowls for a cute and out-of-the-way dog feeding station.
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2. Mount cutlery drawers for jewellery
Source: maillardvillemanor.com
Wall mount cutlery trays and add a cup hook in each compartment for brilliant jewelery storage. Get the instructions at Mini Manor.
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3. “File” your clothes
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
Avoid messy dresser drawers by “filing” your clothing side-by-side instead of stacking items on top of each other. See the before and after at Apartment Therapy.
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4. Remove scratches from a DVD
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Has putting Toy Story on constant repeat finally taken its toll? Remove scratches from your favourite DVDs with a few household items, including peanut butter and toothpaste!
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5. Protect breakables with kids’ floaties
Source: realsimple.com
Packing tip: Protect breakables such as wine bottles or food containers with children’s inflatable floaties.
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6. Organise your tights
Source: whatiwore.tumblr.com
Rather than bundling them in your drawer, loop tights over a coathanger and store them in your wardrobe. Particularly pretty if you have a rainbow legwear collection like Jessica at What I Wore.
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7. Keep cakes fresh with bread
Source: bakedbree.com
Pre-bake your cakes and keep them fresh overnight by placing a slice of bread on top. In the morning your bread will be hard as a rock but the cake will remain moist, ready to ice. We have no idea how it works but Bree from Bake Bree swears by it! (Hot tip: check out her chocolate peanut butter cake while you’re there. OMG!)
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8. Use milk bottles for pencil storage
Source: blog.craftzine.com
Grab a craft knife and recycle your large plastic milk bottles in to pencil holders. Extra points if you go all OCD and file them by colour.
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9. Make a non-slip dish cloth
Source: marthastewart.com
Attach a strip of velcro to your tea towel, loop over your oven door handle and join the ends – voila, a non-slip dish towel!
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10. Organise Tupperware with CD racks
Source: bhg.com
You need to find a use for those wire CD racks now that no one buys CDs anymore. Re-purpose them to hold your Tupperware lids.
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11. “Whipped” detergent stain removal
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
For upholstery stain removal, whip it good! Apartment Therapy says, “Fill a container with half dish detergent, half water, and use a hand mixer to whip it up. Use a rag to rub the froth into the spot, and then rinse with water.”
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12. Store cookie cutters on the wall
Source: annies-eats.com
Use a peg board and hooks wall mounted in your pantry for a super organised cookie cutter wall! See how Annie did it here at Annie’s Eats.
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13. Iron clothes with a hair straightener
Source: realsimple.com
Touch up your ironing job with a hair straighter. It’s great for getting in between buttons and smoothing our minor wrinkles when you don’t have time get your ironing board out. Go for a model with adjustable heat, set it low, and make sure there’s no residue hair product on the straightener first.
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14. Keep cans in a magazine file
Source: pbjstories.com
This clever idea is part of a pantry makeover by Pamela at PB&J Stories. Check out the full project here.
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15. Cook while you’re not home
Source: mamaandbabylove.com
Here’s a pro tip for mid-week meals. Prepare all the ingredients for multiple slow cooker meals at once, then dump them in to bags and freeze. When you’re ready to cook, simply take a bag out, throw the ingredients in to the cooker and turn it on. When you come home from work, dinner is waiting. Find recipes and details at Mama and Baby Love.
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16. Pack like a pro
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This is called the “clown car” or “bundled” packing method, which involves layering and wrapping clothes around each other instead of the usual method of folding and stacking. It’s a little hard to describe in words, so watch the video to get the idea, or check out this diagram.
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17. Never lose your pen
Source: biancolo.com
Put magnets inside a pen and stick it to the fridge and you’ll always have a pen handy. Unscrew the end of your pen, trim the ink straw a little with scissors and put a few small disc magnets inside.
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18. Make your own air freshener
Source: theburlapbag.com
So apparently, you don’t really need all those scented plug-ins, sprays, or automatic dispensers that look like space ships. This recipe couldn’t be easier. It’s just baking soda, with around 8 drops of your favourite essential oil. Give it a shake every now and then to refresh the scent.
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19. Create extra kitchen storage
Source: bhg.com
Hang a shoe organiser over your pantry or kichen door and fill it with cooking utensils and supplies that you use every day.
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20. Clean grout with an electric toothbrush
Source: diylife.com
Take to your grout with an electric toothbrush and some baking soda to cut through the soap scum (and the elbow grease).
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21. Use shower caps as food covers
Source: thekitchn.com
Avoid wrestling with plastic wrap or cling film by using shower caps instead. The elastic conforms to the shape of your container and they’re reusable too.
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22. Prevent necklaces tangling
Source: realsimple.com
It seems whatever way I pack my jewellery, it’s always a mess when I get to my destination. Until now! Stop necklaces from forming knots by undoing the clasp, threading a straw through and re-clasping. So clever! Just remember to take the straw off before you wear it …
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23. Dry waterlogged gadgets with rice
Source: techgran.com
If your precious iPhone takes an unexpected swim, all is not lost. Lots of people have had success in reviving their waterlogged tech gadgets with rice. Turn your phone off, take out the SIM card and place in a bag or bowl of rice for 48-72 hours. Check out video instructions here. Good luck!
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24. Portion mince meat before freezing
Source: lunchinabox.net
Place mince meat in a large ziploc bag and flatten out evenly. Separate in to portions using a chopstick or skewer and then freeze. When it’s time to defrost, you can simply break off the amount you need and put the rest back in the freezer.
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25. Perfectly peel a kiwi fruit
Source: steamykitchen.com
Using a knife and a spoon, here’s how to peel your kiwi fruit without a morsel wasted. Check out the video for instructions.
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Want more? Read our previous list of 25 clever ideas to make life easier
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