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?!”
1. DIY pet feeding station
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. (via Chezerbey)
2. Mount cutlery drawers for jewellery
Wall mount cutlery trays and add a cup hook in each compartment for brilliant jewelery storage. Get the instructions at Mini Manor. (via Maillard Ville Manor)
3. “File” your clothes
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. (via Apartment Therapy)
4. Remove scratches from a DVD
5. Protect breakables with kids’ floaties
Packing tip: Protect breakables such as wine bottles or food containers with children’s inflatable floaties. (via Real Simple)
6. Organise your tights
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. (via What I Wore)
7. Keep cakes fresh with bread
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!) (via Baked Bree)
8. Use milk bottles for pencil storage
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. (via Craftzine)
9. Make a non-slip dish cloth
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! (via Martha Stewart)
10. Organise Tupperware with CD racks
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. (via Better Homes and Gardens)
11. “Whipped” detergent stain removal
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.” (via Apartment Therapy)
12. Store cookie cutters on the wall
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. (via Annies Eats)
13. Iron clothes with a hair straightener
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. (via Real Simple)
14. Keep cans in a magazine file
This clever idea is part of a pantry makeover. Check out the full project here. (via Pbj Stories)
15. Cook while you’re not home
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. (via Mama and Baby Love)
16. Pack like a pro
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.
17. Never lose your pen
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. (via Biancolo)
18. Make your own air freshener
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. (via The Burlap Bag)
19. Create extra kitchen storage
Hang a shoe organiser over your pantry or kichen door and fill it with cooking utensils and supplies that you use every day. (via Better Homes and Gardens)
20. Clean grout with an electric toothbrush
Take to your grout with an electric toothbrush and some baking soda to cut through the soap scum (and the elbow grease). (via DIY Life)
21. Use shower caps as food cover
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. (via The Kitchn)
22. Prevent necklaces tangling
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 … (via Real Simple)
23. Dry waterlogged gadgets with rice
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! (via All GSM Tips)
24. Portion mince meat before freezing
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. (via Lunch In a Box)
25. Perfectly peel a kiwi fruit
Using a knife and a spoon, here’s how to peel your kiwi fruit without a morsel wasted. Check out the video for instructions. (via Steamy Kitchen)
Want more? Read our previous list of 25 clever ideas to make life easier
