https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:09:13 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-5217 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:01:28 +0000 looch 5217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have another tip, this one for organizing the freezer:</p> <p>I use gallon ziplock bags to categorize my stuff. In one bag, I have smaller portions of chicken, another has pork and bacon, another beef. I also make smoothies some mornings, so I portion out the bananas that are going bad with other fruits into small baggies and freeze those. They are all tucked in another ziplock bag. I also keep one other, for veggies to use for stock. For some reason, the celery and carrots wilt in the fridge, so when they get past prime to eat fresh, they go in another bag. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-4284 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:09:56 +0000 LazyLightning 4284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ditto WinnieBee! Cleaning person 2x a month is a great household tip. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-4274 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:30:43 +0000 mrs. wagon 4274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I keep a pack of disinfecting wipes in view in every bathroom and the kitchen by the sink. That way if I feel like something needs cleaning/wiping down, I can just grab and do it in a second rather than going into the cabinet under the sink, etc. I also clean the tub during showers but we have very hard water so we end up having to do massive tub cleanings as well as throwing away and installing new shower curtains every 6 months or so. I absolutely hate vacuuming so that falls to Rob Sr... we got a Dyson which works great, but we don't vacuum nearly as much as we should. </p> <p>I can't wait to get a cleaning service. I've already decided that once we move and I'm working full time again and we're done having kids, we're definitely hiring one that also does laundry. I'm so excited. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-4219 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:41:53 +0000 joyjoy 4219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I bought one of those laundry sorters to help make laundry easier for the hubs , too, except ours has four hamper bags plus we use an extra one on the side. We do lights, darks, whites and blacks in the sorter and jeans in the separate hamper. Hubby wears enough black shirts that it needed it's own hamper, and lights and whites are separated because we had an incident where the hubs washed them together and turned all the whites pink (there was a pink scarf in the laundry that shouldn't have been there, but he's traumatized). </p> <p>I just got the hubs on board with hiring a cleaning service (it was also harder to find since I specifically wanted a green/eco-friendly service), so we'll be trying that out soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-4125 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:48:09 +0000 looch 4125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bakingabub: If my husband didn't sort his stuff, I'd just not do his laundry until he sorted it. Sometimes he puts the wrong color socks in the darks, but for the most part he follows it.</p> <p>Another tip is to keep the cleaning supplies in the rooms. So in the living room, dust rags, furniture polish, etc. A separate kit in each of the bathrooms, etc. This way if you have a bit of time, you can just clean up while you are in the room or before guests come over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-4110 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:42:03 +0000 anewme 4110@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i decided to get a steam mop for our hardwood floors and tiles. I gave it a twirl today and boy, I'm sold. It cleans soo well and so easy to use and I love that it disinfects because of the high temperature too. It claims to get rid of 99.9% of germs. It's super important for a household with kids now! I totally recommend it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-4012 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:43:06 +0000 MaisyMay 4012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I bought a tri-hamper at Walmart for $9. Yeah, it's super cheap, but works so well! We do whites, colors, darks and it makes it really easy for Hubs to do laundry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3953 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:18:10 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 3953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oooo, the hubs wants me to get a "system" and I might just look into that one. thanks! @looch </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3947 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:14:06 +0000 bakingAbug 3947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Looch - I wish that worked for me. I have one of those but Hubs refuses to sort his stuff so it just becomes a jumbled up pile of whatever. I end up dumping everything out and sorting from scratch to do the laundry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3944 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:09:57 +0000 looch 3944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My best tip is for laundry: a three hamper sorter system on casters. Bought it at Costco, and it is labelled "baby," "lights/whites," "darks." This way, DH knows what to wash together if he's doing laundry. Pre-baby, the third hamper was "dryclean/handwash." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3649 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:16:32 +0000 chopsuey 3649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been wanting to use vinegar to clean.. but I don't want a lingering vinegar smell. Does your house smell like vinegar? Or does the smell vanish? </p> <p>I keep a scrubbing brush in the shower and scrub while my conditioner sits in my hair for a few mins. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3637 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:10:22 +0000 Andrea 3637@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO also learned to clean up from day care, around 16 months. Now she even cleans up after her messy daddy. But now we joke that maybe she is just an OCD 17 month old! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3629 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:06:58 +0000 mrbee 3629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Charlie picked up in daycare, and also previously from his nanny.</p> <p>Lately he's mostly just drawn and watched YouTube videos though. Those are great b/c they don't require a lot of cleanup! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3627 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:05:51 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 3627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i want a cleaner so bad. but alas we can't do that right now. I like the idea of a sponge though. pretty smart.</p> <p>Cleanup song. I need to learn that asap.<br /> When did charlie start putting his toys away? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3585 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:39:41 +0000 Andrea 3585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read this tip somewhere and have been doing it ever since. Before you leave a room, take a quick scan around to see if there is anything that needs tidying or returned to another room. That way you're always kinda picking up after yourself or others in a more effortless way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3574 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:32:58 +0000 Mrs. Bee 3574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ditto to the housecleaner every two weeks. i just wish she could come more often because our apartment doesn't stay clean very long!</p> <p>i don't have any household shortcuts, but i do use vinegar to clean everything. it's cheap, effective, and eco friendly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3543 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:16:20 +0000 Shutterbug 3543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>haha well this thread is turning into an advertisement for cleaning companies :)</p> <p>I keep Clorox and Windex wipes under the sink, and I wipe down the counter/sink/mirror while I'm brushing my teeth.</p> <p>I also load podcasts onto my ipod and listen to them while I clean - or I listen to stand up comedy stations on Pandora. Makes the time go by faster. Granted, I don't have kids yet, so there's no one distracting me. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3539 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:54:19 +0000 sandsandmore 3539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Winnie, we do the same! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3516 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:36:08 +0000 Coastinganon 3516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Winnie we use that shortcut!!! Best. shortcut. ever. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3510 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:06:32 +0000 mrbee 3510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been amazed that if you sing the cleanup song, kids learn to put their stuff away!</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b4gSs0KhIU" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b4gSs0KhIU</a></p> <p>That helps a little bit, at least... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3505 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:33:40 +0000 MaisyMay 3505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Winnie - That would be a hint that I could appreciate! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3503 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:16:11 +0000 winniebee 3503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, that's very creative!!</p> <p>The only household shortcut I have learned was having a cleaning person come every other week. Terrible splurge, but it's the best money we spend these days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/household-hints#post-3498 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:40:04 +0000 MaisyMay 3498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been wondering what household shortcuts and cheats you use to make your life easier. For instance, I read recently about keeping a sponge on the bottom of the tub and using your foot to clean the tub during a shower, and it works amazingly well!<br /> Let's put together a list of shortcuts for each other to make housecleaning a little easier! </p>