The Latest in Household Hacks/Tips

Since I've been implementing the KonMari method from the book, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up," I've been trying to implement her tips and get my house in order.  It's an ongoing process, especially since I started a new full-time job this summer.  But, I'm excited about the progress that I've made so far.  One of the recent changes I've made since reading her book is that I've decided to corral all of my different bottles of shampoo and conditioner.  Jay didn't like how they would sometimes fall down.  And it was rather annoying having to move them all every time I cleaned out the tub.  Besides, they tend to get that yucky orange slime after sitting in the humid bathtub all week long.  The cost of the new solution was $0!  I had a little container that I bought a LONG time ago at the dollar store which I repurposed.  I'm happy to say that since I've started using this it's much easier to clean up the bathtub.

 

It's also a whole lot easier to clean the bathtub since I started making my own cleaner.  I can't give credit where credit is due, as I don't remember which blog I "stole" this idea from, but I'm forever thankful that I found out this helpful tip.  I have discovered the best cleaner ever to get rid of soap scum.  And it's simply a combination of two products that I already had in my home.  You mix equal parts of vinegar and Dawn dish detergent in a spray bottle.  And, "Voila!" you instantly have the world's best cleaning solution!  A note:  I still also like to use Soft Scrub with bleach for some tough stains.  It is what we used when I used to clean a hospital.

 

Some other changes that I've made under the sink is to keep my dishwashing gloves out of sight.  I now buy my gloves at a local Korean market.  They are much stronger, last longer and have handy hooks, which I can use to hang them up on hooks I've placed on the inside of my cupboard door under my kitchen sink.

 

One other very helpful tip that I picked up from a Pinterest idea was a way to store my baking sheets and drying racks in a space that is rather dark and hard to reach.  I simply bought one of those dividers at an Office store, which is normally used to divide things like books/papers.  I put it in the dark corner under my kitchen sink and placed all of my baking sheets upright in the dividers.  Much better use of the dark space and easier to get to those baking sheets, rather than stacking them.

 

 Speaking of my sink, I've begun to follow a new practice of trying to empty it every night and clean it real well to make it shine so that I can be happy when I come out into my kitchen the next morning.  I know it sounds so simple, but it's a new habit that actually doesn't come easy to me.  It would be much easier to just leave my dish pan in there perhaps with several dishes that I've left unwashed in it to face the next morning.  I got this revelation to try this new habit after watching, OurFarmhouseLife on Youtube.  Apparently, there are a lot of other people out there looking for these kinds of helpful household tips, since she has over 14K subscribers.  She, too, was inspired to declutter her house thanks to Marie Kondo.  She also refers a lot to the Fly Lady.  So, I have recently ordered her book, called "Sink Reflections".  I can't wait until it comes in the mail.

 

Many people would perhaps think that I have a rather small home. Compared with many Americans, it is on the smaller side.  I believe our home is around 1200 sq. feet.  However, by having a smaller home, it makes a person have to be a little intentional on figuring out how not to accumulate too much stuff.  After all, there is less space to store the stuff.  But, I do make use of space that we have which is not, necessarily a traditional way to use the space.  For instance, since we don't have an entryway, I've turned the space in our garage near the doors into a little "entryway", complete with a new shelf I bought and put together this summer.  I love the Japanese tradition of removing your shoes before entering your home.  That way you don't track in millions of bacteria into your home everyday.  Also, I make use of the pegboard walls to hang up larger pots and pans that do not fit well in my small kitchen.  You may wonder why I have a bag that says, "I'll wash tomorrow."  I'm not actually using it for laundry.  I use it to store several pairs of slippers, in case I have several guests who would like to wear slippers inside, since we remove our shoes.

 

I also keep things like my recycle bin in my garage, as well as my mop.  There are even cupboards out here where I can keep things like excess kitchen appliances, vases, water bottles, etc.  It's where I store items that are too tall to fit in my smaller kitchen cupboards.  So, you see, it is important to make the best use of your space rather than trying to cram too many things in or insisting that you need more space.  I'm learning that the more I'm learning to let go, I actually feel quite content in the space I have.  In fact, Marie Kondo has helped me begin to feel like I need to let go of many things, like worrying that we'll damage our beautiful wood kitchen table.  For years, I've kept it covered up, lest we might damage it.  But, I've decided to expose it so that we can enjoy it's natural beauty.  Here's the change.

 What are some new tips that you've started using that have set you free and made your life more enjoyable?  In other words, what have you been trying which sparks joy for you?  I'd love to hear!