LIFE HACKS are extremely popular these days because in today's fast-paced world, we all need simple solutions to address everyday troubles in as little time as possible. Whether one is working a 9 to 5 or does freelance work at home, we mommas need all the help we can get to get things done in a very orderly fashion.
And because I believe keeping our homes neat and clean need not to get in the way of us enjoying leisure time with our families, I scoured the interwebs for simple yet creative hacks that I can do using the items I already have at home. While some of them are already very popular and are no longer new to you, I still listed the top 15 household hacks I practice/do at home that I find really, really useful.
1. So you have a big bag of tissue rolls for the 3½ baths you have at home. Use a magazine rack to store them (make sure they're in your favorite color/house theme too for a more cohesive look!).
Just don't forget to add a stopper (here, i used Vania's hair tie) to keep them from rolling off the container.
2. Non-slip bath rugs with just the use of glue gun. While some brands claim that their bath rugs already come with non-slip back sides, there are still instances when they fail you, like, big time. Take it from someone who owns a couple of "non-slip" ones only to find myself dealing with slippery ones every now and then. So I make sure to always take extra caution by applying hot glue to the back sides of all our rugs!
3. Hide your house keys in plain sight by using pretty storage boxes as holders. Who would think that an inconspicuous wooden box holds your house keys? Not only does it hide your keys effectively, it also doubles as a wall decoration! Learned this hack from my mom and this pretty little box is also from her!
4. Keep your kitchen counters tidy and your walls pretty by using tea bag storage boxes that can also double as wall decor. I like our counter clutter-free because I need ALL the space whenever Vania and I are baking something so my husband and I thought it best to just mount our tea bag box on the wall-- and voila! Function and aesthetics rolled into one!
5. Speaking of clutter-free kitchen counters, use magazine rack to organize your chopping boards. I have 3 different chopping boards for different uses-- 1 for meat, 1 for vegetables and fruits, the other one for Vania's bento snacks. I used to just store them inside cabinets after air-drying them but I find it doubly useful to just use an artsy rack to air-dry and at the same time organize them.
6. Acrylic brochure racks to hold all non-stick paper. Keep your baking needs organized by using a brochure rack that you can stick somewhere in your kitchen that is easy to find/reach. For things that we occasionally use, we tend to always store in the back of our kitchen drawers or pantry. But why not place them somewhere where you can easily see them (easier inventory!) yet concealed enough not to be considered as an eye sore? Sticking mine to the side of our fridge (but still waiting for the husband to do it for me! haha!)
7. For hard to reach places in your kitchen, use a lazy susan. If you have a corner in your pantry that you want to maximize storage space, use a lazy susan. For the top shelf cabinets, use a lazy susan. For the top part of your fridge? Use a lazy susan! While some like this part clutter-free, I am still utilizing this part to hold frequently used/consumed goods. The husband and I are still trying to decide if we should add additional cabinets or just do a complete kitchen makeover so until we arrive at a decision, I am making do with what we currently have right now and this lazy susan trick saves me from unnecessary stretching exercises. Haha!
8. Who doesn't love this junk food snack?! While the can keeps the crisps crispy and intact, shoving your hand all the way down could crush them beautiful little things (if you're not careful) or risk enjoying a confetti of Pringles if you "drink" from the canister. So why not fold a clean paper in half, shove it down the canister, and just slide them pretty little things in and out of the can? Yes? You're welcome!
9. Store cupcake liners and toppers in pretty glass jars. Two things: easier inventory, pretty shelf accents!
10. Use cupcake liners as popsicle drip catchers! Clever, easy, fun and clean!
11. Make your own polish remover in a jar. Forget about wasting a couple of cotton rounds just to remove your week-old polish or forego buying expensive ones from distinguished brands. Just grab a clean jar, kitchen sponge and your favorite polish remover and you have for yourself a spill-proof, cotton-round saving polish remover! (Don't forget to moisturize!!!)
12. Keep metal cans from rusting by coating the bottom ring with clear nail polish. Not only does it prevent the metal from oxidizing (thus leaving unsightly ring stains) it also keeps your shaving cream cans from slipping, and your bathroom sink free from accidental scratches.
13. Use a binder clip to squeeze the life out of your toothpaste tube. No need to buy expensive fancy schamncy tools you guys!
14. This next life hack is a lifesaver! We have 3 beds in different sizes and each has 2-3 sheet sets as back-ups. To keep our linen cabinet as organized as possible, I store the bedsheets inside their matching pillowcases that way, I only need to pull out one item instead of going through piles and piles of linens looking for the rest of the set. Saves you time, effort and space!
15. I do most of the upkeep at home and on good days when I want to do everything all at once, then I do them all at once. No ifs, not buts. I usually do these in between driving and picking up Vania from school and while one worries about amoy-pawis or amoy-araw, I most certainly do not because Downy keeps me smelling fresh even after sweating. With its sweat-activated benefit that fights off malodours from bacteria and sweat, I am certain that no matter how I run around the house cleaning/putting everything together, it's still guaranteed that Vania would still want to hug and kiss me once I pick her up from school without the slightest trace of mommy-you-look-and-smell-icky-what-have-you-been-doing kinda look! After all, we mommies need to always smell, look, and feel fresh for the sake of our sanity, yes? I find that I am most effective when I am refreshed, feeling, looking and smelling fresh! I personally do our laundry because I want to make sure that all clothes are segregated properly, whites with whites, beddings with beddings, delicate items with delicate items, enough use of laundry detergent and ample amount of Downy for a particular wash load. No laundry time is ever complete without Downy and the fact that it's the only brand my mom only trusts is enough reason for me to patronize it as well. Like what they all say, mothers know best!
Got any other household hacks to share? Let me know by commenting down below! I hope you guys find this pretty helpful-- don't forget to share if you do!
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