# Cheating at housework



## corazon (Nov 13, 2006)

I am dreading the pile of clean laundry downstairs that needs to be folded.  Time to pull my favorite cheat, I'm just gonna throw it back in the dryer with the other waiting clothes.  dh will come home to a clean house in the morning.  

How about the rest of you?  Do you sweep the dirt under the rug?


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## Little Miss J (Nov 13, 2006)

I try not to but I do have a large pile or ironing waiting to be done.  Will have to wait until their is something on the tv I can iron to!


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## pdswife (Nov 13, 2006)

I've been known to do the same thing cora.... lazy lazy me.


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## corazon (Nov 13, 2006)

I even put dirty clothes in the washing machine.  dh is gonna get home and see no clean clothes waiting to be folded on the couch, no dirty clothes in the basket and an empty closet.  LOL


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## expatgirl (Nov 13, 2006)

Corazon----favorite tip that I love concerning what to do to resurrect already dried laundry that is still left in the dryer and now full of wrinkles because I've been lazy, busy, etc., is to throw a very damp washcloth in there and heat on a lower setting--it really does help to get out a lot of those wrinkles---now if it's 100% cotton stuff you might have to actually get that iron out after all.  Hope this helps!!


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## philso (Nov 13, 2006)

you guys iron?!?!? wow! in my opinion, clothes just finished from a dryer don't need any ironing. here in japan, dryers are virtually nonexistant. they're starting to make washing machines that dry the clothes too. i doubt that more than 1 or 2 out of a hundred homes have a dryer here.
  an interesting feature of newer washing machines is that they have a hose which allows you to use your used bathwater for the laundry. in theory anyway, the bathwater stays clean because people wash up outside of the tub, and then just soak in the hot water. the drill in my house is that after bath time, just before bed, i put a load on and use the bathwater (still fairly hot) for the first 2 out of 3 cycles, using regular water for the final rinse. i hang the laundry in the morning. 
  i used to have to dress up for work when i taught at college or highschools here, but now i run my own school, and jeans and a cotton t-shirt or sweatshirt are the order of the day. un-ironed. i let my daughter fold her own laundry. well, i suppose _make_ is the more appropriate word.
  i don't "cheat" at the housework, but i suppose you could say that i'm pretty comfortable in a house that has that "lived-in" feeling. lol


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## philso (Nov 13, 2006)

Little Miss J said:
			
		

> I try not to but I do have a large pile or ironing waiting to be done. _Will have to wait until their is something on the tv I can iron to!_


 
weighing in again here, i like to crank up some tunes when the housework gets serious. housework & a little dance workout, coupled with some caffeine and maybe some chocolate!!


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## lulu (Nov 13, 2006)

My cheats:  clean windows make the room look cleaner (and the vinegar seems to "clean the air") failing that, furniture polish sprayed in the room makes it smell clean, lol.  We don't use central heating much, but when we do I often put a sheet of the things you put in the dry to soften and freshen clothes behind the rad, they smell great.  I have only had one dryer, the one in our London home, but we don't use it that often, I love it but I am used to coping with out so my environmental tingle goes if I dry too much, lol.  

Oh yeah, if you wax bathroom tiles with car wax (which is admittedly hard work) for the next six months ish you can hose them down with out scrubbing or cleaning and the dirt and limescale don't stick, so bathroom cleaning takes mintues rather than an hour!

IMHO there is a secret to ironing.  Resign yourself to doing it, but don't think of a household chore, think aromatherapy steam treatment.  Get some fragranced water (I know lavender is traditional, but I prefer violet) spray away and steam your clothes and you face in front of goood tv or the radio.  As soon as its a beauty treatment rather than a chore it seems slightly less bad.


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## Reanie525i (Nov 13, 2006)

I just got this new product called "Wrinkle Free" - It is a spray you mist on wrinkled clothes - you put on hanger and smooth with your hands - wrinkles gone - Try it you will be amazed - I have also known to put clothes back in the washer on rinse cycle and retoss in dryer to get the wrinkles out - lol


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## goboenomo (Nov 13, 2006)

I used under my bed for about 4 years untill my parents found out and forced me to do an empty and complete clean of my entire room. It took me 4 hours.


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## In the Kitchen (Nov 13, 2006)

*Dryer Sheets*

What brand of fabric sheets do you throw in dryer to make clothes smell good?


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## lulu (Nov 13, 2006)

I use Bounce.....are they a global brand?  I have no idea.  I was just packing up our house for storage and I stuck one in each box too, lol.  I have a theory that the washing powders/fabric softeners in yellow boxes have the most nuetral smell so I tend to go for those....I know, barking, absolutely barking mad.


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## shannon in KS (Nov 13, 2006)

this is so funny!  Are you all in my house?!?!?!  aah, the perpetual housecleaning cycle....  I just said to my fiance this weekend, I could quit my job and stay home, and the work here still would not be done!  This is a funny one- thank goodness I can laugh about it now that I have cooled off.  My fiance's weekends are on Tues and Weds, and like the rest of us, dangit, its the weekend and we wanna relax.  So on a Friday, I go to get the pup some food, and I see three walmart bags, stuffed with......... yes, dirty dishes.   I was fuming!  Now I can giggle a little, but he had a hard week, and didn't feel like helping, but didn't want to be a bum either.  He swears he was going to do them!   

lulu, LOVE the car wax idea!  My downstairs apt is ALL linoleum!!!


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## amber (Nov 13, 2006)

I dont mind washing the clothes, but when there is alot and I forget they're in the dryer, I just turn the dryer back on to get the wrinkles out.  

I never iron clothes 

Lulu, we have bounce dryer sheets here, but I just use the store brand that smells the best.


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## Corinne (Nov 13, 2006)

My best tip is this: remove your contacts or glasses when you're at home. What you don't see isn't really there, is it?! 

Corinne


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## Dove (Nov 13, 2006)

When Paul retired after 42 years total...so did my iron.


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## corazon (Nov 14, 2006)

Shoot.  I have way too much laundry to stick it back in the dryer tonight.  Ah well, I'd best get folding.


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## Katie H (Nov 14, 2006)

We don't use dryer sheets in our house, but for those of you who do, please follow a simple safety step.

The dryer sheets are impregnated with the softner/non-cling components.  Regular use of these products can hamper the functioning of your dryer and make the motor work harder.  This is caused by the lint trap being clogged with the softener/non-cling residue.  The lint isn't filtered properly and this could lead to overheating and, in some cases, a dryer fire.

To test your lint filter, remove it, clean all the visible lint from it and then run it under your kitchen faucet with running water.  If the lint filter allows the water to run through it like a colander, your filter is just fine.  If the water runs off the filter and doesn't pass through, your filter is blocked.

Just give it a good soap-and-water wash and run water over it again.  This time it should run through just fine.  Try to do this about once a month if you use your dryer frequently.  Your dryer will last longer and you could avoid a dangerous dryer fire.

Even though we don't use dryer sheets here, I still test my filter occasionally.


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## Claire (Nov 14, 2006)

Corrinne, you cracked me up.  I noticed in recent years my mother doesn't wear her glasses as much as she used to.  I inherited her vision, and trust me, we are legally blind w/o them.  Now I know why!  I own a very old house, and they sprout dust bunnies and cobwebs like crazy.  Selective vision is the only answer!  I believe in every shortcut known to mankind.  I have friends who smoke, and though they do not in my house ... or even their own ... on Friday nights I find myself reeking of smoke after our usual happy hour get-togethers.  I spray the clothes with febreeze then run them through the dryer (with no heat if they are wool).  This will sound stupid, but to make us get up and clean house, I make sure we have some sort of company very regularly -- be it a brunch, supper, cocktails, whatever.  It makes us get up and clean the house.  I put up a lace curtain over half of the bathroom/mudroom/laundry room, and often just dump everything in sight into the bathtub and draw the curtain when entertaining last-minute.  Luckily virtually everyone in town also live in 100+ year old houses and have similar problems with the dust bunnies and cobwebs.  We all mutually agree to look the other way.


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## abjcooking (Nov 14, 2006)

I use bounce.  My trick is that I put them in all my shoes.


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## Opiñanita (Nov 14, 2006)

corazon90 said:
			
		

> I am dreading the pile of clean laundry downstairs that needs to be folded.  Time to pull my favorite cheat, I'm just gonna throw it back in the dryer with the other waiting clothes.  dh will come home to a clean house in the morning.
> 
> How about the rest of you?  Do you sweep the dirt under the rug?



Cora,
I don't know if this is cheating as much as it is getting back at your dh for all the times that you've left the house to run some errands and come back to find loads of clean laundry left on the couch by him for you to fold.


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## In the Kitchen (Nov 14, 2006)

*Thank You*



			
				Katie E said:
			
		

> We don't use dryer sheets in our house, but for those of you who do, please follow a simple safety step.
> 
> The dryer sheets are impregnated with the softner/non-cling components.  Regular use of these products can hamper the functioning of your dryer and make the motor work harder.  This is caused by the lint trap being clogged with the softener/non-cling residue.  The lint isn't filtered properly and this could lead to overheating and, in some cases, a dryer fire.
> 
> ...



What good advice!  Can never be too cautious.  Your response saved me.  I went shopping yesterday and picked up some Bounce Dryer Sheets.  Instead of throwing them in the dryer, I think I will use t hem in the drawers where I place the clothes.  I am now fearful about starting to use them.  I am trying to avoid more bills before Christmas.  Seems once they start coming trying to use strategy to avoid t hem is not easy. 

Thanks again


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## lulu (Nov 14, 2006)

Katie E, you are absolutely right, I have heard that, and indeed I do wash the filter every now and then, the water has always run through mine, perhaps it is because the dryer really is a fall back for us....in winter I use it maybe a couple of times a month when I have been disorganised and things are taking forever to dry, lol

bounce in my shoes, thats a great idea!  And yes, they are in my drawers too!  I am such a fan of them, I can't think how I got so hooked!  Especially wierd when you look at how I used them before we even had the dryer, lol


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## Half Baked (Nov 14, 2006)

I've read this before and my filter doesn't come out.  When  you open my dryer door the lint catcher is is right under the drum.  I'll have to ask Mr HB if it is sealed in or am I not strong enough to pull it out.

The Cable guy came today and I certainly cheated with cleaning.


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## cheers2wine (Nov 14, 2006)

*Socks*

My worse chore that I keep putting off is matching up the socks. I throw them into a large basket to do "later". When it's overflowing, we have to have sock folding party.

cheers2wine


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## lulu (Nov 14, 2006)

I just realised, that of course right now, while I am in UK I am the biggest cheat of all, I am staying with my mother who has a fantastic housekeeper who comes in!  LOL, what a cop out, huh!?  I just take care of my own rooms in the house right now!


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## Half Baked (Nov 14, 2006)

Oh Lulu, I am so jealous.  I had a housekeeper from the time I was a baby until 3 yrs ago when my company went under.  I think I miss her more than anything.


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## Constance (Nov 14, 2006)

goboenomo said:
			
		

> I used under my bed for about 4 years untill my parents found out and forced me to do an empty and complete clean of my entire room. It took me 4 hours.



All kids do that, Gobo. Periodically I'd get my nerve up and look under my kids' beds...usually when they ran out of socks. You would not believe (or maybe you would) some of the things I found under there...lots of dirty clothes, of course, homework that never got finished, test papers with scores they didn't want me to see, lost school books, candy wrappers, glasses, dirty dishes, and all kinds of food scraps. Once I found a cereal bowl that still had very old milk and Fruit Loops in it. 
It's no wonder we had mice.


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## Katie H (Nov 14, 2006)

cheers2wine said:
			
		

> My worse chore that I keep putting off is matching up the socks. I throw them into a large basket to do "later". When it's overflowing, we have to have sock folding party.
> 
> cheers2wine



We solved this problem a long time ago in our house.  But, bear in mind, there are only the two of us here.  At any rate, Buck only buys one color of socks of the same brand, so matching is a breeze.


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## Alix (Nov 14, 2006)

cheers2wine said:
			
		

> My worse chore that I keep putting off is matching up the socks. I throw them into a large basket to do "later". When it's overflowing, we have to have sock folding party.
> 
> cheers2wine


 
Oh boy. That is me to a tee! Usually when the sock bin gets really full though I will make one of the kids match and sort them. What a mean mommy I am! LOL.


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## corazon (Nov 14, 2006)

Katie E said:
			
		

> We solved this problem a long time ago in our house. But, bear in mind, there are only the two of us here. At any rate, Buck only buys one color of socks of the same brand, so matching is a breeze.


We do this too.  Before that, if there were any unmatched socks, I just threw them back in the dirty laundry.  I figure the socks would find eachother eventually.  Sock destiny.


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## Barb L. (Nov 14, 2006)

Reanie525i said:
			
		

> I just got this new product called "Wrinkle Free" - It is a spray you mist on wrinkled clothes - you put on hanger and smooth with your hands - wrinkles gone - Try it you will be amazed - I have also known to put clothes back in the washer on rinse cycle and retoss in dryer to get the wrinkles out - lol


I have done this too! Hate wrinkles!


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## Katie H (Nov 14, 2006)

To continue with the softener sheet idea, I keep one in each pocket of my winter coat.  I wipe it on my car door handle before trying to insert the key in the wintertime.  No more zapping from the static electricity.

When it comes to cheating at housework, several houses ago I had a kitchen that had open spaces above the cabinets.  Nice to display decorative and seldom used items, but a pain to keep clean, especially from cooking film.

I solved the problem by measuring the width and depth of the tops of the cabinets.  I cut newspaper to those dimensions and put 12 sheets of newspaper on top of the cabinets.  Once a month I removed a sheet.  No more scrubbing the tops of my cabinets.


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## 3babies (Nov 14, 2006)

What an excellent idea for the tops of cabinets!!


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## In the Kitchen (Nov 14, 2006)

*Katie E*

That is so good!  Should get some kind of special award for that.  My mother lived in an old farmhouse w/high ceilings and cabinets were the same.  Had lot of room but when she wanted to clean those cabinets she would call me and felt bad that she couldn't do herself.  Had to climb ladder and would not get done as often as it should.  She would have appreciated your idea.  Always grateful to someone who helped her.  This is good hint even if you don't have high ceilings.  Just trying to clean the grease  from the tops of things bothers me.  Really have to scrub to get off.  I have tried Greased Lightning on the wall behind my stove and that is only and i do mean ONLY thing gets it off.  I have tried pure ammonia and also clorox and nothing gets it off but this stuff.  I never ever heard of this before.  Even the egg came off and I don't know how that even got on the wall!  it was dried too!!


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## Barb L. (Nov 14, 2006)

Have any of you tried the cleaner called "Awesome" we get it at the dollar store.  It quite is awesome - we use if for everything, counter tops, walls, floors, my son keeps a bottle in his truck, also on our fifth wheel, its a concentrate, (it says) but we use it full strength - not on glass though ! Comes in a plastic spray bottle !


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## mudbug (Nov 14, 2006)

Constance said:
			
		

> All kids do that, Gobo. Periodically I'd get my nerve up and look under my kids' beds...usually when they ran out of socks. You would not believe (or maybe you would) some of the things I found under there...lots of dirty clothes, of course, homework that never got finished, test papers with scores they didn't want me to see, lost school books, candy wrappers, glasses, dirty dishes, and all kinds of food scraps. Once I found a cereal bowl that still had very old milk and Fruit Loops in it.
> It's no wonder we had mice.


 
LOL, Connie and gobo.  Gobo, you sound like my kid (15).  Recently I removed 27 towels from her room.  I didn't even know we had that many towels! 

She also swears that she has at least 3 weeks' worth of underwear (I didn't buy that much), so she doesn't have to do her laundry that often.

Right.

I guess I was a slob at that age - and beyond - too.  But not any more.  I can live with a fair amount of dirt, but clutter sends me up the wall.  And I still have that as well.  HH's specialty is little wadded up pieces of paper, which turn out to be credit card slips usually, or phone numbers that he's forgotten who they belong to.


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## NancyG (Nov 14, 2006)

In case anyone's looking for more ideas with dryer sheets other than the dryer! (from Bellaonline)

*BOUNCE DRYER SHEETS
And all this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!*
It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

Spread them around foundation areas, or in trailers or cars that are sitting. It also keeps mice from entering your vehicle. 

It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.

Repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

Eliminates static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

Freshen the air in your home. Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew. 

Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing. 

Freshen the air in your car. Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat. 

Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food.

Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling. 

Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth. 

Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. Keeps them smelling fresh


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## Barb L. (Nov 14, 2006)

OMG-Thank you so very much for all these tips !


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## In the Kitchen (Nov 14, 2006)

*Nancy G*

You sold me!  Never bought Bounce before yesterday.  Now I feel where have I been?  I am going to copy your comments and keep near my recent purchase of Bounce.  Like I said, I don't know where I have been! Worth the price of the box.  I won't forget this.  Would have saved me a bundle w/mice pellets to keep them away.  All I had to do was check w/you.  Even mosquitoes and I hate them.  I put some in my drawers and even though I haven't cleaned in the room yet it smells good.  Thanks and keep us post ed w/all your  information.


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## Corinne (Nov 14, 2006)

For the rest of you slackers (I am the biggest one), check out the November issue of Good Housekeeping - they have a feature dedicated to us!


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## Reanie525i (Nov 14, 2006)

Nancy G - Thanks - I could use a few of these hints - Had no idea that fabric sheets would be so usefull - Esp. when it comes to cleaning pots and pans - I thank you more than you know!! - I LOVE to cook, but hate to clean up after!!! Think I need a dishwasher for Christmas -


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## lulu (Nov 15, 2006)

Nancy G! Bounce Queen!  They are great tips, I am going to print them out too.  I always knew I loved those things, lol


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