What Are You Doing (Or Not Doing) To Make Life Easier?

I had to giggle when I read this and thought to myself... Being a member here!
I love being a member, I love the personalities, the diversity, the topics and really love the playful banter
but... darn, you people are addictive! Being without electric was horrible and I really missed checking on all of you.

Here's to many many more years of conversation, banter and just caring about each other!
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Kaila said:
Great thread topic, and lots of good ideas shared, already.
Thank you, all!
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Thank you Kaila. I'm glad you are finding this thread to be useful. I thought of more things.
Regarding laundry:
~I am taking slightly lighter loads downstairs.

~About two and a half years ago, I purchased these bags to carry my wet laundry upstairs instead of using one 33 gallon garbage bag, slung over my back. Added bonus....I love the colors, pattern and design of these bags, which I got for $1.75 each.

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~I use Downy wrinkle releaser on certain items as soon as I remove them from my dryer. This cuts down on the amount of ironing I have to do. In fact, due to the materials many of my garments are made of that are hung up immediately after taking them out of the dryer and using the Downy, I haven't had to iron in months.

~Since I do have to drag clothes down and up flights of stairs, I spray some of my clothes with disinfectant after wearing so I can wear them more than once. There are three more steps inside the building besides the ones shown here

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I keep a small plastic bag in my freezer to put empty packaging from meat or seafood. That way my garbage can does not stink and I can wait until it is full before taking it outside to the dumpster. I cannot stand that smell in the garbage can and was taking bags out that were barely even half full. I just add that plastic bag from the freezer when I am taking it out.

I keep a couple of plates and a bowl and mug in my dish drainer instead of putting them away. I wash them and just leave them in the drainer. That way they are easy to get to and I don't have to put them away. My cupboards are not very deep so everything has to be piled on top of each other. Hurts my shoulders dealing with that. Now I don't have to.

Putting a fitted sheet on a bed can be difficult for me. My BF shared this tip with me for an adjustable bed. Raise one end up and put the sheet on it then lower it and raise the other end. Stretch the sheet to that end and put it on. Then lower it. It is done and works for me every time.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Thank you Kaila. I'm glad you are finding this thread to be useful. I thought of more things.
Regarding laundry:
~I am taking slightly lighter loads downstairs.

~About two and a half years ago, I purchased these bags to carry my wet laundry upstairs instead of using one 33 gallon garbage bag, slung over my back. Added bonus....I love the colors, pattern and design of these bags, which I got for $1.75 each.

View attachment 490202

~I use Downy wrinkle releaser on certain items as soon as I remove them from my dryer. This cuts down on the amount of ironing I have to do. In fact, due to the materials many of my garments are made of that are hung up immediately after taking them out of the dryer and using the Downy, I haven't had to iron in months.

~Since I do have to drag clothes down and up flights of stairs, I spray some of my clothes with disinfectant after wearing so I can wear them more than once. There are three more steps inside the building besides the ones shown here

View attachment 490203


View attachment 490204
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Those stairs! Be careful, they look dangerous.
 
katlupe said:
I keep a couple of plates and a bowl and mug in my dish drainer instead of putting them away. I wash them and just leave them in the drainer. That way they are easy to get to and I don't have to put them away. My cupboards are not very deep so everything has to be piled on top of each other. Hurts my shoulders dealing with that. Now I don't have to.
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Similar to your strategy, I packed away all but two place settings of dishes, glasses, and silverware.

I never have company and two settings works well to reduce cabinet clutter and motivates me to stay on top of the dish washing.

Also, going to a twin bed was helpful to me in changing bedding, reducing laundry, etc…
 
katlupe said:
I keep a small plastic bag in my freezer to put empty packaging from meat or seafood. That way my garbage can does not stink and I can wait until it is full before taking it outside to the dumpster. I cannot stand that smell in the garbage can and was taking bags out that were barely even half full. I just add that plastic bag from the freezer when I am taking it out.

I keep a couple of plates and a bowl and mug in my dish drainer instead of putting them away. I wash them and just leave them in the drainer. That way they are easy to get to and I don't have to put them away. My cupboards are not very deep so everything has to be piled on top of each other. Hurts my shoulders dealing with that. Now I don't have to.

Putting a fitted sheet on a bed can be difficult for me. My BF shared this tip with me for an adjustable bed. Raise one end up and put the sheet on it then lower it and raise the other end. Stretch the sheet to that end and put it on. Then lower it. It is done and works for me every time.
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At work with the ICU beds we have to raise both ends to get the sheet on. Otherwise it's like wrestling crocs. Lol
 
Murrmurr said:
I got this one for $89 plus tax:

View attachment 490733

I got it at a hardware store, but Amazon has them. It has a wash cycle and a spin cycle and it works beautifully.
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What is the brand name? I am looking on there right now. I want to find one exactly like the one you got since you tested it out already. Not sure I can have one in my apartment. It is in my lease but not sure if that includes portable ones too.
 
katlupe said:
What is the brand name? I am looking on there right now. I want to find one exactly like the one you got since you tested it out already. Not sure I can have one in my apartment. It is in my lease but not sure if that includes portable ones too.
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also @Sunkist

Brand name is Base Camp. I bought it when I was living in an apartment, and the rental agreement said No Washers, but I just kept it in my closet while I wasn't using it, and they're not supposed to look in closets and drawers during inspections. When I did use it, I set it in the bathtub, which made filling and draining real easy. It had a portable shower head, though...on a hose, you know?

The washer is too tall to put under a bathtub faucet, and bathtub faucets are bigger than kitchen faucets. The little washer's fill hose fits kitchen faucets, but the drain hose isn't long enough to reach from the floor to the kitchen sink, so you have to set it on a small table or on the kitchen counter. That's why I used it in the bathtub.
 
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katlupe said:
Those stairs! Be careful, they look dangerous.
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Thank you for your concern my friend. I've been dealing with those steps for 55 years. Yeah...I know I'm older now, but I'm careful. I take my time and hold on to the railing while going down and back up. I am able to do it while carrying the clothes bags.

$89 is not bad. Your mini washer is made like mine. I've had it for years. Once it seemed like it wouldn't start when I turned the knob. I just fiddled with it and haven't had a problem since. I only use the machines when the weather is too bad to go downstairs or if I've gotten backed up and want to do colored, light linens and whites (all washed separately) within a couple of days. Here's mine with the spinner that's does a better job of extracting the water than industrial machines. @MarciKS

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Don't know how I forgot this. I've bought several colors and styles of turbans as well as different kinds of pretied scarves. I get so tired of trying to tie or wrap scarves that don't cooperate. It's always a crap shoot as to how they will turn out when I'm trying to be fashionable.
 
What am I doing? Spending more time outside of the house where I don't watch TV. I'd prefer just to listen to music and know about the essentials that impact my life. I don't need to see "talking heads" on TV telling me how I should feel.

What am I not doing? Checking on my investments. I don't need them right now. If the world gets blown up they will certainly be of no value and if it doesn't, we will eventually get beyond this "bad patch".

From an everyday standpoint, I was a late adopter of the air fryer. I use it frequently now. Never have to turn on the oven and wait for it to heat. Everything from leftover pizza, to fresh salmon to chicken nuggets for our salads. Best invention ever!
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Thank you for your concern my friend. I've been dealing with those steps for 55 years. Yeah...I know I'm older now, but I'm careful. I take my time and hold on to the railing while going down and back up. I am able to do it while carrying the clothes bags.
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Those stairs have made you stronger over the years. I will keep going to my second-story home office until I can no longer move my knees. Keep climbing them!

From AI:

Stair climbing builds strength by forcing the body to lift its own weight against gravity, activating major lower-body muscles like the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. It acts as a form of high-intensity interval training, improving cardiovascular health, increasing bone density, and enhancing balance, which can reduce injury risks.
 
MarciKS said:
i don't have any way to wash clothes at home and i don't have a car or money for uber and the laundromat so i handwash everything. i was wringing by hand but that was killing my hands and my back. i couldn't find a roller wringer that I could attach to the tub that wasn't $100 so i bought a mop wringer. it's doing the job for about $40?

trying to divvy up the housework so i'm dusting the entire house one day and doing the floors another day and then the bathroom on another day. trying to declutter the house so that i'm down to the bare essentials.

i try to do some things at work in smaller increments to make them more manageable. try to combine trips at work and at home so i'm not running back and forth as much.
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I bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer 19 months ago. The washing machine broke and only had a one year warranty (products sure suck these days). My ex ordered another washing machine (different brand). I ordered a portable washing machine which arrived from Walmart in three days. Just wanted to have a back up since full size appliances are not reliable anymore regardless of the price.

$97, this thing washes great. Load size is kinda small, but plenty for one or two people. Clothes came out very clean, the spin cycle gets all of the water out, so hang drying is easy. It beats the heck out of hand washing. Works fine without washer/dryer hook ups.

Robot or human?

What a retarded link, but it works, sorry.
 
outlander said:
I bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer 19 months ago. The washing machine broke and only had a one year warranty (products sure suck these days). My ex ordered another washing machine (different brand). I ordered a portable washing machine which arrived from Walmart in three days. Just wanted to have a back up since full size appliances are not reliable anymore regardless of the price.

$97, this thing washes great. Load size is kinda small, but plenty for one or two people. Clothes came out very clean, the spin cycle gets all of the water out, so hang drying is easy. It beats the heck out of hand washing. Works fine without washer/dryer hook ups.

Robot or human?

What a retarded link, but it works, sorry.
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Well, my problem is, the machine I have is hooked up to the sump pump. Apparently my landlord is too cheap to get a proper set up.

If I wash even just a small load it overflows the sump hole and floods the basement. It will create black mold if I continue that way.

If I get one that hooks to a faucet and it leaks and wrecks the floor, landlord will have my hide. At some point I would love a roller wringer but if I bolt it to the tub it might damage the tub.

So this is what works for me for now. Wish I had a better set up though.
 
Once a month i have a cleaning service come in and do the things i can't. They vacuum, dust, mop my hardwood floors, clean 1 and a half bathrooms, tub, toilets, counters, floors, mirrors. Clean kitchen, mop floors, counters, wipe down stove and microwave, and a few other things,

You might think it's expensive but i just give up a few other things and i don't feel guilty! We have a smaller home and try andkeep it tidy, so once a month is fine for a thorough cleaning.
 
Some really great tips on here🤠🤠

I also keep a bag in the freezer for food trash because I not only can’t stand the smell, I don’t want ants finding their way into my house.

I rarely use the cook top and haven’t used the oven or broiler since DH passed two years ago.

I use the microwave all the time.

I use my toaster all the time.

I know which restaurants serve the biggest “value received” meals. I can always get one for what it costs for a burger combo at a drive thru and get two meals out of it.

Some of the grocery store single meals are very good, so there’s a stack of those in the freezer.

I don’t eat right and never have, so Boost or yogurt are my nightcaps. I take a lot of vitamins based on what I need, not what the popular Flavor of the Month is. Those vitamin needs today don’t look anything like what they did thirty years ago.

My brother talked me into an air fryer and I’m close to sending it back with him, on his next visit, for my niece because I just can’t get the hang of it.

I only have carpet in the two spare bedrooms. I have always had big dogs, so carpet is a huge no, plus it has become too difficult to run the vacuum across carpet.

I have a pest control service, mostly because I live in the SE where the termites would have carried my house away ten years ago, if I didn’t have termite stations. Even though the techs don’t come in the house, I rarely see cobwebs and generally only see a few spiders in the fall.

I keep mini flashlights everywhere, in case I need one where I’m at. They throw quite a bit of light when I‘m digging for something.

The backyard is chain linked for the dogs. I keep a spotlight by the door so I can find them after dark. The senior dog always comes when I holler “cookies”! The younger dog is still a bit rebellious and likes to hide. If I can put the spotlight on her, she will come running from behind a tree for cookies.

I have had to hire a lawn service because I can longer deal with the summer heat/humidity when mowing for several hours. Plus my sub-compact is 21 years old with leaks that I have to keep checking; I use it but sparingly. The lawn service cuts me a big price break, but that may change this season if the price of crude oil keeps going up.

I have a lot of shortcuts where the horses are concerned, but those are of no importance here.
 
My daughter has a small all-in-one washer dryer in her RV. She said it works great and she’d consider buying the larger version for her home. If it gets to the point when I can’t go to the basement for my laundry, I’ll consider this too.

Once upon a time, I had my laundry done at the laundromat. At the time we didn’t have electricity and I was working full time. It was quite reasonable.
 
katlupe said:
What is the brand name? I am looking on there right now. I want to find one exactly like the one you got since you tested it out already. Not sure I can have one in my apartment. It is in my lease but not sure if that includes portable ones too.
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well if you have a tub or shower and it wasn't too heavy you could put it in there when you use it to keep it from leaking i bet.
 
MarciKS said:
It looks like it would only fit a tshirt in it.

I appreciate the link. I will keep looking at things as I go. Maybe I can find something a bit larger that I can set in the tub.
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Regular size portable washers (like the one I have) take about 1/3 of a regular load of clothes or one bedsheet plus 1 or 2 pillow cases, depending on the size of the sheet. And Outlander's right, you can't wash blankets in them, and only a couple of jumbo sized bath towels at a time.

They all have a spin cycle, as far as I know. They don't spin as fast as regular washers, so you still have to wring some water out. Mine wobbles while it spins...they're just not built to take the centrifugal force. But it's not a big deal.
 
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