Play the Kitchen Game

I find that waiting in the kitchen for things like the kettle to boil, the microwave to ping or the washing machine to finish tends to be dead time when there is just a few minutes left.  There's no point in going elsewhere to do anything - by the time I get there, the time will be up and I just will have to go back to whatever it was I was doing in the kitchen.  So I just hang around, waiting.

But I spotted a good way to take advantage of this time - play the kitchen 'game'! Grab a cloth and see how much you can wipe down, put clean dishes, glasses and crockery away, empty the recycling, anything that yu can quickly do to tidy just a little. And stop whenever what you are waiting for has finished! You'll be amazed to see how much can be accomplished with little effort and in very little time.

Removing Stains from Mugs and Cups

Tea and coffee does stain one's mugs and teacups which is annoying and ugly.  A simple way to remove these is to wipe with a little baking soda - or, as we know it, bicarbonate of soda - then rinse with water for spotless drinking vessels!

Cleaning Skirting Boards

I find skirting boards are a real faff to try to keep clean - it seems that no matter how often I wipe them, they are always gunky!

So a tip I've found is to use tumble dryer sheets to wipe them with.  The dust and dirt collects on the cloth without smudging or sticking, to produce lovely, clean skirting boards!

You don't have to buy any special ones - just use the ones you may have already, or buy supermarket own brands!

Cleaning Stainless Steel

A great, cheap way to clean stainless steel like your stove or sink tops is to mix one tablespoon of cream of tartar with a few drops of water to make a paste-like substance. Rub it on to the surface, wipe with a damp sponge and then dry clean with paper towels. Voila! Quick, easy, effective and hopefully free with products that you've already got in your home.
A great alternative product is Bar Keeper's Friend. It works exactly the same as the Cream of Tartar and may sometimes work out cheaper if you aren't much of a baker...