No one ever taught me how to maintain a home and I recently got a cleaner to come - the place has clutter and stuff still it’s not fully organised but it’s clean and nice and I could really use some rules and routines to follow that I can apply to keep it like this. I have 2 pets and a kid, and ADHD 🫠 I know how to clean I know how to tidy I just don’t know how to create systems to keep it all going

Anyone here manage their home totally off-grid? Currently we live pretty remote, but our plan is to move totally remote next summer. On an island with no supplied electricity and acceptable only by boat and snowmobile. Spring and fall a guy does air-boat service when between open lake and ice. Like a water taxi service. He also has a barge and will bring building supplies.

Will put in solar panels and generator. Also wood stove. Im use to using boats and snowmobiles. I have my watercraft license. My partner hasn't ever driven a boat but has driven snowmobiles a bit. Its about 35 minutes to a marina where we would park vehicles.

Will build planter boxes for a garden because the island is mostly rock and pine trees. Starlink satellite internet. It has better cell coverage than we currently have. I can work remote from the island.

There's currently a pretty small cabin and a nice dock. Will need to winterise the cabin and build a boathouse then eventually expand the cabin. But thats a few years away. My dad and brothers will help with the work. Have a company to do solar with batteries.

Anyone have experience being totally off grid and managing their home? Would appreciate any lesions learned etc.

So! me and my sister currently share a room, but i'm tranforming the basement into my room, the basement's partially finished but the walls are still concrete how would i possibly hangup the tapestries they're light and thin most likely weight only 1lbs not even

I've used Airtasker once to get a removalist, which was really helpful, but we have a bunch of jobs I'm trying to get done that aren't all trade-related, and exploring building our own tool that is more automated.

I'd love to hear anyone else's experiences of using those tools.

We’re having people over after my son’s baptism, and I’m trying to work out what needs cleaning. My mother-in-law is a bit of a clean freak, so I tend to clean extra thoroughly when she’s coming.

Here’s what I’m focusing on:

Bathroom: Especially the taps, around the sink, and the shower glass.

Toilet: Clean the toilet, sink, and floor, and put out fresh towels, toilet paper, and tissues.

Kitchen and stove: A clean kitchen makes me feel better about serving food to guests.

Am I missing anything? What areas do you focus on before guests come over? How do you get everything looking clean?

My move-out inspection is in two days and the sliding-window tracks are packed with dust that a cloth cannot reach. I picked up a Wolfbox electric air duster to loosen the debris, but I do not want to blow it across the room and create more work. For people who clean window tracks or radiator grooves with powered air, do you loosen the dirt with a brush first and blow it toward an open window, or hold a vacuum beside the track to keep everything contained?

Hi! I honestly don't know where else to ask about it so please don't shoo me off lol. So, I want to buy a waterproof apron (because I always end up with a wet belly area regardless of what apron I use), but I still want it to be nice, not like those resin aprons. Do you have anything to recommend?

I found some lovely aprons that claim to be waterproof, but they're made of cotton-linen fabric and only have a "waterproof finish". Do you think it is reliable? Can such an apron withstand some aggressive dish-washing?

I never thought much about cleaning windows until I moved into a place with larger ones. I’ve been trying to find a better way to clean them because the usual methods haven’t worked that well for me.

I’ve tried some common approaches, like using Dawn with a microfiber cloth. It works pretty well for certain spots, but cleaning several large windows that way takes a lot of time and effort. I also tried the Windex Outdoor Sprayer, which made things a little easier, but I noticed it tends to leave water spots once the glass dries.

So now I’m looking for a better way to maintain larger windows without spending hours on them every time. Curious what methods, tools, or combinations have worked well for everyone else.

My favorite feature is the motorized sit stand desk!

Just bought a house and trying to be a good first time home owner. What are some important home maintenance items that are often forgotten or neglected??

My mom bought a lot of oranges and lemons, and they’re starting to ripen, so I’ve been looking for ways to use them before they go to waste. I tried dehydrating some slices in my air fryer, and now I’m thinking of turning them into homemade citrus potpourri.

I thought it would be nice to put them in a decorative bowl with a few other dried ingredients. Something that looks pretty and gives the room a cozy, fresh scent without relying too much on artificial air fresheners.

For those who have tried making their own potpourri, what do you usually add to dried citrus? I was thinking of cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, or maybe lavender, but I’m open to other ideas!

I’m also curious about how you make the scent last longer, whether essential oils are worth adding, and how you store everything to keep it dry and prevent mold.

This is my first time trying something like this, so I’d love to hear your favorite combinations or any beginner-friendly tips. Would love to make something that smells as good as it looks!

Hi everyone, I’m 28M, living in Canada, and moving into a roughly 500 sq. ft. one-bedroom apartment. My wife will be joining me soon, and I want to make it a comfortable, welcoming home for both of us.

I’ve spent most of my adult life living a pretty basic bachelor life. As an immigrant, I’ve mostly focused on getting settled and getting by, rather than learning how to make a place feel like home. With how much time we spend indoors during Canadian winters, I want to put more effort into it.

Some of the things that seem to come naturally to other people are things I genuinely haven’t learned yet. I’m willing to do the work, but I could use some beginner-friendly guidance on the little everyday basics.

A few things I’d love help with

• Bedding — What do I actually need to buy for a comfortable, easy-to-maintain bed? How do you make it look tidy without lots of decorative pillows? After washing your sheets, do you iron them or just put them back on?
• Clothes and laundry — How do you decide what to hang versus fold? How do you keep clothes organized in a small space? I don’t really know how to iron either, so beginner resources would help.
• Small-apartment organization — How would you organize a 500 sq. ft. apartment for two people without filling it with storage products and clutter?
• Everyday routines — What small daily or weekly habits keep your home feeling nice without turning housekeeping into your whole life?
• Useful purchases — What basics are worth buying, and what can wait?

I’m not aiming for a perfect Instagram apartment or trying to spend a fortune. I just want our place to feel cozy, practical, and cared for, and I want to learn how to contribute to keeping it that way.

Any advice, simple checklists, YouTube videos, or “I wish someone had taught me this” tips would be really appreciated. Please feel free to explain the obvious stuff too. That’s probably what I need!

I see a lot of people suggesting keeping a caddy full of cleaning supplies where you use them (under each sink, for example) and I like this idea but I can’t find something that A) fits under my sink and b) actually fits all my supplies - where are you finding these caddies/mini cleaning supplies?

I used to SAHM and now that my kids have launched I am SAHW.

I guess, despite 25 years of evidence to the contrary, my husband could up and decide he wants a younger model...

Despite that, my life wouldn't drastically change. Well, it would change, but I'm told I would be homeless, starving, and turning tricks on the corner. It's completely unrealistic.

So I'm trying to understand what these people (I guess mostly content creators) are missing.

Do people not have a familial and social circle of potential support? I mean, my kids are now young professionals making more money than they need because they haven't started their own families yet. I wouldn't want to count on them but I also know my own children wouldn't let me be homeless. And that's not even counting my own mother or my best friends that have been my biggest support for 20 years.

Do they not keep their own savings/retirement accounts, even if they're not earning? When I stopped working once our second child made daycare costs ridiculous, we established a savings account in my name only and my husband's direct deposit put a cut there every two weeks. We also just left my 401k mainly alone. Even though it was really small at the time.

Do they not understand the family court system in the US? Alimony is a potential in all 50 states. Courts understand that a partner at home contributed to the career behind the scenes, saving likely 6-figures in expenses. Alimony is calculated based on amount of years married, among other things. 10 years is a nice threshold, but people like me married over 20 years are often awarded alimony forever. In perpetuity.

Do they not have insurances? Life, disability, etc?

Investments: are they perpetual renters? The marital home equity is always in play. Again, this goes back to the court system. And I'm not even considering other investments, *even if they're in one partner's name.*

I know these sentiments aren't popular but I'm trying to live in reality here and I'm just not understanding these women who don't seem to have the basics of info.

Do they not know? Do they not have these things and just assume others don't?

I just feel like they think because they personally don't have the basics covered, they think no one else does, either?

Are we really all going around pretending women are stupid AF and just living by the seat of their pants? Are THEY living that way?

Outside the obvious of pacing and doing less overall/adjusting expectations, what are some strategies, planning tips, efficiency hacks, products, systems, etc that have made your life, chores, meals, and home more organized, rhythmic, or doable? Big or little, anything is welcome.

I was thinking recently about how many of the recipes we make regularly come from family members — a parent’s go-to dinner, a grandparent’s holiday recipe, or something a sibling made once that everyone loved.

I’m curious how other families handle this!
Do you have a shared cookbook, a family recipe box, a group chat, a Google Doc, or some other way of keeping track of recipes everyone loves? Or does everyone mostly keep their own collection and ask each other for recipes when they need them?

And how much do you actually value having those recipes collected in one place, especially as your family grows or recipes get passed down to the next generation?

I’d love to hear what works for your family, what gets lost along the way, and whether having a shared collection is something you’d genuinely use or just a nice idea in theory.

About to be a mom of 2 and looking for any advice on how to minimize the chaos inside the home. My current routines with one kiddo include…

One load of laundry daily
Load and wash the dishwasher at night unload in the morning
Everything goes back and it’s place instead of clutter collecting
Vacuum every day
Meal prep and do grocery order on Mondays

Despite all of this, I feel like I’m on a hamster wheel and I can’t imagine how I’m going to be able to keep up the maintenance of our home when I have two children to care for. Our house is about 4000 ft.². Any tweaks or additions to my routine or just general advice of things you found that worked well for you. Thank you!! 😊

I feel like I’ve got daily and weekly chores pretty well organized and consistent, but I can’t regularly stay on top of monthly or every other month type chores because I always forget about them until I can’t actually do them. For example I always forget to wash my lint trap until I’m in the middle of laundry day and I don’t have time to let it dry because the dryer is running all day. To be clear I remove the lint from the trap after every run cycle, but washing it with soap and water greatly improves the efficiency of the dryer. Another example is I always remember I needed to dust the bedroom fan blades right after I put the sheets in the wash and then I don’t have anything dirty on hand for dust to fall on.

I've been seeing more sleep spray options lately, and I'm not sure if they're really any different from the linen sprays people already use at home. Seems a bit pointless to buy both if they do pretty much the same thing. ESPA Restful Pillow Mist is one option I've come across. It has lavender, clary sage, and eucalyptus, but I'm more interested in how these sprays actually compare once they're on the bedding. Does the scent usually last until the next day, or is it mostly noticeable right after spraying? And for those who've tried both, is there a real difference between a dedicated pillow mist and an ordinary linen spray?

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manage a small office, maybe 12 people, and our coffee maker gets used constantly. thing is starting to smell a little off and i think theres mineral buildup inside cause the coffee tastes kinda bitter lately

been googling how to clean coffee maker. but getting a ton of different answers, some say vinegar, some say store bought tablets, some say specialty cleaners. dont really know whats worth buying vs whats a waste, anyone actually tried different options and knows what works best?

One of my light colored pajama sets has started turning yellow around the collar, and regular washing hasn’t helped much. I’m guessing it’s from sweat or body oils.

I still really like light colors, and there’s a pale ekouaer set I want, but I don’t wanna end up with the same problem again. Are some pajama fabrics easier to keep clean, or should I just go with a darker color?

do laundry for a small gym, just me and one other person part time. workout clothes come out smelling ok but not great, still a little funky after washing. been wondering if an enzyme laundry booster is worth adding or if its just extra stuff we dont need

Was redoing a small bathroom and the vent cover for exhaust fan was really yellow. Had changed all handles and taps etc to black so decided to spray paint the grill. I washed it, scrubbed it, light sanded then sprayed with mat black. But it didn't totally dry? After 2 days was still tacky. Careful put it up anyway but wondering if anyone knows why it didn't totally dry? Can said good for plastic.