r/homemaking

Discussion came up recently about doing chores, specifically about if someone says they will be "doing the laundry", if it is reasonable to assume that folding the clothes after coming out of the dryer is part of that chore/task.

I would like to see what others think about this, so I'm posting up this poll. Please help participate, as this topic is going to come up again and I need to know whether I need to adjust the way I view what that terms means.

Note: every household is different, and so I know there will be exceptions. This is just to get a better general accepted meaning to the term as it applies to who folds clothes coming out of the dryer.

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1 tbsp in the dispenser, vinegar rinse. Less than a tbsp doesn't clean completely (we scrape and rinse the dishes first) and if we use a tbsp all of the dishes have a film all over them. We have had to put them through a second cycle to get rid of it.

What am I doing wrong?

I used these ingredients:

1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate)

1 cup borax

½ cup citric acid

½ cup coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)

Am I getting old or is this just a phase because the main thing I spend money on is fine china and vintage tea sets. I’ll end up chasing random vintage store on weekends hoping to find some unique unique sets. There’s just something so fulfilling about serving my PipiTea in beautiful niche cups when guests come over. The funniest part is people always say I don’t know why but your tea tastes better than when I make it. I swear part of it is psychological, like food somehow tastes better at a fancy restaurant even when it’s simple. Don’t get me wrong, the tea itself is my favorite but I also enjoy it way more when I drink it from those pretty vintage cups.
I’m only 32 and somehow turning into my mother driving across towns for china sets at antique stores.

I am 25F married 26M, he works a busy office job where he needs to wear ironed shirts and tidy suits to work, while I’m a stay at home wife. Growing up, my parents never really taught me anything to focus on my studies. At one point in my life I’ve lived in a studio apartment alone, but that home was (sucks to admit) very dirty and messy. But, still, I somewhat learned the basics of how to do “things” , I still haven’t learned how to keep a schedule and be on top of them. My husband has grown up in a really cultural family, where men didn’t do anything and didn’t have responsibilities at home. He didn’t do anything to this point, he tries but I kind of understand him not doing much cause he already works alot and comes home tired, so I think I should be doing the majority of the housework.

My problem is, I don’t know how to keep things going. Every two weeks I do shit ton of laundry, folding and ironing, and get the clothes done, then I get too comfortable and leave it for another week or two. I never regularly vaccuum the house. Only thing I can keep up is the kitchen because I really love cooking and cleaning the countertops. Other than that everything feels like a burden to me. I hate doing things. But I know this is not the way I wanna live anymore cause this is not sustainable and kind of damaging my relationship.

I'm trying to fix the boring towel problem: towels feel clean, then the second they get damp again they smell off. I live in a humid place + small bathroom, so airflow is limited.

What actually worked for you: hooks vs bars, fan, leaving the bathroom, thinner towels, rotating 2 towels, sun-drying, dehumidifier, etc?

I'm not looking for products, just a system that keeps towels from staying damp.

i’m trying to make my towel situation more sane. right now it is basically whatever towel is closest, which feels fine until things get humid and towels stay damp longer.

do you keep separate towels for hair/body/face or even gym, or is that overkill? if you do separate, what is your simplest system that does not turn into constant laundry?

would love practical setups: hooks vs bars, where you hang them, how many you own, how often you wash, etc.

My favorite calm-me-down cleaning is absolutely vacuuming. When I get home from anywhere there are wacky people (these days feels like everywhere) nothing is better than seeing that clear canister fill up! (shark cordless vac) So satisfying.

Tell me more super duper satisfying rage cleaning options.

Weekends are either quite time alone to recharge or casual time with people who matter to me. Nothing really planned, but that slow and normal pace feels important. I'd like to do housework like mopping, cleaning, and watering my plants. I actually enjoy taking care of my flowers and greenery. It feels like a small relaxing part of the day. I also used to spend quite a bit of time on yard work, especially trimming around terrace areas and flower bed edges, which often took more time than expected. Recently I've been using a robot mower for the lawn and it has helped a lot. Most of the mowing is handled automatically now, so I don't need to spend as much time on manual edge trimming like before. It gives me more free time on weekends to rest or to do other things. When everything feels balanced like this, I enjoy weekends a lot more.

Curious how do you usually split up your time for chores on the weekends?

i’m trying to figure out the non-chaotic version of towel ownership. too few means you end up reusing damp towels or doing emergency laundry. too many means the linen closet becomes a graveyard.

for one person, what’s the practical number for bath towels, hand towels, washcloths/face towels, gym towels, and backup towels?

also do you keep face/body/hair towels separate or is that overcomplicating it?

Usually, I listen to a podcast while cooking or cleaning. But recently, I’ve been cooking without listening to anything. After a bit of cooking, I start reflecting on whatever comes to mind. It’s been faith here recently. No matter what I reflect on, I feel like I have a clear head afterwards. Does this happen to you? Is there anything you do to help you reflect?

Alright, so we’ve got three dogs and two cats. At first, I was excited, pet life, right? But now, every day feels like I’m just constantly cleaning after them. I’ve noticed some unique challenges when it comes to keeping things clean with multiple pets, and honestly, I never realized how exhausting it would be. 😅

Pet hair is the most obvious issue. I vacuum daily, but somehow the hair is always there. No amount of vacuuming or brushing seems to stop the fluff storm.

Accidents happen. As much as I love my pets, they don’t always make it outside in time, and cleaning up after those accidents while keeping the floor safe from bacteria is a never ending battle.

Odors are another issue. I try to use air purifiers and frequent cleanings, but sometimes the dog smell just lingers.

I used to think that robot vacuums and fancy cleaning gadgets would solve all these problems, but the reality is that they can’t fully keep up. The robot vacuum is great for quick surface cleaning, but it misses a lot of hair and pet dander that builds up. Not to mention, I still have to deep clean the floors regularly to keep everything hygienic.

Has anyone here figured out a system or cleaning routine that works for multiple pets? I’m starting to think there’s no such thing as a perfect solution, just a maintenance routine that I have to be okay with sticking to.

EDIT: i can delete this post but as i stated in the comments i thought P stood for partner, my ignorance completely of reading fast.

Hello! I am new to the SAH life and am very curious on some advice out there for those who have done this long term.

To preference, I f(23) recently quit my job after my partner (22) encouraged me to quit. To be fair my pay was not contributing to any bills. I got paid very little, wasn’t even able to get 40 hours a week, and drained in patient care. We used my money for fun and our cats. My partner also does not drive so transportation was becoming a big issue. We are moving soon and have adjusted everything to fit their pay. (we are getting a bigger apartment so i’m honestly so excited).

It’s been about a month and things financially are fine, so thats good, but what do I do with my time? What do I do to be a good SAHP? I don’t want to be a bigger drain as honestly this was the life i always dreamed for, but now i don’t even know what to do lol. I have “chores” and an allowance, so it’s not like i’m sitting here unable to do anything. Just with no kids I don’t really know how to fill my time at home to its capacity.

I’ve started tiktok which has been going well as a little time killer, but until that really kicks off I don’t really have an activity i suppose. Maybe i’m still just adjusting to so much free time. Any advice or tips is appreciated. Nice things you do for your partner or even things ya’ll have implemented after years of experience. Thanks so much!

edit: yes i “want” kids , yes we both have degrees; they are going onto a masters program.

I'm wanting to learn how to become more thrifty / save money more than I already do. Are there any high quality items for homemaking at the dollar tree? For instance, is any of the facial tissues equivalent to soft puffs or soft kleenex tissue? Is the toilet paper there just as good as charmin? Are the batteris sold there just as good? Any homemaking favorites you have from the dollar tree / dollar store?

I keep reading that the average household wastes something like 30-40% of the food it buys, and every time I open the fridge and throw something out I think about that number. It adds up fast when you're also watching grocery prices increase every few months. I've tried the obvious stuff, meal planning, keeping a list, being more deliberate at the store and some of it helps, but there's during a chaotic week life just doesn't follow the meal plan, you know? I've been thinking about attacking the waste at the buying stage rather than the eating stage. I know there are some new food waste tools but I wonder if anyone here has built this into a routine in a sustainable way, not just for a week and then abandoned it?

helloo!! i’ve started making a list of things i’ve noticed i should be doing when i move out, whether it be for organizing, maintaining parts of the house, cleaning etc. i’d love to hear everyone’s advice!! i have adhd so i struggle to keep things in order so im trying to come up with things i should be doing to make things as easy as possible to maintain :D
here’s my current list:

Tips to keep things clean/working:

- have two sets of bed sheets so you can change over same time (i have adhd and by the time my sheets are dry my motivation is gone so i end up sleeping on a towel on top of my mattress for days until i am motivated to put the sheets back on)

- no floor cabinets / lights attached to wall so you can move for cleaning AND small lockable wheels or soft pads on cabinets for easier movement (i have lots of glass cabinets and some are attached to the wall because i’ve put lights up the back and attached the cables to the wall which means i can’t pull them away from the wall so there is so much dog hair and dust behind there i can’t reach 😭)

- have laundry basket in room & some hooks for pjs /comfy clothes i will wear again instead of throwing on floor (things like fluffy jumpers & pj pants that i wear for more than a day currently end up on the floor so i wash them unnecessarily)

- no plushie piles on floor, must be in a cabinet or sealed display (i had a pile of plushies that got infested with carpet beetles and i’m still trying to get rid of them 2 years later 😖)

- no cheap wall plugs (almost started a fire never again)

- have either a raised bed so i can clean underneath OR bed that is flat on the floor with draws for storage, no room underneath for dust or bugs (again to avoid my carpet beetle trauma but also just for general tidiness)

also something i haven’t really figured out yet is any tips on preventing wear and tear around the house, for example my current shower at my parents house is SO gross and moldy and it’s honestly beyond repair, my windows are also kind of moldy/dirty and cracking away from the wall so i honestly avoid opening my windows/blinds so i don’t have to look at them 😖 any advice on preventing things like that from happening would be amazing too :O

my biggest bathroom annoyance is towels that never feel fully dry by the next use.

if your bathroom has weak ventilation or stays humid, what setup actually works for you? towel bar vs hook, drying outside the bathroom, door open, fan timer, more towel rotation, different towel thickness?

i’m trying to solve the daily flow, not just mask musty smell with detergent.

my biggest bathroom annoyance is towels that never feel fully dry by the next use.

if your bathroom has weak ventilation or stays humid, what setup actually works for you? towel bar vs hook, drying outside the bathroom, door open, fan timer, more towel rotation, different towel thickness?

i’m trying to solve the daily flow, not just mask musty smell with detergent.

I just woke up in the morning and found out that my fabric school bag has been puked over. This has never happened to me before and currently i dont have access to fancy enzyme based cleaners. kindly suggest me some way to clean it up without leaving any stain or odors.