These household chores are wasting your time

These household chores are wasting your time
Getty Images

An endless list of the same old household to-dos costs you time, money and sanity. Here are some you can just skip.

Advertisement

Washing your hair every day

Washing your hair every day
Elena Xausa for Reader's Digest

It may sound counterintuitive, but if you shampoo too often, you will actually make your hair oilier. Washing strips hair of natural oils, so your scalp produces more and then you have to wash again. Stick to two or three times a week, says derma­tologist Dr Tsippora Shainhouse. Using a ­gentle, sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner will keep your scalp and hair from drying out too much.

This is how to keep your home free of animal hair.

Using a top sheet on your bed

Using a top sheet on your bed
The Noun Project

Save time making your bed every morning by skipping the tangle-prone top sheet. Many Europeans sleep directly under a quilt or a duvet with a cover, as do many of us. Just be sure to make time every week to wash any bedding that touches your body.

These 16 bedtime snacks will help you sleep better.

Rinsing dishes

Rinsing dishes
The Noun Project

Unless you’re waiting days to run the dishwasher, rinsing wastes time and water. Simply scrape off any leftover food and put dishes right into the dishwasher, urge the experts at Consumer Reports.

Watch out for these kitchen mistakes that are costing you money.

Searching for lost socks

Searching for lost socks
The Noun Project

You may swear that gremlins take your socks from the laundry, but in fact, a single sock can slip into the gap 
between the washing 
machine door seal and the drum and get pumped away with the water. Prevent this from happening by washing sock pairs together in a wash bag.

Buying home storage items

Buying home storage items
The Noun Project

You can easily spend hundreds of dollars on special bins, bags, boxes and other storage containers. But some 
of the best ways to keep your possessions neat and organised come 
from repurposing simple things you already own. Organising guru Marie Kondo is a fan of using shoeboxes as drawer 
dividers, for example.

Check out this great life hack for storing shoes neatly in the hallway.

Ironing hanger bumps out of clothes

Ironing hanger bumps out of clothes
The Noun Project

Those freebie wire hangers from the dry cleaner are notorious for leaving shoulder bumps in tops and creases in pants. Who wants to do all that ironing? Instead, buy ­better-quality velvet or wooden hangers to save time later on.

Tossing mouldy bread

Tossing mouldy bread
The Noun Project

The best bread is bought fresh at a bakery and eaten on the day you buy it. But if you don’t devour the loaf, you’ll want to store the rest in the freezer. 
It’ll last longer (two to three months, according to the experts 
at ­epicurious.com) and make much better toast, 
according to the New York Times.

Make sure you’re aware of these food safety tips for proper food handling. 

Opening curtains wide every morning

Opening curtains wide every morning
The Noun Project

Letting the sunshine in is a lovely way to greet the day, but if you’ll be leaving the house and not returning until after dark, all those rays can fade your furniture and make your air conditioner work harder. North and west-facing rooms are especially sun-prone, so try leaving those curtains drawn. Also, consider running the air conditioner only when you’re home.

Peeling vegetables

Peeling vegetables
The Noun Project

Unless you’re preparing pumpkin, celery root or some other food with a tough outer coating, there’s no reason to waste precious before-dinner time peeling vegetables, reports thekitchn.com. That goes for foods you may have been peeling 
all your life, such as carrots, cucumbers, potatoes and turnips. You’ll save time and gain flavour and healthy fibre.

It might be worth knowing these kitchen and dining room cleaning hacks.

Never miss a deal again - sign up now!

Connect with us: