| Household chores aren't hard, nor are they particularly | | | | over radiators.If there's a delay in hanging out your |
| boring - nice to have time to think sometimes! BUT | | | | washing, take it out of the machine and fold it |
| they are time-consuming. These tried and tested tips | | | | carefully, smoothing and gently pulling each item into |
| will cut your 'chores time' in half...1. Organize:Start at | | | | shape. |
| the top of the house and clear it up! Then allocate | | | | Now the moment of truth! Only iron what NEEDS to |
| places for absolutely everything. Install shelves and | | | | be ironed. Towels, sheets, jumpers, underwear and |
| cupboards in the bedrooms, and make sure there is | | | | overalls probably don't need ironing.Smoothing and |
| enough space for each pile of clothes. Before you go | | | | folding damp washing eliminates lots of creases, and |
| on to the next room, put a label on the front of the | | | | everything that doesn't get a fibre crushing |
| shelf in full view of the shorter members of the | | | | treatment will live a lot longer!5. Designer |
| family. Then there will be no 'But I don't know where | | | | Leftovers:Try these delicious family dishes from |
| it goes' complaints when you ask them to put their | | | | leftovers, saving time in the kitchen, oh, and money |
| stuff away.Work through the house, re-organizing. | | | | too. Note: Leftovers should be consumed or |
| You don't have to spend loads of money. I was once | | | | discarded within 24 hours.Bake too many jacket |
| obliged to use 'cupboards' made from cardboard | | | | potatoes, cool and refrigerate leftovers overnight. |
| boxes. They lasted a short time and the kids were | | | | Cooking a whole tray of potatoes takes no longer |
| quite happy to put their clothes away in the novelty | | | | than cooking one or two. Use your leftover jacket |
| cupboards.Shelves are a must in the children's rooms | | | | potatoes in different ways:-slice and fry in hot olive |
| - you'll always be on at them to clear up but at least | | | | oil, adding some mixed herbs or cumin spice to the |
| the little darlings may actually do it if they know | | | | oil.-peel, dice and add to an omelette with cheese and |
| where everything goes!The kitchen has to be | | | | ham-peel and make a rough potato salad with a little |
| organized, no question, or you'll waste tons of time | | | | tinned sweet corn, tuna and chopped onion.Double |
| every day, looking for a wooden spoon, moving | | | | the rice quantity, cool, cover and refrigerate |
| dishes to fit plates on shelves etc;2. Health Before | | | | leftovers overnight. Using leftover rice:- make a plain |
| Beauty:Wall to wall carpet harbours germs even the | | | | omelette and cut into pieces. Set aside. Stir fry |
| most rigorous hoovering won't destroy. Throw them | | | | leftover rice and add a little soy sauce for flavour, |
| all out and go for polished wooden floors. Use rugs | | | | then gently stir in omelette. Serve hot.-mix cold rice |
| on cold spots and shake them outside every day or | | | | with fresh raw chopped vegetables. Chill for 30 |
| two. Sweep wooden floors gently with a soft broom. | | | | minutes before serving.-Fry in olive or nut oil a finely |
| Avoid hoovering every day - some hoovers emit a | | | | chopped onion, tomato, green pepper and a few |
| very fine dust into the air through their exhaust. This | | | | sliced mushrooms. Add rice to pan and stir fry gently, |
| dust isn't particularly good for the lungs, better the | | | | until hot right through.Cook a bigger chicken than you |
| dust underfoot!A quick shake of a rug and a sweep | | | | need then hide the leftovers in the fridge. Try these |
| will take a lot less time than getting out the hoover, | | | | ideas for the next day's meal..-cut chicken into pieces, |
| doing the biz, wrapping it all up and putting it away | | | | cover with a curry sauce and bake thoroughly in a |
| aging. And the broom doesn't interfere with the | | | | hot oven.-mix cut-up chicken with a finely chopped |
| radio!3. Bye bye bleach:Do you need shades when | | | | onion and stir in a half mayo half natural yoghurt |
| you look at your kitchen sink? Chances are the | | | | dressing. Add a few walnuts for a special treat. Chill |
| bleach is taking over! Research has proved that | | | | before serving.-Stir fry chicken with a few |
| those of us who live in a sterile environment have a | | | | vegetables and mix into a bowl of hot noodles. Serve |
| less efficient immune system than those who slum it | | | | with an oriental style sauce.Always make sure |
| a bit! Cut the bleaching by half. And if you sterilise | | | | re-heated food is piping hot before serving.With a |
| your house for the benefit of guests and their | | | | little careful planning in the kitchen, a part of |
| opinions, then be prepared to inform them gracefully | | | | tomorrow's dinner will always be taken care of |
| that you are building your family's immune systems - | | | | today!Plan ahead and organize chores to fit in with |
| and saving the earth a little. Be smug.4. 90% less | | | | your timetable and not the other way round. If you |
| ironing:Ironing or pressing cloth reduces it's lifespan | | | | work from home, take a break from your computer |
| considerably. You may have an outwardly smooth | | | | every hour or so and spend 10-20 minutes on the |
| appearance but inside the cloth is a tangled mess of | | | | basics; peeling veg for dinner, hanging out washing, a |
| flattened fibres.As soon as the washing machine has | | | | quick tidy up, whatever's next on your list.Linda Gray |
| finished it's final spin, hang the washload on an | | | | is a freelance writer, and enthusiastic gardener. |
| outside washing line, weather permitting. Shake each | | | | Cutting back on chores gives her more time to grow |
| item before pegging it out, and pull jeans into | | | | veggies - and to write about them! Pop in at anytime |
| shape.Air the washload by folding carefully and | | | | for pots of gardening support. |
| putting in an airing or warming cupboard, or hang | | | | |