Simple Life Hacks Podcast With @The_Organised_Mum

Expectations in a social media world filled with comparison culture can be difficult, keeping on top of your home can feel like “trying to force a square peg into a round hole” and do everything at once to become “the perfect mum, that doesn’t exist”. The organised mum page helps to crack the code to tackling the household tasks into a guided weekly routine rolled out over an 8-week period.

Gemma delved into her 8-week schedule, revealing …

• Simple Hack #1 – 30 minutes a day of cleaning neglected areas, 10 minute daily bursts of commonly used areas/appliances and a deep clean every Friday to finish.

With the help of Gemma’s Housework Maths, she’s been able to implement a method to a manageable and ultra-efficient routine that ensures all areas of the home are taken care of. A simple hack revealed exclusively by Gemma, relates to mindset … just because there is more mess due to more people at home, doesn’t mean your house is dirty, there is a huge difference between dirt and mess, and mess indicates that your house is a true home that’s full of life. And what’s so bad about that?

We chatted to Gemma about the dreaded school holidays, the few months in the year where it is impossible to keep on top of your home (or so we thought). Summer has just come to and end and you may be currently feeling the relief of a quieter household and occupied kids. All parents know this feeling, even @the_organised_mum, and here are some exclusive tips revealed to help you survive this Summer.

• Simple Hack #2 – Stick to the priority tasks.

Referring back to the housework maths, maintaining those priority tasks and saving in-depth cleaning for when your household is quieter, you can avoid wasting the Summer cleaning up after the kids. Gemma aims to make your life even simpler through her guided cleaning sessions for the whole family, aiming different series towards reluctant teenagers, chaotic kids and even the little ones. Check out her special series ‘Mess Monster’ to make 10-minute cleaning sessions enjoyable for children aged between 4-8.

• Simple Hack #3 – Keep your cleaning products simple,

Gemma advises to avoid buying too many products and swears by good old fashioned washing up liquid in hot water, as she stated confidently – “if something works, it works”. She shared her product that she is loving the most at the moment, the Flash ‘French Soap Lavender’ Multipurpose spray. Check out the episode to hear how she likes to use this for optimum results.

• Simple Hack #4 – Don’t mix cleaning products!!

Gemma elaborated the importance of keeping your cleaning products separate. Cleaning products contain powerful chemicals which can release chlorine gas and other harmful gasses into your home.

• Simple Hack #5 – White vinegar is your best friend!

Another simple product you might not expect for cleaning use is white vinegar, which is extremely effective for cleaning your appliances, particularly for those musty odours that you can’t always get rid of. A simple cup of white vinegar on an empty wash in the washing machine and dishwasher on a hot cycle will work wonders, do this once a month and get more out of your appliances.

• Simple Hack #6 – Leave your washing machine door open between uses to avoid bad odours building up!

It’s not just cleaning we covered with Gemma, she also shared her top tips for cooking and easy and efficient meals. If you don’t already own a slow cooker, you will have changed your mind by the end of this podcast.

• Simple Hack #7- Cook once, eat twice!

Gemma encourages us that the purchase of a slow cooker allows for more meals out of your cooking sessions. An exclusive recipe shared by Gemma is the ‘Cowboy Beans’ dish, including four tins of butter beans, sage, passata, garlic (chorizo if you’re feeling fancy) & stick it all in the slow cooker to let the magic happen. She recommends serving with some crusty bread and the kids will love it!

• Simple Hack #8– Meat substitutes to save money!

Gemma recommends to swap your usual 500g of mince when making a Spaghetti Bolognese for the family to 250g of mince, then substitute the rest with lentils. Tastes just as good and “the kids don’t notice”.   

The podcast is a one stop shop for efficient cleaning, organisation and cooking skills. To find out more simple tips & tricks from the organised mom herself, check out the latest episode of The Simple Life Chat’s episode by clicking on the photos above!