Best routine

Now that school is back in session, the Stressed Mom blog – has compiled a list of 10 habits for a well-run home. We’ve excerpted five of the tips here.

1 Do your best to get your dishes done before going to bed. This can be hard sometimes, but think how much better it feels in the morning to come down to a clean sink. Build this habit and you will appreciate it. If your kids are old enough to do the dishes or at least help, then let them!

2 Take five minutes and buzz through the bathrooms with a damp cloth. Straighten, wipe and keep a toilet brush handy for swishing the toilet. Take any dirty towels and clothes to laundry room. Some days, use a paper towel with glass cleaner to shine things up, including the mirror.

3 A place for everything and everything in its place. It makes life a lot easier. Work on clearing clutter and designating homes for regularly used items. And teach your children this as well. Think how calming it is to walk into a room where everything is tidy and orderly. (Notice I didn’t say spotless.)

4 Have a bedtime routine that includes putting away toys, books, dishes, trash, etc., and picking out clothes for tomorrow. This routine will help your kids learn responsibility and know what is expected of them.

5 Do not say “yes” immediately to new requests. Come up with a response, such as “Let me check my calendar and get back with you.” Or if you know you need to say no, get it over with. And don’t feel you have to explain why. A simple, “Due to other obligations, I won’t be able to ...” will suffice.

http://nando.com/4a

Reader’s best

Amy Litton of Garner suggests placing an empty tissue box on top of the dryer to dispose of lint and used fabric-softener sheets. When it’s full, empty or toss and replace.

Best for drains

Have a clogged drain? The Real Simple blog offers this natural solution for getting your drain running again.

Pour ½ cup baking soda, followed by ½ cup vinegar, down a clogged drain. Cover it with a wet cloth, wait 5 minutes, uncover and flush with steaming-hot water.

Seeking your best tips

We’re seeking new tips and shortcuts for cleaning, organizing and saving time from our readers. Share your secrets and we’ll enter you in a quarterly drawing. Send email to topdrawer@newsobserver.com. Be sure to include your name, street address and city. Put “best tips” in the subject line.

Best for sponges

The Life Hacker blog offers this tip for keeping kitchen sponges clean and dry.

Place the sponge in between the clamps of a binder clip. Then stand the clip, smooth side down, on the counter next to the sink so that the sponge is standing vertically. It will dry much quicker and your sponge will last longer. lifehacker.com/

Designer’s best

The Squidoo blog offers this advice on furniture placement: “Try arranging some large cardboard boxes to approximate the size of the furniture piece before you purchase it. It will help you visualize the size and mass of the furniture in a very concrete way and you can get a better idea of how the space will work in three dimensions instead of two. You can actually walk around the room and see how it fits, if there is enough room to walk past it, if it looks too overpowering or is too small to anchor the space.” You can get more decorating tips at http://nando.com/4b

Best for storage

The artlovefashion blog suggests a great way to store your cutting boards out of sight.

Mount a magazine rack inside a cabinet door to stash your cutting boards. The easiest way to mount the rack is to take the cabinet door off its hinges and lay it down. Predrill the screw holes for the L-brackets and mount the rack to the center of the cabinet door. You can see an example at artlovefashion.com/

Best of the tube

On HGTV

Battle of the bedrooms: Connie thinks they need another bedroom, but Jim believes they can share rooms and remain in their current home. Now it’s up to designer Hilary and Realtor David to find a solution to the couple’s problem. One works to expand the home while the other shows the family houses that could better suit their family. Then, Jim and Connie will have to choose. Find out if they “Love It or List It” at 9 p.m. Saturday.

Manhattan budget: India-born Ekta and Sahil love working in the heart of Manhattan, and they’d like to buy their first home there. But in a city where property sells for $1,000 per square foot, their $425,000 budget won’t buy them much space, never mind amenities like a doorman, elevator and gym. Will the couple settle for smaller digs, or venture outside the city to find a home that’s more within their budget? “House Hunters” airs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

On DIY

Plumbing nightmare to entryway dreams: DIY host Nicole Curtis is determined to make this latest historic home into a showpiece. But she’ll have to turn her attention to bringing 100-year-old wiring and piping up to code before she can focus on perfecting the exterior look of sconces and glass windows for the grand front door. “Rehab Addict” airs at 3 p.m. Sunday.

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