Every homemaker has a few secret weapons that make life so much easier. While contribution from the family is helpful, my husband switching the load of laundry I put in every morning before I leave for work just isn’t the same as some of the workhorses in my kitchen and cleaning regimen.
Homemaking is a difficult, repetitive, never-ending job that can get frustrating if you don’t have some good tools to rely on. Here is a short list of some of my favorite products that make homemaking oh so much easier.
- InstantPot
I held off for a long time on getting an InstantPot because I just didn’t want another clunky item taking up space in my kitchen. I finally fell down the rabbit hole after my mom and brother raved about theirs and I was able to snag an 8-qt. Duo Nova at Bargain Hunt for only $40! It was a complete steal, and when I tell you it has totally lifted a load from my shoulders in the kitchen, it’s a complete understatement.
I use mine as a slow cooker, a rice cooker, for curries and stews, among many other things. There are so many functions for it, and I want to try making some raw milk yogurt in it soon! My InstantPot has far beyond earned its place in my kitchen and I know I will be using it for years to come.
When it comes to cleaning floors, it pains me. They never stay clean and you have to wait for a half hour after mopping to walk on them. Who has the time to sit and wait for that long when there’s stuff to do? I sure don’t and the dry time is one of my favorite things about my Norwex mop. It comes with a dry mop pad and a wet mop pad, so it can even function as a broom/hard floor vacuum and the wet mop only needs water!
The Baclock technology in the microfiber allows the wet mop to pull dirt and grime off of surfaces like a garden till turns and pulls up weeds, and it locks into the microfiber so you’re not just shoving dirt around on your floors. And because the mop pad only needs to be damp to work, since it’s the actual microfiber doing to work not the water, the floors literally dry as you are mopping. That way you can walk on them immediately!
There are so many Norwex products that I absolutely love in my cleaning routine, but my mop makes it so easy to clean walls and ceilings because of the telescopic handle. The slim velcro mop head makes it a breeze to slide under doors and the angle of it slides the mop pad perfectly along your baseboards to clean them as you mop. If you’ve read about this mop and realize now that you NEED it in your life, check it out here!
- Cast Iron Cookware
When we talk about workhorses in the kitchen, my cast iron is in the top of that category. My skillets are used nearly every single day, usually multiple times a day, and my Dutch oven is used several times during the week for bread baking. Cast iron is so functional, cooks amazing, is non-toxic, and will last a lifetime if cared for properly.
If you haven’t jumped on the cast iron train yet, I highly suggest you snag a couple pieces from a thrift store or Marketplace and let it revolutionize your homemaking. Not only does it cook great food, it styles well too. And as a homemaker, the space we create is important so often the look of the food is just as important as the taste. Aesthetic elevates flavor, ladies.
The only piece of cast iron, I must confess, I’ve never used is a muffin pan shaped into tennis racquets and players. It was kind of a white elephant gift given by former suitor (who I was not at all suited toward, a very one-sided thing) because I played tennis. Thoughtful and unique as it may be, I’ve never found any use for it, though I have thought many times about whipping up a batch of corn muffins to make in it. Maybe I’ll just have to do that soon.
- Planner
This one may seem like a given or maybe you’re not a planner person, but when it comes to homemaking, a planner is a must for me. I used to never be a planner person, but once I discovered that I literally couldn’t function without making lists or my thoughts would be gone in 0.3 seconds (apparently forgetfulness is one of the symptoms of my thyroid disease, who knew!) planners became an everyday part of my life.
This year I am switching to the PowerSheets planner by Cultivate What Matters that is more goal-oriented since I want that to be how I focus on achieving things this year for short and long-term, but there are so many planner options: bullet, teacher, goal, simple, elaborate, you name it!
Using a planner helps me keep track of events, church functions, holidays, birthdays, but also things like cleaning routines, what I’m cooking for dinner, and daily tasks like feeding my sourdough starter or washing my hair. I love that I can plan my month, week, and days as detailed as I want them. It also just creates this great feeling of accomplishment when I check items off as done.
If you have always struggled with planners like I did for years, do some research on what style fits you best and give it another shot this year. Changing your perspective from it being another thing you have to check on every day to being a tool to help you flow better as homemaker could be just the trick you need to make it work for you.
- A Good Knife
I’m no chef, but any pro will tell you that a good knife in the kitchen is the ultimate utensil. There is something about wielding a sharp object with ease and precision that makes me giddy. From chopping potatoes, processing whole chickens, julienning scallions, to mincing garlic- a good knife is imperative.
Furthermore, taking good care of your knives is essential for them to last long. Use the honing rod frequently to keep them from getting warped and take them regularly to get professionally sharpened. Mine are overdue for a good sharpening, and it feels like a special treat to your homemaking skills to get it done.
If you don’t have a good set of knives, do some research first. If you select the right one, you’ll find that a whole knife block set isn’t really necessary and you can more than make do with a chef knife, santoku knife, and paring knife. Do some research, buy a good knife, practice your knife skills, and enjoy your new favorite part of cooking.
We all have our homemaking essentials, things we use everyday and couldn’t live without. There’s also a few things or products that make it so much easier to perform those repetitive tasks. Mine may look different than yours, but I highly suggest you give these a try if you haven’t invested in them already.
Don’t forget to check out the telescopic mop from Norwex to make your floor cleaning a breeze! This is one of my favorites from Norwex and I’m amazed at how effective this non-toxic method of mopping is, no vinegar smell or residue required! There are so many other fantastic products from Norwex that allow me to be able to stay healthy and toxin-free while alleviating homemaker stress in the meantime. Check out the mop here before it sells out again!
If you need to up your homemaking game, give my tips and tricks a try and let me know what worked for you. And if you have some secret weapons as well, don’t forget to let me and the readers know in the post comments so we can all engage and learn from each other!