I’m constantly trying to make my organizing methods more efficient. I’ve got some pretty good systems in place, but I feel I can always do better; save more time, shave off a few steps. Do you agree? In reality, there is never an end to being organized - it’s a work in progress. I’ve recently discovered an invaluable time saver that my friends loved hearing about and I thought you might too. Here are five areas where I save time by using timers:
1. Doing laundry
The newer models of washing machines have a built-in timer. The one in mine is labeled “Delay Start.” If yours has one, use it! I love taking advantage of mine.
This is how I used to do laundry:
I put in a load of wash, turn on the cycle, and then go about doing other household chores like cleaning, cooking or maybe I just work in my studio churning out projects. An hour later or so, I hear the machine signal my clothes are washed. Or maybe I don’t hear it. I might be so wrapped up or focused on the project at hand that I ignore it and forget about the wash. Or maybe I’ve gone outside to work in the yard and lose track of time. Meanwhile, the wet clothes are sitting in the washer collecting mildew and getting stinky. If I let it sit in there too long (which can happen), I’d have to rewash the clothes in order to remove the smell and mildew. What a waste of time!
My new method of washing clothes is this:
I throw in a load of laundry before I go to bed. I set the timer to start the cycle an hour before I wake up. If I wake up at 6AM and the cycle is an hour long, then I set the timer to start the wash at 5AM. By the time I wake up and brush my teeth, the washer will have already finished or is just finishing. I immediately throw the clothes in the dryer or hang dry on the line outside, if it’s a nice day. No more forgetting about the wash or waiting around for the cycle to end!
Before I started this nighttime routine, I sometimes set the timer to finish its wash just when my husband would return home from work. Then he’d put the wash in the dryer as soon as he came home. Find a system that works for you and start using the timer. It’s so nice to have one less thing to think about.
BONUS TIP: Newer dishwashers also have this feature. Mine does, but I never use it because having the dishwasher wash all my dishes is time saving enough.
2. Cooking
If you’re prone to burning your food because you’re busy managing a million other things in the kitchen as you’re trying to get dinner on the table, use a timer! If you don’t have a timer in your stove or microwave, buy a small kitchen timer. Or use your phone!
Here are a few ideas of how to use a timer in the kitchen:
• Pan-frying meat or dumplings. I set the timer to alert me when it’s time to turn over the meat to cook on the other side. I don’t have to watch the clock or have burned food again.
• Cooking pasta. The package always gives a good estimated time for how long the pasta will take to cook (each type of pasta varies). As not to overcook the pasta, I set a timer to alert me when it’s about done. Again, I don’t have to watch the clock or keep stirring the pot.
• And of course, everyone uses the timer when they’ve got something in the oven, right?
3. Productivity
If you’re anything like the most of us (and by “us,” I mean me), you can’t really get anything done until after you’ve checked all your social media outlets and emails and read up on all the news of the day. C’mon, fess up! We all procrastinate - even a tiny bit. So, I give you permission to do all that stuff you need to do before getting down to work. But after you start working, do you ever find yourself drifting off into a daydream? Perhaps you jump onto Facebook to see if anyone has commented on your status update? Or how many people have liked your recent Instagram pic? Those distractions are extreme time suckers! I mean, if you’re not doing that - then hats off to you for staying so focused!
For the rest of us, I suggest you use a timer. It’s incredible how focused you’ll get if you have something to keep you accountable. For instance, if you know you have only one hour to work on something, set your timer to one hour. You’ll find yourself immediately buckling down to get your project finished before the timer goes off. It’s like a race! And you know what? If when the timer goes off and you’re not finished yet, then give yourself another half hour to finish the task and reset the timer. No big deal! Sometimes projects take longer than you estimate, right? It happens and it’s good to give yourself some slack about it. You’ll feel so accomplished when you’ve worked that entire hour and haven’t sidetracked to check your email. Trust me! I’m using a timer right now to write this post.
BONUS TIP: If you’re a Pinterest junkie or YouTube addict, it’s also good to set a timer for indulging in your leisure activities so you’re not looking at the clock three hours later and wondering where all the time went!
4. Watering the plants
I love, love, love using a timer to water my vegetables. When I used to water by hand, I would spend 15 minutes twice a day out there (I have a pretty big garden), especially in the beginning when I’ve just planted new seeds. Now that I’ve installed a timer, I spend those 15 minutes getting dinner on the table or working on my blog. It’s also a big load off my mind. I no longer get stressed out for running late or feel terrible for forgetting to water my thirsty vegetables.
We haven’t done this yet, but I’d also like to get a timer for the front of the house where our lawn is. Due to water shortages in the summer, we have certain times when we can water our lawn. For us, that’s the hours between 5-9AM! My husband, who is in charge of the front yard (I’m in charge of the backyard), does not wake up early enough to always remember to water the lawn. But if we had a timer, our lawn could get consistent watering during the restricted hours. And he could sleep in.
5. Making Coffee
I don’t drink coffee, but I know a ton of you out there love your morning cup o’ joe. Get a coffeemaker with built-in timers. Before you go to bed, put in your coffee grinds and water, then set the timer to have a pot of hot, fresh coffee to greet you in the morning. You might feel less groggy when you wake up knowing this is waiting for you and you won’t have to wait for IT.
And those are my five areas to save time using timers! Timers requires a tiny bit of a learning curve, but once you’ve figured out how each appliance works, you’ll be so addicted to using them! Do you currently use any timers? Where else do you use timers? What other methods do you have to help you save time?
I’ve linked up this project at these parties here.
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