Pet hair on the furniture? Put on a rubber dishwashing glove, wet it, and wipe your hand over the surfaces. The hair will stick to the wet glove.

Dirty dishwasher? Put half a cup of white vinegar into the detergent spaces and run the empty machine for a full cycle.

Fingerprints on stainless steel appliances? Add a drop or two of baby oil to a clean rag and wipe over.

A really dirty toilet? Pour a can/bottle of cola around the rim and into the bowl. Leave for an hour then scrub with the toilet brush and flush. The acidity of the cola will lift stains.

Nasty smells in the kitchen? If you’ve cooked fish or burned the curry, boil a cup of vinegar and some cloves in an uncovered saucepan for a few minutes.

Burnt saucepans? Pour some cola into the burnt pan, boil and stir, then remove from the heat. The burnt residue should pour away with the liquid.

Dirty light switches? Grab an ordinary pencil eraser from the newsagent and use it to ‘rub out’ fingerprints and other marks. A pencil with an eraser on the end is good for cleaning remote controls and keyboards.

Tarnished silver? Use cheap toothpaste and an old toothbrush to apply it over the silver wear, then rinse off and buff.

Cloudy windows? Pour a tablespoon of white vinegar into a spray bottle, add water and squirt, wiping away with a clean micro-fibre cloth or an old tee-shirt.

Dirty chrome taps? Toothpaste and a wet sponge will get them gleaming. Use an old toothbrush to clean the gap between tap and basin.

Musty linen cupboard? Keep an open box of bicarb soda in there, to keep the smells at bay. Works in the fridge too.

Caffeine cups? Use toothpaste to clean the stubborn tea and coffee stains from your mugs and cups.