Use an old toothbrush to clean behind tapes which are close to the wall and other hard to reach places.

Use air freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job as well as leaving a lovely smell.

Use a pencil eraser over heel marks on wooden floors.

Wax drippings, apply an ice cube or ice pack to wax on carpets or upholstery. This will make the wax brittle, allowing you to scrape off what you can with a blunt object.

Use small paint brushes to dust cracks and hard to reach places in telephones, stereos, etc.

Chewing gum can be removed by using ice to harden and a blunt knife to remove it.

Hairspray will remove magic-marker ink from surfaces.

Clean glass table tops by rubbing with a little lemon juice, dry with paper towels and polish with newspaper for a sparkling table.

Toothpaste will remove small scratches from glass.

To remove pencil marks and other non-greasy spots from non-washable wallpapers, use an art-gum eraser or a slice of fresh rye bread.

Remove dust from wicker by vacuuming with the dust brush attachment. Use a paintbrush or a toothbrush to get at hard-to-reach places.

If you have mould growths remove them with a damp cloth and wipe the surface again with a clean cloth soaked in a water and detergent solution.

Lime scale on grout dip a toothbrush in a solution of half water and half bleach, scrub then rinse.

For a germ-free showerhead soak it in vinegar.

To stop a fridge freezer from rusting, spray with furniture polish.

Use baby oil on shower curtains to avoid mould and discolouring.

When cleaning the kitchen floor use your rubbish bin to hold the water, this way you will clean the floor and get a clean bin at the same time.

Cleaning with household products