I love making jam and now it’s chutney time, the preserving continues. The best way of reducing time/faff/question marks over setting is with a Thermapen (jam is set at 105C). They’re not cheap – from £36; thermapen.co.uk – but are professional quality, super-quick and dead accurate. A great present for a jam-maker.

Take care not to clean your glasses or computer screen with kitchen towel – most of them contain wood pulp products that will damage those surfaces. Use specialist microfibre cloths instead (like the ones you get in a spectacles case).

I’d never come across Gorilla Glue before – a handyman friend told me about it. He’s never without a bottle as it’s super-strong and works on virtually anything. As the label says, put it to the test (always using much less than you think; it expands a lot) and you’ll stick with it for life! From Homebase and B&Q.

Chewing gum on pavements is bad enough, but if it’s landed on your carpet, scrape away the worst, then put ice cubes over the residue until it’s brittle and chip away with a blunt knife.

Has your front door lock become sticky and difficult to operate? If you squirt a little WD40 into both keyhole and bolt holes, you’ll find things will be much easier.

Did you know that the best way to look after pearls is to wear them? The oils in your skin add a gentle lustre to the gems. Clean them by washing in warm water with a tiny amount of mild soap, then gently buff dry with a soft cotton cloth.

If your dishwasher is working badly of a sudden and stuff’s still dirty at the end of the cycle, don’t assume it needs replacing. Food waste may be trapped in the filter (which ends up back on the dishes). Remove and clean with a soft brush under the tap. Do this weekly.

Do you have a nylon carpet and get shocks from metal fittings? Fill a spray bottle with water and 15ml fabric softener and apply to the carpet.

Do you have an artex ceiling? Then you’ll know what dust traps they are…and adding water only seems to grind in the dirt. The best way to clean artex is by using the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner.

I’m a huge fan of Microplane graters, and love how the company manages to think up a different blade for every last cut in the kitchen. The Fine Julienne blade from the Gourmet Series produces strips that are a bit wider but thinner than your classic Julienne, and the super-sharp blades give super-quick results. The Fine Julienne works particularly well with carrots, beetroot, courgettes and potatoes (for great hash browns). Around £25.