I’ve always been a fan of those disposable laundry sheets you stick into a mixed wash to stop colours from running into each other, and to keep the whites white – great for students and households with smaller washloads.

Dr Beckmann has gone one better with a reuseable colour collector.

It’s a piece of white towelling that works in the same way, picking up all the loose bits of colour and dirt –  and can be used up to 30 times.

Around £3 from supermarkets.

Undiluted washing-up liquid usually works just as well.

Dampen the fabric, add a few drops of Fairy Liquid to the greasy stain, rub fabric to fabric, rinse and wash as normal.

Work around the house room by room and think about ways you can use your time efficiently.

For instance, the kitchen floor could be drying while you clean the hall or landing.

Store all your cleaning stuff in one bucket and to carry it around with you when you are doing your chores.

This way you’ll avoid time-wasting trips up and down stairs searching for this duster, that disinfectant, those wipes, etc.

When vacuuming, move furniture around as little as possible: eg tip a chair back instead of moving it then having to move it back again.

Vacuum systematically so you don’t waste time going over the same area more than once.

If a certain area needs extra attention, vacuum more slowly rather than speed up (go quickly over little-used areas). 

When you’re dusting, it’s always better to go from top to bottom.

Dust falls with gravity and so clean high shelving, lampshades and curtain poles first.

Work your way down and save vacuuming till last.

The stains are probably grease-based and you’ve not managed to remove all the grease, or you’ve not rinsed well enough and the residue is attracting dirt.

Dab with white spirit on a paper towel (test on a hidden area first) until it’s gone (no need to rinse).

If the mark is still there, mix 1tsp Woolite or the like with 300ml warm water and, working from the outer edge in, blot with paper towel until the stain goes.

Then blot with plain water to rinse. Leave to dry overnight.

The trouble with asking other people to load the dishwasher is that sometimes they’re not fussy about scraping the dishes before stacking (particularly boys). And where do all those lumpy bits end up? In the filter of course.

The other day I had a good delve out and it was amazing how much rice and other scraps had got trapped in there. There’s something very satisfying about having a dishwasher clear-out.

All you need to do is fill the sink with hot soapy water, put the filter parts in there and have a good scrub with either a nailbrush or a washing up brush.

Rinse and replace.

If you have lots of annoying weeds in paving cracks, fell them in one swoop with vinegar diluted 50/50 with hot water.

Put in a small watering can or spray bottle and douse the lot. After a few hours, they’ll shrivel up and die off.

If your PVC windows are no longer the brilliant white they once were, spruce them up with Nilco uPVC Cleaner, a semi-abrasive paste that will remove dirt and stains from PVC doors and windows.

Just apply with a clean cloth over the surface; no need to rinse.