If a black item has faded in colour over a number of washes, chances are it’s due to a build-up of detergent residue rather than actual loss of dye. To sort this, soak the item for a few hours in warm water with a little clear vinegar added, rinse and wash in the machine as normal.

Moving kitchen appliances to clean underneath can be tricky. Far easier to use the Flatmate from Lakeland. It’s £9.99 and takes the slog out of getting into those awkward corners.

If you have any rust marks on your enamel bath, rub with salt and lemon juice, then rinse.

Bicarbonate of soda is a superb cleaner, and now available in a thick liquid form. It’s perfume-free and mildly abrasive for deep cleaning, but won’t scratch any surface. DP Liquid Bicarb, £1.99, from good independent shops.

If you’re in the mood to bake but discover you don’t have any self-raising flour, just add 1 tsp baking powder to 110g (4oz) plain flour and you’re good to go!

If you’re venturing on a holiday this year, roll up clothes and get far more in the suitcase. If you unpack straight away, the wrinkles are usually minimal. Any that appear can be dealt with by hanging garments in the bathroom – steam soon smoothes everything out!

If your freezer is kept in the shed or garage, coat the outside with a layer of wax polish. This’ll help stop it being affected by damp, mould or rust marks.

Ryan Christodoulou

Pour a little warm water into the dip and gently tease up with pile with the tines of a fork.

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It’s estimated that up to 10 per cent of a pillow’s weight is made up of sweat, skin flakes, dandruff, saliva…enough said!

Check the label for wash instructions (most pillows nowadays are machine-washable) and put two at a time in the machine.

Get them out on the line early on a hot day and they’ll be ready to rest your head on by the evening.

Sweet dreams!

Quite honestly, it’s down to personal preference. I’d say the generally accepted timescale is once a week, but if you leave it longer it won’t make you ill unless you suffer from asthma or other respiratory problems.

The longer the sheets are left, the denser the dust mite numbers, which means higher quantities of their faeces, which is what can trigger an asthma attack.

Also, to keep dust mites down, don’t make the bed as soon as you get up, because if you do they’ll carry on breeding in the warm and humid atmosphere.

Much better to pull back the covers and open a window to lower the temperature – that way you’ll reduce the population.