Towels go hard usually because people use too much fabric conditioner. What happens is that over time the surplus never gets rinsed properly, and starts to build up…which ends up making the dried towels stiff – ironic, isn’t it? The best thing to do is to stop the machine before the final rinse and add a cup of clear vinegar to the drum. No, you won’t have the lingering waft of eau de fish and chips! Trade secret: a vinegar rinse is what keeps hotel towels soft.

Single duvets can go into the washing machine; check the label for instructions. Any duvets larger than single normally need to be taken to the launderette but some modern machines have a very large capacity, so check first. As long as the item goes into the drum easily and there’s a bit of space between the duvet and roof of the drum, you’ll be fine.

Either pack away in a spare suitcase, lidded plastic boxes, zip-up plastic bags or those special storage bags that hook up to the vacuum cleaner hose to extract air and create an airtight seal (they reduce the volume to about 50 percent, are available cheaply from Argos and can be reused). Fold or roll clothes and wrap in acid-free tissue paper to prevent creasing. When your case, box or bag is full, sprinkle the top with rosemary, lavender, bay or pieces of cedar to deter moths and other unwelcome critters. Store either on top of the wardrobe, in a drawer under the bed, in a spare room or dry loft.

If you think have a moth problem, vacuum and wipe out the wardrobe and drawers with soapy water, getting right into the corners. Make sure you clean carpets and floors, especially under furniture and along skirting boards. And as soon as you have vacuumed, empty the bag or canister so they don’t breed in there.

Never switch on the dishwasher and leave the house. Many homes have gone up in flames because of an electrical connection that just happens to become faulty as you vacate the house. (This has happened to two of my friends.)

Keep a carton of milk in the freezer so that if you get back very late you know you’ll be able to make yourself a cuppa in the morning.

Don’t leave dirty dishes in the dishwasher, as a fair old stink will have developed by the time you come back home!

Stick a bunch of plump black grapes in the freezer for a few hours, and when they’re nice and solid, pop them into your mouth like sweeties. Guilt-free and gorgeous!

Stale water and warm weather are not a good combination, so if there’s slime and algae present, here’s what to do. About once a week, bale out the water with an empty yogurt carton and, with a solution of equal parts clear vinegar and warm water and using an old toothbrush, give the birdbath a good scrub and rinse well with fresh water. The birds will love you for it.

I love hanging washing but occasionally a passing bird will leave a deposit on my freshly laundered sheets. As long as the items are white or colourfast (and not nylon), immerse in a solution of hydrogen peroxide, available from the chemist (one part 20-vol peroxide to six parts cold water) for up to 30 minutes, then wash in the machine as normal.

In hot weather damp, unwashed laundry left in the basket for too long can become a bit smelly! Counter this by cutting the foot off a pair of old tights, fill it with bicarbonate of soda, knot it and keep it in the laundry hamper. Replace after a couple of months.