Are you sharing your kitchen with an army of ants right now? They love sweet things to take back to the nest to feed the queen and babies. They won’t spread disease, but they’re annoying nonetheless. The easiest way to deal with them is to find the source (look for small piles of earth pellets or check out the ants’ route) and pour some boiling water over. Follow up with a few puffs from an insecticidal powder (check it treats ants). If you don’t like the idea of killing them, a sprinkling of cayenne, scented talc or peppermint oil along the skirting boards near the outside door should send them next door!

Always use separate cleaning cloths for the bathroom so there’s no chance for germs to cross-contaminate any other room. After every use, wash and dry cloths – don’t leave them scrunched up behind the taps.

Get everyone to use their own towel and facecloth – no sharing – as infections, especially skin problems, can spread quickly.

There are many different ways of cleaning the loo pan, but a brush is my least favourite – they give me the heebie-jeebies. I much prefer to put on my ‘bathroom’ rubber gloves, sprinkle around some disinfectant, rub away with some kitchen paper (don’t forget under the rim…scary what you can find there!), then stick this in the bin outside (never flush away kitchen roll or baby wipes – they can easily block your loo).  

And don’t forget to wipe the handle!

If you don’t have an extractor fan, try to open the window as much as possible after a shower or bath for a good airflow. If you’re having a bath, run the cold tap first, followed by the hot, which will reduce steam (safer, too, if children are around). For a mouldy shower curtain, machine-wash on a wool cycle with a capful of bleach added to the drawer; rehang straight from the machine.

There’s no need to resort to expensive, strong products to attack limescale. Much better to stick to homemade remedies, which are just as effective, and a lot cheaper. If your chrome showerhead is caked with scale, unscrew it, and steep overnight in a bowl containing half clear vinegar and half warm water. In the morning the scale will flake off and the head will only need a little rub with a cloth. Note: don’t use on special metal finishes, as vinegar can damage. For scale in an enamel bath or porcelain sink, dampen a pumice stone and rub away at the mark. Don’t worry about scratching: the pumice is hard enough to deal with the scale but soft enough not to damage the surfaces

Next time you’re at a friend’s house and need to go for a sit-down in the smallest room, first lay down about 3-4 sheets of loo paper on top of the water. Then you can freely go into action in the secure knowledge that, post-flush, there will be no stains left behind because everything will have landed on the paper! (That tip is courtesy of my younger son.)

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.)