By RACHEL SIMHONLast updated at 01:10 04 October 2007 Want to know how to removechewing gum from your favouritework skirt? The easiest way to clean apan caked in cooked-on scrambledegg or porridge?What you can use toget red wine stains out of yourcarpet? And would you like todiscover the super-cheap, ecofriendlycleaning product everywould-be domestic goddess shouldkeep under her sink?In her new book,The Housewife's Handbook, journalistand cleaning enthusiast RachelSimhon shares some of her favouritedomestic tricks and shortcuts to solvesome of our most frustrating■ To make a candle last longer, put it in thefreezer for a couple of hours before using. To fita difficult candle into a candlestick, dip theend in boiling water for a second or two. Theend will soften enough to fit in easily, and it will■ To prevent bathroom mirrors steaming up,put a small amount of neat washing-up liquidon a dry cloth and rub on to the surface of■ If a necklace chain has mysteriouslyformed into a Gordian knot, you can easilydisentangle it by dusting with talcum powderand using two needles to tease out the knots.

■ To dust a TV screen — or anything thatattracts static — use a barely damp cloth tolay the dust. If you have a tumble-dryer anduse fabric conditioner sheets, dust TV screenswith a used conditioner sheet. The residue■ Apart from silver, which shouldbe cleaned only with silver polish, you do notneed to buy separate polishes for each metalin your home. Chrome, copper and brass canall be cleaned with Autosol (available from caraccessory shops), which is recommended by ■ For patent leather shoes andhandbags, clean with a soft dampcloth, using a little vinegar toleather is covered with a fineplastic film. Do not leave it incoloured polythene bags — theycan leave a permanent imprint.■ To test whether a down orfeather pillow needs replacing, layit across your arm. If it flops sadly,its days are numbered. To test if asynthetic pillow is still fit forpurpose, press it in the middle tosee if it springs back. If it does not,Tip: Freshen up pillows in a hottumble-dryer for 15 minutes or soonce a month.

The heat will also■ To clean stainless steelworktops and appliances, wipe upspills thoroughly with a dampcloth and washing-up liquid, rinseand dry to prevent water marks.Now and again, polish with asuch as Shiny Sinks (available from large supermarkets).For a perfect finish, put a drop ortwo of baby oil on a soft cloth andrub it over smudges and stains.duct cleaning companies in usaYou can use baby oil on allstainless steel appliances, such ascloth. good way to clean microfiber couchThese use no chemicals,only water, but bring up stainlesssteel to a high, smudge-free shine.best vacuum cleaners suction ■ Hang your most preciousclothes, as well as anything that isnot worn very often — such asevening dresses — in garmentbags (which can be found inwebsites) to keep out dust and moths. vacuum cleaners best suction power

Garment bags should bemade of a breathable material,such as calico, not plastic andshould be big enough so that theclothes inside do not get crushed.Never store clothes in drycleaner'smay develop if there is a hint ofdampness in the clothes orMore importantly, if clothes arestored in plastic for a long time,the polymers in the bags canmigrate on to fabrics and causeAlways hang dresses and jacketson a padded or wide woodenhanger. top 5 vacuum cleaners 2013 ukThe thin plastic ones usedby dry-cleaners will not supportWire ones are also too thin andmarks on clothes. best way to clean urine out of upholsteryProper hangersare not expensive —look forspecial offers of wooden hangersin newspapers and magazines, orTip: Get into the habit of buying ahanger every time you buy a newoutfit. Hang trousers on trouserhangers, either by the turn-ups, orHang skirts on skirt hangers bytheir waistband loops.

Wrap theloops twice round the notch. Stopskirt loops slipping off plainhangers by twisting a rubber bandaround each end of the hanger.■ To keep matching underweartogether: Fold the bra in half, onecup inside the other, tuck in thestraps, then tuck the matchingknickers (folded) inside the cup■ Your dishwasher doesn't haveto be just for dishes. Use it to cleaninclude: Children's plastic toys: Either putthem in the cutlery basket ortie them to the top rack with ■ Oven racks and grill pans: If thereremove before they have driedand wipe clean, otherwise, theburned bits will be baked on.The dispenser drawer from yourwashing machine: This can getclogged with soap and fabricSome vases: Especially if they areplain and not decorated and are■ To clean Venetian blinds,close the slats so they lie flat andthen vacuum using the upholsterybrush attachment on a low setting.Hold the blind steady so it does notbang against the window frame.Start at the top and vacuum firstthe centre section, then thesections on either side of the tapes.

Reverse the slats and do the other side. Do this at least once aWooden blinds should never beimmersed in water. For metalblinds, a second option is touse a blind cleaner (two furryprongs that fit tightly overeach slat and which you thenslide along the blind). Youcould also put on a pair ofcotton gloves (or use socksas mitts) and run your■ Make your own windowfrom a mixture of ammonia,how cheap these products are and how much you aretherefore paying for a fancymarketing and so forth. So whenyour bottle of commercial windowcleaner is empty, refill it with amixture of 45 per cent water,45per cent surgical spirit and ■ To make a general cleaner. To4 litres hot water, add half a teacupeach of bicarbonate of soda,Use as a general household■ Descaling a showerhead. Do notbother dismantling it, instead, halffill a plastic bag with half and halfvinegar and water. Fix it to theshowerhead with a rubber bandand leave it until the limescale hasgone. Flush out any little bits oflimescale by running the shower■ To clean shower curtains.

Shower curtains can quickly getregularly to prevent soap build-upand staining. Wash in the washingmachine on a hot wash, usingbiological detergent. If they arevery dirty, washing them alongwith some towels seems to help■ Cleaning a pan after cookingeggs and milk. After cookingscrambled eggs in anything otherthan a non-stick pan, soak it in coldwater. Hot water sets protein, andfar from removing egg, will set itlike concrete. The same principlewashing-up problems, such as milk■ To prevent a drain becomingblocked, always use a sink strainerto prevent bits of food clogging it.Never pour grease down the drain.Instead, pour it into an old tin-canor other disposable container, let itharden and throw it in the dustbin.Coffee grounds can also blockdrains. Strain them into a sieveand put them in the dustbin.Once a day, pour a kettleful ofboiling water down the drainto dislodge any grease lurking■ Once a week, disinfect the drainas follows: Pour a cup ofbicarbonate of soda down theplughole and slowly dribble warmwater into it OR make a solution ofsoda crystals (one teacup to a litreFlush the drain with hot water,pour down the soda solution,then flush with hot water again.OR flush with very hot water

,sprinkle 1 tbsp household boraxdown the drain, slowly pourthrough a teacup of hot waterand leave for a couple of hours.Flush with plenty of hot water. ■ To remove red wine and fruitjuice stains from clothing: Apply adesigned for wine and fruit juices,such as Wine Away (from branchesof Robert Dyas, Lakeland storesthe stain an alarming shade ofblue, which then just washes out.Never put salt on red wine spills. Itwill set the mark, making anThe white rings left by glasses aredifficult to remove. Here areolive oil and cigarette ash andrub it gently into the stain. Thistakes time and patience, but itdoes eventually work. Make a(not raw) linseed oil and pureturpentine. Rub intothe stain with grade 0000 wirewool. Boiled linseed oil isavailable from DIY shops. Apply aavailable, but Liberon is a goodmake. To remove scratches onlight wood, rub the scratch withhalf a walnut kernel (cut in halfand rub firmly in). fairytale ring about it, but worksvery well. For darker woods, useRun The Modern Home by Rachelon October 8 at £18.99.