Cut down on elbow grease with traditional tricks that your grandmother would have used. They'll save you time and money, too!

1. Eradicate stains:
If you have a fresh stain on your furniture, a quick solution is to reach for the shaving foam. Simply spray it on to the stain, then wipe with a damp cloth. Blot dry and you will be amazed at the results.

2. How to hide odours:
Put a few drops of your favourite perfume on the bulb of a table lamp and switch it on. The heat from the bulb will pass a fragrant aroma around the room.

3. Banish pet smells:
This is the best way to remove odours from your carpet or fabric: wet a cloth with soda water, wipe the area and the smell will disappear. Baking soda is also very good. Just sprinkle on, leave for a while and vacuum up.

4. White scorch marks on tables:
Take a wet sponge and rub generous amounts of dry baking soda in circular motions on the mark. The stain will soon disappear.

5. Sparkling glass and mirrors:
Mix white vinegar and water in equal parts in a spray bottle. Spray on the window or mirror and dry with a rag. For a smear-free finish, remove any streaks with crumpled-up newspaper rather than paper towels.

6. Streak-free stainless steel:
To clean and polish stainless steel, moisten a cloth with undiluted white or cider vinegar and wipe clean. Rub olive oil on to clean steel worktops and sinks to remove streaks.

7. Clean lime scale:
You need to reduce the alkalinity of lime scale with an acid such as neat vinegar or lemon juice.

8. Remove mildew:
Wipe any mildew away with a vinegar-soaked cloth. Use an old toothbrush to scrub mildew from the grout between your tiles. For more stubborn stains, cover them with a paste of scouring powder that contains bleach, leave for a few hours, scrub and rinse clean.

9. Banish bathroom odours:
Place a shallow dish of baking soda or vinegar behind the toilet to absorb offensive bathroom smells. The odours will be absorbed rather than masked.

10. Unclog a blocked drain:
Pack the drain or plug hole with as much baking soda as possible. Pour a pint of boiling vinegar very carefully down the drain. There will be a violent reaction, so keep your face well out of the way. Let it sit for two hours and then flush through.

11. Clean marks from walls:
Simply rub the area with baby wipes! You will be surprised how quickly marks such as crayons disappear.

12. Remove chewing gum:
Egg whites will remove chewing gum from most things. Put the white of an egg on the gum and leave for a couple of minutes, then work the gum out.

Alternatively, you can freeze the gum off. If the item can fit in your freezer, the chewing gum will harden so you can crack it off. For bigger items, use ice cubes. Slowly rub one around the gum until it hardens