Can you scrub away stains with a POTATO?

... or polish baths with rhubarb and mirrors with gin! Victorian tips that outshine modern cleaning methods

EVER wondered how Mrs Hughes kept Downton Abbey spick and span without so much as a squirt of Fairy Liquid? According to a new book of historical household tips from as far back as Victorian times, the answer lies in canny uses for everything from eggshells to gin.

But can they really compete with modern cleaning products? TESSA CUNNINGHAM finds out.

GIN TO GET YOUR MIRRORS SHINING

My gin normally comes mixed with perfectly chilled indian tonic. it’s criminal, then, to mix my favourite tipple with warm tap water.

in fact, as i pour a generous slug of supermarket gin (the cheapest i can find, at £6 for 35cl) into a bucket, i can’t help but wonder which sozzled housewife from history dreamt this one up.

if you want to get mucky mirrors shining, apparently you should dip a silken handkerchief into gin and water, and wipe gently. The alcohol in the gin will rapidly dissolve any grease.

Sadly, i don’t have a silk handkerchief, but find a pair of old silk knickers at the back of the lingerie drawer. Hoping i’m not going to regret this, i dab a corner of the knickers in my cleaning cocktail and get to work on my grimy hall mirror.

in seconds, it’s sparkling and streak-free and the aroma beats any lemon-scented modern product.

i’ll be using this one again — but next time, without the knickers. MODERN METHOD: Designed specially for glass, a Windolene Wipe (£ 2.20, Sainsbury’s) is easy to use, but doesn’t leave the sparkle i get with gin. VERDICT: Old way wins.

RHUBARB FOR YOUR BATHTUB

My OLD enamel bathtub is dotted with unsightly marks. But can i really make it gleam by steeping rhubarb in it?

Removing stains from enamel is supposed to be as simple as adding a single stem of rhubarb and kettles of boiling water to the bathtub, then leaving for several hours. How does it work? Rhubarb contains oxalic acid, which is also used in many commercial cleaning products.

And so i put six sticks in the tub (it’s a big bath) and turn on the hot tap. The water turns bright pink and it looks more like a murder scene than a picture of domestic efficiency.

i don’t want to give up too quickly, so keep adding boiling water. But it’s no use. Even after hours of soaking, the stains are just as bad. i’m just relieved the bath isn’t stained red. MODERN METHOD: Scrubbing with Flash Spray With Bleach (£2, Tesco) removes most of the unsightly marks. VERDICT: Modern method wins.

EGGSHELLS AS A DEODORISER

THERE’S an unpleasant reek from my Thermos when i unscrew the lid — stewed tea mingled with tomato soup — although i always wash it thoroughly after use.

Our housewife from history claims to have the answer, though. Put the crushed shells from two boiled eggs into the Thermos and fill with vinegar. After shaking well, leave to stand for a few hours, then rinse and dry.

The eggshells, it seems, act as a gentle abrasive during the shaking, removing any remaining particles of food, while the vinegar is a natural disinfectant.

Three hours later, i open the flask to be greeted by a smell more chip-shop than super-clean. However, when i rinse with hot water, gunk that has gathered around the rim vanishes with the vinegar odour. My Thermos smells sweet and tea tastes better from it, too. MODERN METHOD: After cleaning the inside of my flask with my washing-up brush, i leave it to soak for an hour in a bowl of hot water with a splash of washing-up liquid. The result? it still smells perfectly foul. VERDICT: Old way wins.

SPUDS TO GET RID OF STAINS

THEy’VE been through my washer dozens of times — yet my tea towels are still stained.

The solution, according to the historical housewife, is simple. Rub a raw potato on the tea towel, put in a pan, then bring to the boil. Repeat before steeping in cold water for an hour then rinsing. This is said to work as, like rhubarb, spuds contain oxalic acid.

After the rubbing, boiling and rinsing, the stains are marginally lighter. But it’s not been worth the effort, and the smell of stewed tea towels lingers for hours. MODERN METHOD: i pop the tea towels in my washing machine, add Vanish Oxi Action fabric stain remover (£5 for 1kg, Sainsbury’s) to my usual detergent and wash at 60 degrees. The stains disappear. VERDICT: Modern method wins.

TEA LEAVES AS A CARPET CLEANER

AFTER making a cuppa, i save the tea leaves and dry them on a saucer in the airing cupboard.

Bonkers? you might think so. But, in the past, dry used tea leaves were sprinkled on carpets, before being brushed away along with any dust.

After four hours, the leaves are dry enough to sprinkle on my dirty stair carpet. Astonishingly, it’s worth the wait. As i brush the carpet, the leaves come up covered in dust. MODERN METHOD: Out comes my trusty vacuum cleaner. it sucks up just as much dust, but only takes five minutes. VERDICT: Modern method wins.

DUST WITH BREADCRUMBS

OnE look behind my radiators reveals enough dust to stuff a duvet. The edges of my skirting boards are just as bad.

But what works in corners where your vacuum cleaner can’t easily reach? it’s easy, apparently. Just make balls from slices of white bread and press them into those dusty crevices. The moisture in the bread attracts the dust.

i give it a try and am amazed to see the dust sticks like a magnet. But crumbs fall all over the place. MODERN METHOD: Even using the smallest brush on my vacuum, i can’t manage to suck up as much dust as with the bread balls. But it comes in handy for the crumbs. VERDICT: Old way wins.

NEWSPAPER TO CLEAN WINDOWS

THiS could be a good use for old copies of the Daily Mail — and cut your window-cleaning bill.

First, fill a bottle with equal parts water and white vinegar and spray onto your dirty windows. The vinegar will cut through dirt and grease.

now, polish with scrunched up old newspaper.

This, according to my historical housewife, will dry the glass quickly, without leaving marks.

i think this could be a winner, but my eyes are watering with the smell of vinegar before i even get started. And as i scrunch up my newspaper, my fingers rapidly become black with newsprint.

The scent of vinegar evaporates within seconds and, far from leaving marks on my windows as i fear, the newspaper soaks up the residue, leaving the glass sparkling and streak-free. MODERN METHOD : i spray Mr Muscle Window And glass Cleaner (£1.75, Sainsbury’s) on the window, then wipe with a dry cloth. The glass remains slightly streaky. VERDICT: Old way wins.

GRATED POTATO TO BANISH STAINS

i LOVE scented candles, but my living room carpet is dotted with grease spots where they’ve dripped. Can grated potato really help remove them?

i grate two raw potatoes to a pulp and put them in a bowl containing 1 pint of water. i then strain this liquid into another bowl containing a fresh pint of water and leave the mixture to settle for an hour.

This, i’m assured by my domestic predecessors, will remove the worse grease stains, thanks to the oxalic acid in the potato.

i apply the liquid to those stubborn grease spots with a clean cloth, and leave to dry before wiping gently with a moist cloth to remove any residue.

Then i repeat the whole process. it takes time — but my grease stains are no more. MODERN METHOD: i spray Vanish Carpet Foam Stain Remover (£4.60, Tesco) onto the stains and work in with a sponge, then leave to dry. The carpet is cleaner and brighter. But the grease spots are every bit as bad. VERDICT: Old way wins.

SPIT And Polish, Old-Fashioned Ways To Banish Dirt, Dust And Decay by Lucy Lethbridge is published by Bloomsbury priced £12.99.