SURPRISING ITEMS INSIDE THE OBSESSIVE CLEANER’S CUPBOARD

TUMBLE DRYER SHEET

THIS is the world’s best-kept cleaning secret! The beauty of them is that you can use them after they’ve been in the dryer and made all your clothes smell lovely. I use them to buff chrome and wipe away soap scum from the shower screen and to clean wooden slatted blinds, which they do brilliantly. Zip a tumble dryer sheet into each of your sofa cushions — it will keep them smelling fresh.

MAGIC VINEGAR

IT’S THE solution to that impossible-to-shift limescale and hard water build-up. To achieve the perfect shine and remove any blockages from shower heads, fill a small plastic bag with vinegar, place it over the shower head and tie at the top. Leave it for half an hour then rinse with water.

COCA-COLA

rEMOvE limescale stains in the loo by pouring either a glass of cola into the bowl, or dropping in a denture tablet and leaving overnight before flushing. Both work!

BABY OIL

USE a tiny drop of baby oil on stainless steel hobs to get the perfect shine, and if the loose components (the pan supports and the burner caps) are greasy, pop them into a small sandwich bag with the tiniest squirt of oven cleaner, seal and leave for ten minutes. Then rinse.

FABRIC CONDITIONER

FOr baked-on grime on casserole dishes, stop the scrubbing and soak them in warm water with a squirt of fabric conditioner for at least an hour. voila! Sparkly clean.