ANGELA DAY'S SURVIVAL TIPS:

Its the new year and there is no better time to give your home a clean sweep and prepare yourself for any household hiccup that might happen. Many of our hints are excellent money savers, so before you throw out that scaly kettle for a new one, use our easy remedy to give it a new lease of life. While you're at it you can also clean out the fridge, get the stove sleek and put the washing machine into peak performance mode.

FOR EASY KITCHEN SPIT AND POLISH

Cleaning Stoves: Pour salt over food that has spilt in a hot oven, and rub off when the oven is cool and dry. A solution of bicarbonate of soda and water will remove stain marks on the oven door and top. To clean the inside of a very grubby oven, leave a non-metallic dish of neat ammonia in a closed oven overnight. The next day, using gloves remove charred crusts with steel wool and rinse with soapy water.
Cleaning Pots: To remove burnt food and stains, fill pot with water and 15-30ml washing soda and a generous squeeze of dishwashing liquid. Return to stove, bring to boil and simmer for up to two hours. Allow to stand overnight and rinse out.
Cleaning Kettles: To de-scale a kettle, make up a solution of half water and half white vinegar. Bring to boil in the kettle and allow to stand until cold. Empty and brush off the scale. To remove any acid taste, place fresh water in the kettle and bring to the boil, then discard.

Refrigerators: A refrigerator should be defrosted when the ice in the freezing compartment is about 1cm deep. Switch off the fridge, remove the contents, and place bowls of hot water in the freezing compartment. Shut the door and allow the ice to melt. Clean the fridge out by using water that contains bicarbonate of soda. Dry thoroughly and restart. If your fridge has a really bad smell due to an extended power cut, place unpeeled pineapple slices into a bowl of boiling water and place in the closed fridge for a few hours, then wash down with a strong solution of lemon essence and water.

Washing Machines: To get your machine in top shape try the "boil out procedure," which some manufacturers recommend you do once every second month. Set the empty machine at its hottest and longest programme, add 80g dishwashing powder or 65g washing powder or a dishwashing tablet, then start the machine and let it "boil out."

Vanilla Freshener: For a simple room freshener, place a few drops of pure vanilla extract on a cotton wool ball in a shallow saucer. Replace regularly.

Cleaning shower Curtains: Vinyl: Mix 60g borax, 125ml distilled white vinegar and three drops of eucalyptus essential oil. With a soft bristled scrubbing brush, scrub the mixture onto the vinyl shower curtain and rinse well with warm water.

Silver: Shine up silver with a good homemade silver polish. Either purchase French chalk from the pharmacy or grated blackboard chalk and make a paste by mixing with a little ammonia. Rub on silver with a cloth, rinse well in hot soapy water and dry well.

Stainless Steel: Polish stainless steel with a little all purpose household cleaner and a little corn flour. Use methylated spirits or white vinegar to remove water marks, but rinse and dry immediately.

The Definitive Stain Removal Guide:

BALLPOINT
Sponge generously with methylated spirits, or try a white toothpaste. Test methylated spirits on rayon and synthetic materials first. Loosen old stains with glycerine and detergent powder.

BLOOD
Sponge with cold salted water (never use hot water or you will set the stain). Or try lemon juice and salt. Alternatively, leave to soak in a biological detergent solution. Remove old stains by soaking a solution of 15ml ammonia and 600ml water for up to 12 hours. Or make a paste of 60ml biological soap powder, 30ml ammonia and a little water – apply to stain, leave to dry then was out in cold water. Or make a paste of laundry starch and water and apply to stain, allow to dry and brush or vacuum off if stain is on a carpet.

CHEWING GUM
Harden the gum by chilling it with ice cubes in a plastic bag then scrape off as much as possible. Sponge with eucalyptus oil, or better still, rub on frothed egg white with your finger tips. Or spread peanut butter over the chewing gum, leave for half an hour, scrape gum from fabric. You will be left with a grease stain, which you should treat by combining 15ml soap powder, 7ml ammonia and enough cold tap water to make a paste. Spread over greasy area, leave to dry completely and then wash out.

FRUIT STAINS
For colour-fast washables, sprinkle borax onto the fresh stain and pour boiling water over the article from a height. Otherwise soak in a solution of 5ml borax and 500ml water for 10 minutes. Or make a paste of borax and water and apply to stain, leave 2 hours and wash out. Lubricate old stains with glycerine, then wash in biological detergent. Sponge non-washables with cold water, then with glycerine solution. Leave for an hour, then sponge lightly with white vinegar or lemon juice and rinse well. If the stain still persists, try a solution of hydrogen peroxide with a few drops of ammonia added.

WINE
For red wine stains, sprinkle immediately with salt or other absorbent. Alternatively pour soda water or white wine over the article, or cover with a paste of borax and water and leave for two hours and then wash out. For non washables use absorbent powder. Use glycerine on dried stains, then sponge with detergent solution. Sponge white wine stains with soda water.

Getting rid of Candle Wax:

On Carpets: Scrape off as much was as possible. Place a sheet of brown paper or thick paper towel over the stain and gently apply a warm iron, taking care not to scorch the carpet. Remove any remaining colour by dabbing with methylated spirits.
On Materials: Place the stain between two sheets of blotting paper and press lightly with a warm iron, changing the position of the paper often. Remove any colour traces with benzene.
On furniture: Hold plastic bag with ice cubes over the wax to harden. Scrape off the wax with a plastic scraper, sponge with warm vinegar, rub dry immediately and polish.

The free Angela Day Helpline (011 836 -7181) is open on weekdays from 8.30am to 12.30pm where readers can get advice on food, recipes, stains and any other useful information. Readers can also send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it