Caroline Clay, Professional Housekeeper, shares household tips with you

• If you get crayon marks on wallpaper heat up the marks with a hairdrier and wipe off with a clean dry cloth.
  
• It's easier and less messy to paint a wire fence with a sponge than a paintbrush. Just put the paint in a pan and dunk the sponge.
  
• Place a saucer upside down in your salad bowl and place the salad on top. Water from the leaves will collect under the saucer, preventing your salad going soggy.
  
• If you need a small screw driver for tiny screws, such as those in your glasses, and haven't got one, try using the point of a nail. Its just the right shape and will usually do the job.
  
• Are tidemarks around the bath difficult to remove, sprinkle talcum powder into the bath water before letting the plug out, the tidemarks will come off easily.
  
• Trying to get the last drops out of a bottle of liquid soap, put a few marbles in the bottom of the bottle it will make the level of the liquid rise.
  
• Stand soap on a nail brush to stop getting a gooey mess.
  
• Is your bathroom damp ? Stand a sponge on the window ledge it will help to mop up condensation.
  
• Attach a bull dog clip to your toothpaste tube, it'll squeeze out the last dregs and allow you to hang up the tube.
  
• When washing bed linen a drop of pure tree oil in the rinse water will help prevent dust mites.
  
• Smear a little petroleum jelly over a cut before using a plaster it will heal much faster.
  
• To stop your drill from slipping on bathroom of kitchen tiles and damaging them, cover the spot you're drilling with a small fabric sticky plaster.
  
• A pleasant and safe way of discouraging flies in the summer is to place cotton wool balls sprinkled with lavender oil saucers. It also saves on air fresheners.
  
• A handy way of getting rid of cooking smells in the kitchen is to put a couple of drops of lemon essential oil into a small bowl of water and pop it into the microwave for a few minutes.
  
• Don't throw away air freshener gel when it starts running out. Instead pop it into a new vaccum cleaner bag and your rooms will smell fresh every time you vacuum.
  
• Stop your pets dragging their bowl around the floor, suction pads for soap do the trick quickly and easily.
  
• If you have trouble opening bottles, use a nutcracker. It works well and prevents sore hands.
  
• Use nail varnish remover to remove marks on patent leather shoes. They will soon look brand new.
  
• Put a small dab of luminous paint on light swithces so you can see them in the dark.
  
• To avoid having to clean up messy paint trays when you are decorating with a roller, first line the tray with clingfilm. When you have finished painting, just peel the clingfilm from the bottom of the tray and throw it away.
  
• To clean dirty sun specs and glasses squirt a tiny amount of furniture polish on them and buff. They will come up like new.