Cleaning hacks prove useful but did you know dishwasher tablets can be used to clean ANYTHING?

Cleaning hacks are genius when they work and the latest trend that's got everyone hooked is using a dishwasher tablet to clean anything. Yes anything.

How many times have you fully loaded the dishwasher, popped a dishwasher tablet in the compartment, closed the door, and not thought about it again until the machine beeps at the end of the cleaning cycle?

Well, next time you let the machine clean the stubborn greased-up dishes, think about what else you're struggling to clean and pop out another dishwasher tablet. Or you can make your own dishwasher tablets.

But this time, instead of putting the tablet in the machine, run it under the tap and grab a cleaning cloth as the magic formula that makes dishes crystal clean can do the same for just about anything else. In fact, we're surprised it's not on our list of Mrs Hinch cleaning tips for just how fabulous it is at getting things clean and sparkly.

Is your cooker door glass too grimy to see when your dinner is cooked? Or maybe your washing machine drawer is clogged up with limescale.

Don't waste time trying to scrub off the dirt, unless you've got a dishwasher tablet to hand - but you must make sure you're wearing gloves before you start to protect your hands from the chemicals.

Oven trays and racks

Are you too embarrassed about your baked on trays that you're never keen to host a dinner party, or are you forever throwing them out and replacing them with new ones, only to have the same baked-on grime again?

Well, dishwasher tablets can combat grease on oven doors, at the bottom of the cooker, on the racks or trays.

One woman praised the technique on Facebook. She said, 'After years of using strong chemicals and a tonne of elbow grease to clean my oven I am amazed that all it takes is a dishwasher tablet, warm water, and a light scrub.'

She shared a more in-detail guide on how to use them. 'Pot of warm water dipped the dishwasher tablet in and lightly used it to scrub the glass. Back and forth dipping into the water to keep it moist and washing the grime off.'

Meanwhile, other users swear by soaking trays in a sink of water with a dishwasher tablet popped in for extra power, alternatively you can cover with foil and pour hot water over adding a dishwasher tablet on top.

Burnt pan bottoms

Rubbish bin

We've all forgotten about stirring something on the stove only to realise that it's baked on or worse case, burnt, and the cleaning up process can seem impossible when it comes to removing the burnt stains. but one man shared his technique for blitzing the burns.

He advised, 'Half fill a saucepan with water, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10 minutes. I've done this a couple of times and it has completely cleaned my pans.'

Time to get stocking up on those dishwasher tablets, and create your own tap to clean!

If you're struggling to reach the bottom of your kitchen or wheelie bin, then a dishwasher tablet can help freshen it up without the hassle - providing there are no holes at the bottom of your bin.

Simply fill it with as much boiling water as possible - giving it a ‘bath’ - before dropping a tablet in. Remember to let it soak for around an hour, then pour out the water and rinse.

Toilet stains

If your toilet cleaner is struggling to remove stains around the bowl then you can dissolve a dishwasher tablet by dropping it in the loo. Wait for it to dissolve and then use the soapy water to scrub around the porcelain bowl to remove stubborn stains with ease.

Washing machine clean

If normal washing machine cleaners aren't working to de-clog your drum of the dirt, then try popping a tablet inside when it's empty and run it on a hot cycle. You will be amazed at the amount of dirty water that comes out.

One mum shared her experience on Facebook. she wrote, 'Decided to try use dishwasher tablets to clean my washing machine - I am now mesmerised.'

And they can be dissolved in water too to clean the drawer using a toothbrush dipped in the solution.

Get plastic patio furniture gleaming

All you'll need is a bucket of hot water, a dishwasher tablet dissolved in it and a sponge. Simply wipe down the items using the sponge soaked in the solution.

Laundry is one of those mindless chores we often complete without thinking, but look closer at your washing routine and you'll realise you might not be doing it as efficiently as you think...

From cramming in extra clothes to ironing fabrics at the wrong time, here are 10 of the most common laundry mistakes to avoid.

Laundry mistakes

1. Not putting a (dry) tea towel in the tumble dryer

We always welcome any tips that can speed up the boring process of doing laundry, and now there's a trick that can really help if you use a tumble dryer.

According to Shannon Lush, an Australian best-selling author who specialises in cleaning and house management, putting a dry tea towel in the tumble dryer will make your laundry dry a third faster.

Speaking on Australian breakfast TV show Sunrise, she said, 'Stick a dry tea towel in with your wash and your wash will dry a third faster. It wicks the water away and spreads the surface area for the dryer to do its work.' We thinks it's definitely worth a try!

2. Shrinking your clothes

This is the most common of our laundry mistakes... it can happened to all of us. You pull out your favourite top from the washing machine only to find it's shrunk to fit a four year old. But if all your clothes are getting smaller and smaller, just adding baby shampoo and warm water can help get them back to their original size.

Add a third of a cup of baby shampoo to a bucket of warm water and soak any shrunken clothes for half an hour. Then ring out the clothing, leaving it on a dry towel. Blogger Jill Nystul says this easy trick works as leaving it in the soapy water 'will relax the fibers in the clothing'. However, the trick will not work on wool clothing, so take extra care before washing that favourite jumper...

3. Using too much washing powder

Yes, you can have too much of a good thing! Research from Glotechrepairs.co.uk has shown that nearly a third of British households don't know how much detergent to use, and if you overload it makes it hard for the machine to rinse everything properly, leaving your clothes clogged with soap and even potentially causes blockages in the machine itself.

Repairs can cost an estimated £115, but even if you don't end up with a breakage, you're pouring money down the drain (quite literally!) by using excess product. The right amount for you depends on factors like how much you're washing, how dirty the clothes are and how hard the water in your area is, but they give you those measuring caps on the bottle for a reason...

4. Not reading the label

You might think you know your dry clean from your day-to-day wear, but when was the last time you actually read the label on an item of clothing - and if you did, did you really know what all of those symbols meant? We have to confess, we didn't - which is why we'll be using this handy guide to the basics.

You can download it as a free printable from A Typical English Home.

5. Overloading the washing machine

A staggering 40% of us admit to doing this - when you've got a load and a bit left in the laundry basket, it can be tempting to just shove in those few extra items to get the job done. However, overloading your washing machine is one of the most common laundry mistakes and means not only do your clothes move around in one large mass, not getting as clean as you'd like, but it puts undue pressure on the machine and can even lead to breakages. To avoid overloading, make sure there is always a reasonable gap between the top of the clothes and the drum.

6. Washing at too high a temperature

Not everything needs to be washed at 40 degrees - in fact, according to Persil, bright and dark colours prefer cooler, quicker washes, and jeans and woolen clothes like lower temps too. What's more, heat can even set the stains that you think you're eliminating by cranking it up. Washing at 30 degrees is effective for most items and can save around 40% less energy, making it kinder both to your purse and the environment.

7. Not turning jeans inside out

Brace yourselves, clean freaks - leading jean manufacturers say that we should only be washing our jeans once every six months to keep them in tip top condition! However, turning them inside out is another way to help them to retain their colour once they eventually hit the machine. Similarly, you should always zip up zippers before washing your favourite denims - leaving them loose can cause snags on delicate items in the same load.

8. Rubbing stains vigorously

Hands up if your first instinct when seeing a stain is to scrub at it as hard as you can? Us too - but a little bit of research reveals that this is one of the most common laundry mistakes. It's the total opposite of what we should be doing. Treating the stain quickly is crucial, but rubbing them usually just pushes them further into the fibres. Instead, dab, rather than rub, and use a dedicated stain remover to penetrate the affected area without doing further damage.

9. Ironing fabrics that are too dry

Step away from the tumble drier - getting wrinkles out of garments is actually easier when it's a little bit damp. If you've already air or tumble dried your item, use the mist setting on your iron (or use a light spray bottle, if you prefer) to return a little moisture to the fabric, and you'll blitz through your ironing pile in far less time.

10. Leaving leftover water in your iron

Once you've finished wrinkle-busting, it's crucial to empty any remaining ironing or tap water before packing up. Leaving the liquid to fester can cause damage to the iron's inner mechanisms, so try to fill up little and often and use only as much as you need.

11. Not cleaning your machines

Okay, we know they're meant to be cleaning things for you, but everything from the drum of the washing machine to the soleplate of your iron will need a little TLC after a few uses. Washing machines benefit from a regular cycle of washing machine cleaning to prevent against bad smells and mould, whilst driers need a thorough rinse of all drawers and regular lint trap emptying. And don't forget to give your iron a weekly wipe over the base to remove residue too!

MORE: How to clean your washing machine - and avoid the hidden health danger

MORE: How often you should be cleaning households appliances

These genius wine hacks are guaranteed to help you up your vino game.

We can all agree that wine is the nectar of the gods - it can solve nearly every problem, or it can at least make us feel a whole lot better about every problem. Though there's nothing like spoiling a great cheap wine deal, picked up from the Aldi wine aisle or snapped up in a huge Lidl wine saving and not making the most of it's potential.

From some quick chilling tips to catching any annoying leftover cork pieces - we've searched the web and compiled this handy wine hack guide to ensure optimum drinking.

Make nifty wine-cubes to keep your drink cool

Pour leftover wine in an ice-cube tray to make wine ice cubes that are amazing for cooling down your next glass of wine without diluting it, and can also be used for cooking! Throw one into a pot while you're making a stew or a risotto for a quick flavour boost.

Use frozen grapes instead of ice

Freeze grapes to chill wine without watering the wine down. An ideal choice for low calorie wine as some are slightly more watered down than regular wine meaning you won't impact any of the flavour or taste.

Use a wet tea towel for a quick cool-down

Wrap the bottle in a wet tea towel and pop in the freezer for five minutes. The wet towel will keep the cold in and make sure the whole bottle gets chilled far more quickly.

Use salt for an even faster chill

Add a handful of salt to a bucket of ice water to quickly cool wine down - salt lowers the freezing point of ice, meaning perfectly chilled rosé for you in double quick time!

Store your wine properly to make it last longer

You should never store open wine on its side, by windows or above 21 degrees. Heat and exposure to oxygen will make wine go off quicker, and when a half-full bottle is on its side, more of the wine's surface area is exposed to the air inside. Sounds complicated, but apparently it works...

Replace a missing cork with this plastic-fantastic trick

Buy a reusable rubber cork, or cover the opening with a square piece of cling film and secure with a rubber band, to reduce the wine's exposure to the air.

Your front door key can pop a cork too

Another way to open a bottle without a corkscrew is to push a key into the cork at a 45 degree angle, twist and pull.

And silverware can save the day!

You can also push a screw into the cork, leaving a centimetre out at the top. Hook the top of the screw through a fork, and gently easy the cork out.

Make it taste like you spent £30 more

Blend cheap wine in a blender for 30 seconds to make it taste more 'expensive', or to quickly aerate young wine that needs an hour or two to breathe. Fancy!

Shop for your wine on a weekend

Don't buy wine at the weekend - a study in the US recently found that the best supermarket deals are around on weekdays, and stores tend to push up the prices on weekends. You could save 6% by switching to a weekday, which gives you lots more money to spend on more wine in the long run..

Sweeten a sour glass in seconds with a pineapple

Add pieces of pineapple to cheap, dry or sour wine to make it taste sweeter. Fruit absorbs alcohol really well, so eat the pineapple at the end for an extra buzz!

Get rid of those pesky cork pieces

Filter any bits of cork out by pouring through a coffee filter placed over your glass.

Open your bottle with a bicycle pump

Soak up those red wine stains

Open your bottle with a bicycle pump - yes, really! Make a hole all the way down through the cork with a nail or a screw, pull it out, and feed the tube from the pump through the hole. Or, if your pump comes with a needle attachment, push that through the cork. Pump away and watch the cork rise upwards.

Red wine is said to be one of the worst stains, but it's actually quite easy to get out when you've got the know-how. Cover wine stains with salt and leave to absorb until the salt turns pink. Hoover up the leftover salt if the stain is on carpet, or pour boiling water over the stain if it's on clothes. Then you can soak until the stain is gone. Phew!

Make a DIY flycatcher using an empty wine bottle

Use an almost-empty bottle of wine as a fly-catcher - they'll be attracted to the sweet smell of the wine inside, crawl in through the opening, and won't be able to find their way out again.

Dry glasses with a flawless finish

Apparently you can dry your wine glasses with a coffee filter for a streak-free finish. Who knew?

Despite not having conducted any kind of official study, we'd be ready to wager quite a lot of money on the fact that there's a tub of Vaseline somewhere in 99% of homes in Britain..

It might be a tin of lipbalm, a bottle of moisturiser, or just a good old fashioned tub. But no matter what kind you've got in your bathroom cupboard, you're probably not maximising your Vaseline uses to their full potential.

Petroleum jelly is actually something of a wonder product, and its powers go far beyond the usual chaps and dryness.

Here are 18 other things you can do with that little tub of joy...

Take off false eyelashes

Simply applying a little Vaseline to your lashline and leaving for a couple of minutes will loosen the glue and make peeling away strip lashes a breeze.

And define your natural ones

No mascara? No problem! Dab a bit of Vaseline on your lashes and they'll instantly look more defined.

Groom your brows

Big brows may well be on trend, but the aim is bold and beautiful, not just plain unruly. Slick some Vaseline across any stray hairs to keep them in place all day.

Highlight your cheekbones

Glow doesn't have to come in an expensive bottle! A smear of Vaseline applied to the ridge of your cheeks will lift and brighten your complexion in an instant.

Ease chafing

Summer skirts and sweaty thighs are a combination that can lead to some serious discomfort, but not when you've got Vaseline on your side. Slide a bit onto the affected areas so that they glide rather than rub.

Stop self-tanning mishaps

Pop some Vaseline onto knobbly areas like elbows, ankles and knees before you fake tan - it'll act as a barrier, and stop you from going patchy.

And hair dyeing mishaps too

The same principle applies when you're doing a DIY dye job. Dip your fingers into Vaseline and run them around your hairline to keep unwanted colour away from your ears and forehead.

Soothe sunburn

Obviously prevention is the best option when it comes to SPF, but if the worse does happen and you get scorched, a liberal layer of Vaseline will soothe the soreness and cut down on peeling time.

Remove chewing gum

Parents of messy kids, this could just be your savior: Vaseline can get gum out of hair. Spread Vaseline around the gum, gently comb it out, then shampoo to get rid of residue. As one mum found out, Vaseline can also be used to help removed chewing gum from your skin!

Prime for perfume

Apparently, dabbing a little Vaseline onto your pulse points before spraying your favourite scent will boost its staying power - result!

Magic away make up stains

Whether you've dropped your bronzer on your bedsheets or dripped foundation down your new white top, rubbing with a damp cloth and some Vaseline should lift out some of the stain and make it easier to wash.

Master your manicure

If (like us) you struggle to colour within the lines when you're putting on polish, seal the skin around your nails with Vaseline before you start. Mistakes will wipe away easily! Bonus tip: it tames cuticles too.

Smarten shoes

Buff petroleum jelly into shoes or other leather goods like handbags to restore their natural shine and flexibility.

Ease in earrings

Love earrings, but only on occasion? Dipping the ends of the earrings in Vaseline before you push them into the holes will make them go in easier, as well as reducing irritation during the wear.

Remove a ring

This is especially useful in summer, when extremeties like fingers swell up. Wiping some Vaseline around a tight ring will help it to slip off with much less hassle.

Save a lipstick

Broken lipsticks can be turned into a lipbalm in your favourite shade when mixed with a spoonful of Vaseline.

Unstick a zipper

Jammed zippers will soon become unstuck when you apply a little petroleum to the pesky notch.

Prevent razor rust

Coating the blades of your resuable razor in a thin layer of Vaseline will keep it fresh and stop it going rusty in the shower.

These 55 easy cleaning hacks will totally transform your home...

Unless you're one of a very rare, tidy breed (hey, Monica Gellar!), having to tidy up nobody's favourite task. These 55 cleaning hacks, however, will make tidying up that little bit less painful.

The scrubbing, the mopping, the wiping, the polishing - the list often seems endless and, more often than not, pointless, as all of your hard work gets ruined by piles of muddy trainers and splodges of spaghetti sauce in a matter of minutes.

Sadly, it's pretty unhygienic to give up on cleaning altogether, but there are loads of cleaning hacks to make your cleaning routine quicker, easier and cheaper, and most of them can be tried today!

Here are 54 cleaning hacks for every area of your home. You'll never look at vinegar in the same away again...

Cleaning hacks for tidying up the laundry room

1. Clean your iron by running it over a piece of paper or foil covered with salt when it's hot (but no steam).

2. Revive your towels with half a cup of vinegar mixed with hot water (don't use washing powder) and then second wash them with half a cup of baking soda and hot water (again, with no washing powder).

3. Apply shaving foam to remove foundation stains from white clothes - rinse once with cold water, then repeat the process with cold to get rid of the mark.

4. Use chalk to absorb the oil from grease stains, and then wash as normal.

5. Add a tennis ball or two to the dryer and your towels will dry faster and come out fluffier.

6. Squeeze a solution of lemon juice and water onto yellow sweat stains - they should disappear in the wash!

Read more: Apparently you've been washing up wrong your whole life

7. Spray dirty clothes with white vinegar and air outside to get one more wear out of them - the vinegar neutralises the smell.

8. Have two laundry hampers - one for whites, one for darks - to save time sorting when you're ready to put a load on.

9. Dampen shirts slightly with a spritz of water before you iron - it'll make it easier to get the creases out.

Cleaning hacks for tidying up the living room

10. Coffee filters are useful for cleaning TV screens and computer monitors.

11. Lint rollers are handy for removing dust from lamps

12. Crafting with the kids and spilled glitter everywhere? Use play dough to roll over the glitter and pick up the excess.

13. Use a clean toothbrush to remove dirt between the keys of your keyboard.

14. Get scratches out of leather sofas and arm chairs by buffing in a bit of furniture polish.

15. Sprinkle baking soda onto a fabric sofa and then vacuum to get rid of odours.

16. Drag a squeegee across your carpet to remove pet hair.

17. A mixture of olive oil and vinegar removes scratches from wooden furniture. Use half a cup of each.

18. Furniture polish isn't just for wood; it also makes steel items like lamps look shinier.

19. Fold a duster around a pair of kitchen tongs and secure with elastic bands. Hey presto, a super simple way to clean blinds.

20. Pull your books to the very front of the shelves - it looks neater and stops dust building up in the gap in front of them.

Cleaning hacks for tidying up the kitchen

21. Take a dishwasher tablet and dip half of it in water, careful not to soak the table too much. Rub it over the grime on the inside of your oven door to watch the burnt on dirt come loose.

22. Keep stainless steel shiny by polishing it with cream of tartar.

23. Use aluminium foil and soap to scrub burnt-on residue from crockery

24. Microwave your sponges for two minutes in the microwave and it will sanitise them.

25. Pop your hob rings in a plastic ziplock bag and cover with plain ammonia, leave to set in the sink and rinse off in the morning for a clean up.

26. Clean your blender by adding a squirt of soap and some warm water, and then blitzing.

Read more: Mrs Hinch's best cleaning tips that you'll definitely want to copy at home

27. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 cup water and microwave for 5 minutes - you will now be able to easily wipe out any mess inside the machine.

28. Save a burnt pan with a layer of baking soda. Fill with water, bring to the boil of the hob, and once cool, the burnt-on food should lift.

29. Deep clean oven racks by putting them in your bathtub, spraying with vinegar, sprinkling with baking soda and leaving for 10 minutes. Wipe, rinse, and they should be good as new.

30. Get crumbs out of the hard-to-reach areas in your toaster using a small pastry brush.

31. Use a lemon to get rid of hardwater stains on your taps or sink.

32. Remove rust from utensils by soaking them in lemon juice.

33. Line the shelves of your fridge with clingfilm, and replace regularly to pick up spills and residue.

Cleaning hacks for tidying up the bathroom

34. Degunk your shower by filling a plastic bag with white vinegar and using an elastic band to secure it to the showerhead. After an hour of soaking, the residue should wipe away.

35. Keep a dishwand filled with detergent in the shower to make it easier for everyone to wipe it down after use.

36. Fix a grimy toilet by pouring in a (small) bottle of cheap cola and leaving to soak. Flush, scrub and you should be good to go.

37. Pour a cup of vinegar followed by a cup of baking soda down a drain to unclog it.

38. Use newspaper to clean glass surfaces like mirrors for a streak-free finish.

39. Always leave a little bleach in the bottom of the toilet brush holder to sanitise it after use.

40. Add a couple of tennis balls to the dryer when washing towels and they'll come out softer and fluffier.

Cleaning hacks for tidying up the bedroom

41. A microfiber cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol can remove nail varnish stains from your carpet.

42. Use a pillowcase to clean the dust from a ceiling fan. If you put the blade inside the pillowcase and wipe, none of the dust will fall on the floor, creating more mess.

43. Sprinkle your mattress with a solution of baking soda and essential oil, and then hoover, to freshen it up.

44. Fold your bedding into the corresponding pillowcase and never waste time searching for a matching set again.

45. Fill a spray bottle with water and a little fabric softener. Spray onto your duvet cover and then pull straight to remove wrinkles.

46. Remove dust from unburnt candles using a pair of old tights.

47. Always using your laptop in bed? Lift dirt from between keyboard keys with the sticky end of a Post-It note.

48. Make the bed every morning without fail - it'll make the mess in the rest of the room look out of place, meaning you're more inclined to pick that up too.

Cleaning hack for tidying up the rest of the house

49. Put plastic toys in the dishwasher to give them a deep clean.

50. Hang a shoe rack on the back of a tall cupboard door and use it to store spray bottles and other cleaning products.

51. Drape a duster over the end of the broom to remove cobwebs from high-up corners.

52. Dip an earbud in vinegar and run it around your window tracks to remove built-up dirt.

53. Use a cloth soaked in white vinegar to remove sticky labels from new items.

54. Magic Erasers will get rid of stubborn scuffs on your skirting boards.

55. Put a few drops of your favourite essential oil on a fabric napkin and hang it behind the radiator to make your home smell clean and inviting.

Forget expensive lotions and potions - some of the best beauty bargains you'll ever find are tucked away in the baby aisle!

These products are like-for-like buys that come at an absolute fraction of the price, simply because they're labelled for little ones instead of grown ups. Plus, they have loads of hidden uses that'll save you time, effort and money.

Share these secrets with all of the mums you know and they'll be forever in your debt...

Cotton wool

Superdrug Cotton Balls, £1.49 for 100 SWAP FOR My Little Star Cotton Wool Balls, 99p for 100

Cotton wool aimed at adults usually costs more, but whether you're using it to remove your make up or clean up baby, it really does do exactly the same job - so why pay 50 per cent more?

Cotton buds

Boots Cotton Buds, £1.05 for 200 SWAP FOR Boots Baby Cotton Buds, 59p for 200

Equally, cotton buds are handy for a multitude of reasons, from sorting smoky eye smudges to cleaning between the keys on your keyboard - but the buds from the baby aisle will cost you significantly less. In Boots for example, you'll make a saving of 46p every time you buy a box.

Petroleum jelly

Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly, £2.99 for 250ml SWAP FOR Boots Baby Petroleum Jelly, £1.99 for 250ml

Vaseline is one of our go-to wonder products (there's so many amazing uses for it!) but we never realised the baby version was so cheap. The label might be somewhat different, but hey, it still feels the same when you slick it on your lips...

Body oil

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Body Oil, £3.59 for 250ml SWAP FOR Johnson's Baby Oil, £2.09 for 300ml

Body oil is an ideal moisturiser, but baby oil is a much more affordable equivalent - just look at the difference in price between these two, and you get more in the Johnson's bottle. Our top tip is to use it in place of shaving cream when you're doing your legs - they'll still be soft and silky, and you'll make another saving!

Sanitary bags

Superdrug Sanitary Bags, 99p for 50 SWAP FOR My Little Star Nappy Bags, 99p for 100

At first glance, it appears there's no saving at all here - until you look at the quantities. You can get DOUBLE the amount of nappy bags as you would for sanitary bags, which can be used for exactly the same purpose, and frankly, there are lots of other more exciting things we'd rather be spending our money on...

Do you have any cheap beauty hacks you swear by? Let us know in the comments below

They add the perfect amount of sharpness to a summer tart, and make a gin and tonic complete... but did you know that lemons are actually hiding a whole host of other genius household hacks?

From cleaning to solving beauty problems, here are all of our favourite lemon tricks - you'll never look at a slice in the same way again!

1. Heal acne scars

Spots can leave dark marks on the skin long after they've been defeated, but dabbing a little bit of lemon juice on the area every day can quickly lighten those scars up. Make sure to moisturise as well during the treatment because lemon juice can be quite drying, and avoid this one altogether if you have very sensitive skin.

2. Get rid of food smells

Handling fish, meat and garlic can leave a smell on your hands that sometimes lasts all day, no matter how many times you scrub them! Rub some lemon juice on your fingers before washing them with soap to make sure the stink doesn't linger.

3. Soothe colds and flu

Coughs and colds left your throat feeling hoarse and scratchy? Mix the juice of half a lemon with a teaspoon of honey and a couple of small peeled ginger slices to soothe the soreness in seconds.

4. Make your whites brighter

Over time, our white clothes and sheets can become duller with every wash and frequent stains. Place your white load in the washing machine and add 60ml of lemon juice to the barrel before beginning the cycle - you should notice that they're brighter, and citrussy-fresh to boot.

5. Remove nail polish stains

Dark nail colours are so gorgeous, but the yellow stains they often leave are super annoying to get rid of! Mix equal parts lemon juice to water in a bowl and soak your fingertips for five minutes. Repeat once a week on bare nails until they're looking clear and healthy.

6. Clean your chopping board

If your chopping board is looking (or smelling) a bit worse for wear, rub a lemon slice across the board every few uses. This is especially good after preparing meat, fish and stain-prone foods, as it deals with bacteria as well as smells and stains.

7. Freshen up your microwave

Who forgot to put a lid over their plate again?! If your microwave is getting messy, place some lemon slices in a bowl of water and microwave on full power for one minute, before wiping it down with a damp cloth.

8. Clean the dishwasher

Every few uses, squeeze lemon juice into a bowl, place it upright in an empty dishwasher, and run it on a short cycle for an effortless clean.

9. Make your own sports drink

Instead of buying pricey, high-sugar bottled drinks, boost your workout with a mix of cold water, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt, and a dash of your favourite fruit juice.

10. Reduce motion sickness

Journeys can be ruined in a split second if someone is feeling nauseous! If you can take the sour taste, suck on lemon slices or give them to the kids for a hassle-free family road trip.

11. Cure hangovers

Squeeze some lemon juice in ice cold water to wake you up and detox your body after a heavy night - it rebalances your PH levels and reduces pesky symptoms like headaches.

12. Manage bloating

And it's not just good for hangovers - add lemon slices, mint leaves, cucumber and orange slices for a tummy-friendly (and delicious) anti-bloat cocktail.

13. Boost your weight-loss mission

Lemons are great for boosting metabolism, and can even give you extra energy for that workout. Squeeze a bit of lemon into your pre-workout smoothie and go!

14. Get some sleep

Boil some water in a pot and squeeze some fresh lemon juice into it, then inhale the scent for a couple of minutes while it's boiling. Some people find that it reduces anxiety levels and calms their mind, setting them up for a great night's snooze.

15. Stop rice from sticking

If you've ever burnt rice at the bottom of your pan, then this one is a life-saver! Add some lemon peel to your pot of water and rice, boil as usual, then remove the peels before serving. Perfect rice, every time, and no stickiness in sight!

16. Wash off pesticides

We can't always buy organic, so if you're worried that tap water just isn't washing everything off your fresh produce, mix 200ml of water with a tablespoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of baking soda. Use the mixture to wash your fruit and veggies for added peace of mind.

17. Stop sugar from clumping

Adding a bit of lemon peel to a bag of sugar will prevent lumps from forming and stop it from becoming hard. Magic!

Planning some fun days out this summer?

Whether you're headed to the beach, the zoo, a festival or a farm, your child's safety is of paramount importance when you're out and about. Kids can get themselves into trouble in a blink of an eye, and it's near impossible to keep tabs on all of them at all times - but there are a few ways you can improve their safety before you even leave the house.

These handy plan-ahead hacks are ideas that every parent should know. Remember, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Try this cool plaster trick

https://www.facebook.com/ClovisPoliceDepartmentCalifornia/photos/a.388345904542431.82723.376151075761914/1091862994190715/?type=3&theater

The Clovice Police Department in California shared this genius trick on their Facebook page, showing how you can give your child semi-permanent contact details with a marker and a liquid bandage. 'Write your phone number on their wrist and cover it with liquid band aid in case you get separated,' they explain. If you're planning a busy summer holiday where you're out a lot, you can also get a sheet of temporary tattoo transfers that have the same effect.

Take a photo

The police department also advises taking a picture of your child before you head out. 'Take a photo of them using your cell phone the morning of the event so you have their clothing, hair style, and up to date photo,' they write - this way, if the worst does happen and you lose track of them, you can provide a completely accurate description. Take an individual picture of each child to ensure they're as clear as possible.

Make a safety bracelet

If your child is old enough to wear accessories without breaking them or slipping them on or off, you can upgrade them from pen and plaster to a bracelet that uses numbered beads to convey the same details. Varying versions of the bracelet can also be used to indicate other useful info like 'nut allergy' or 'gluten intolerant'.

Avoid personalised clothing

T-shirts or backpacks with kids' names on can be cute, but they can harbour potential danger if a stranger approaches the child and identifies them - talking to a child by name makes it much more believable that the person in question knows your family. For days when you're going to be in a crowd, leave the name-labelled items at home and go for bright colours that can easily be spotted from afar.

Keep them close

If you're trying to unpack the picnic, the blanket, the toys or the tents, it's easy for kids to get bored and wander off. Magnetic stickers that you can place on the car give them an easy visual cue to stay in one place - remind them that they need to have one hand on the car at all times, or it's no ice cream at the beach, or toy from the souvenir store...

With the average British woman spending 231 hours applying make up each year, it's not surprising that we're all looking for ways to claw some of those precious minutes back.

Beauty brand Plump It! recently revealed that women confess to all sorts of dirty secrets, from using wet wipes after the gym in lieu of taking a shower to painting over chipped nail polish instead of applying a fresh coat.

Others admitted to chewing gum rather than brushing their teeth, while Danielle Stott, from Leeds, confessed: 'I love wearing ripped jeans but don't always have time to tan all over, so just apply it to my knees before bed. It's also pretty expensive to tan all over when you're wearing winter clothes, so doing it this way means I can spend more on make-up, instead!'

Not yet on the beauty shortcut bandwagon? You're missing out! These speedy hacks allow us to fool the outside world into thinking that looking great (well, as great as we can manage) is a doddle.

We've done a quick poll of the GoodtoKnow office and found the best beauty shortcuts around. If you've ever dunked your fringe in the bathroom sink or quickly Febreezed a jumper on Monday morning, you'll know what we're talking about...

1. Shaving half a leg...

Wearing cropped trousers, or a dress that goes down past your knees? You can get away with just shaving and moisturising the areas that will be on show - after all, no one will be any the wiser.

2. ...and using conditioner to do it

There's already enough products cluttering up the edge of the bath without adding a can of shaving cream, and conditioner actually makes your legs smoother and silkier regardless. Rub on before shaving, and feel the benefit afterwards.

3. Only washing your fringe

Dunking your head in the sink isn't glam, but it gets the job done. Simply rub a small amount of shampoo into the front section of your hair, as this is the area that tends to get greasy fastest, massage in and then rinse as usual. Now you only need 5 minutes with a blow dryer instead of 15.

4. Or just dry shampooing the heck out of it

Some days, there's no time for running water. We're total worshippers at the altar of Batiste - not only is it fab for giving day-old hair a boost, it can add volume to freshly washed locks as well - but if you've got dry shampoo in the house? Baby powder makes a great (and pleasant smelling) alternative.

5. Cheating your clothes washing

At times when your laundry hamper is too full of toddler sized socks for you to fit your own clothes in there, try this nifty trick. Fill a spray bottle with one part vodka to two parts water, hang the garment in a fresh, airy location and spritz. The alcohol kills bacteria and neutralises odours, giving you at least one more wear out of your beloved item.

6. Painting only the nails that are visible

Peep toes shoes are our favourites for one reason - no one's going to know you've only got varnish on three toes. It might sound silly - if you're going to do some, why not do them all? - but it cuts down on painting and drying time, so it's fab if you're in a rush.

7. Using lipstick as blusher

If it can't multitask, it's not going in your make up bag, which is why lipstick is the ultimate purchase. Apply a dab to the apple of your cheeks, blend out and hey presto - you should have a peachy glow without the need for any faffy brushes or powders.

8. Taking your make up off with face wipes

You know you should be washing your face properly every night, but hey, YOU try cleansing toning and moisturising with a screaming toddler on each hip, amirite? Look for wipes with natural ingredients and no irritating perfumes, as they'll be kindest to your skin.

9. Vaseline. On. Everything

Eyebrows, lips, heels, elbows, flyaways – it’s one pot to rule them all. Vaseline is so much more than just a moisturiser - check out our round up of the best Vaseline uses and prepare to be amazed!

10. Fake tanning one part of your body

Similarly to shaving your legs, you can afford to only bronze the area of your body that's going to be exposed, whether it's your arms in a strappy top or your legs in a pair of shorts. If your window is limited (and you don't mind looking a bit patchy when you strip off, pick one area and exfoliate like you've never exfoliated before.

11. Hanging your dress in the bathroom while you shower

Calling all ironing-hating women (um, that'll be all of us, then?) Having your dress or other creasable outfit in the bathroom whilst you shower is a genius move, because the steam makes the creases drop. Saving time and energy? You're on to a winner...

12. Zapping your spots with Sudocrem

It works, and it's in the cupboard anyway, so why wouldn't you use this sneaky treatment? Just apply to the blemish overnight and you should find it much smaller in the morning. Like Vaseline, Sudocrem is totally versatile and can be used for a range of surprising things - our guide to Sudocrem uses will hook you up.

13. Cutting your own hair

Okay, so this one's not for the faint hearted, and your fringe will never be completely straight, but it's better than it being in your eyes every 10 flipping seconds...

There is nothing more satisfying than finding a use for an otherwise useless item in your house.

But what about those items that have a secret function or handy hacks? Something that is meant to make their use a little bit easier, their functionality a bit more helpful, but has become lost knowledge over the years. Only to be discovered on the grapevine or by an accidental internet stumble.

Toblerone

There is no doubt that Toblerone is up there with one of our favourite chocolates. Anyone else unable to pass a Duty Free without buying one? No just us then...

But we wish there was a way to eat them without breaking our jaw biting into it or getting our hands covered in chocolate trying to snap a piece off.

In fact there is! Instead of breaking off a piece by snapping it away from the bar pull it back towards the adjacent piece and it neatly snaps off without all that pushing and pulling! Even more reason to spend all our money on chocolate.

Starbucks plastic lids

If, like us, you sleep walk your way into Starbucks every morning to pick up your iced coffee or latte then chances are you've probably not worked this one out either. But several Starbucks fans have revealed what they use their plastic lids for - a coaster! The plastic cup fits incredibly well into the lids from the hot and cold drinks cups - just slip it off the top and pop the cup into the lid's inner ridges (we always wondered what they were for!)

Best of all, your new coaster will make it incredibly hard to spill your drink.

Banana

If you've been peeling your bananas from the stalk end all your life, then you've been living your life wrong. You would have thought after thousands of years of evolution that we would have learnt from our monkey ancestors about how to peel a banana correctly. But apparently not.

Instead of taking the stalk end and having to twist it around to get into the fruit (and inevitably you end up having to discard the top part becuase it gets too mushy whilst you're trying to open it), instead pinch the 'bottom' end and it neatly opens to reveal a whole banana without any bruising!

Spaghetti spoon

Like many of us you've probably used the spaghetti spoon (you know, the one with the hole in the middle) to drain your pasta and put it on your plate. But did you know that the hole in the middle isn't just for draining your pasta? It's actually hiding another function - helping you measure the amount of spaghetti you need to cook. Just pop the uncooked spaghetti through the hole until you can't fit any more in it, then you have the right amount for one person. Never again will you cook too much pasta for you and your other half!

Oxo Cube

Oxo cubes may be delicious and convenient way to flavour our meals, but they don't half make a mess. All that crumbling, it always manages to go all over the counter top no matter how tidy we think we are, not to mention making your fingers smell like stock cube.

But the people at Oxo had already throught this one through, we just never quite caught on. Instead of opening the oxo cube and then crumbling, the silver foil is designed so that you can unfold into a flat pouch and crumble inside it before tearing and pouring straight into the pot. Give it a go!

Frying pan

Ever tire of putting a messy spoon down on the kitchen counter and having to wipe after yourself every time you stir the pot? Us too. Well not only are frying pans designed with a handy hanging hook - that little hole in the handle - but it also doubles up as somewhere to store your spoon whilst cooking! Just insert the dry end of the wooden spoon into the hole and the dripping end will still be elevated over the pan so no mess. Smart!

Tin Foil

We feel like we use tin foil on an almost hourly basis - we honestly would be lost without it. But there is one little thing that bugs us... it's all well and good having it on a roll BUT only when the roll stays in the box and doesn't unravel at speed across the kitchen floor.

Turns out we've been doing it all wrong - on most tin foil (and other similar items) there are actually little cardboard tabs on either end of the cardboard tube that you need to push inwards to secure the roll in place inside the box. Now why didn't we think of that...?

Chopsticks

Not that we can use chopsticks, but when we do try and kid ourselves that it is easier to use chopsticks than a fork to eat our egg fried rice, we always struggle to work out where to put them between mouthfuls.

You don't want them lying flat on the table (mainly because you know when you last washed down the table... ) and they don't balance well on the edge of a giant bowl of noodles without falling in and getting wet.

But this Reddit user has shared the perfect chopstick hack to solve all your problems. Instead of keeping that irritating wooden block on the end of your chopsticks, snap it off and then use as a rest between bites. Genius!

Kitchen Towel

You might think there's only one way to use kitchen towel (how could we go wrong?) but this latest trikcy has proved otherwise! We're all guilty of over-use for a spill, to try and save the carpet from yet another juice disaster. But using too much towel is not only adding to the cost of your supermarket trolley, but it isn't environmentally friendly either.

Scientist Joe Smith revealed the most efficient way to use the paper towel is to just rip one sheet off, and instead of placing it directly on the mess, fold it in half as this massively increases the amount of moisture the sheet can hold.

This is due to something very techincal called 'interstitial suspension', which means the space you create between the two layers allow the droplets of moisture to cling to the towel as well as each other in between the fold. Smart!

Coke can

How frustrating is it when you pop a straw into your full can of fizzy and the air in the drink makes the straw pop straight back out again. And normally straight on to the floor...

Well the wonderful people who design these cans had actually thought that through - we had just missed it! Once you've opened the can, spin the ring-pull around 180 degrees so that it sits over the can opening and stick your straw in. It will hold it in place!

Ketchup

It cannot be disputed that glass bottles of Heinz ketchup look the best (and are better for the environment than the plastic version), but we cannot stand seeing the kids faces as they shake the bottle up and down, almost elbowing each other in the head as nothing leaves the bottle. Well according to Heinz, if you tap the exact place on the bottle where the number '57' is written, this causes the sauce to flow straight out...

Handy hacks: Jean pockets

How many times have you become so frustrated at the tiny pocket on your jeans? Too small for even a handful of coins, and don't get us started on trying to fit a mobile phone in there. So what is the point of the little patch of denim?

According to Levi Strauss, legendary jean maker, the pocket was originally designed for cowboys back in the 1800s. The horse-riding gun-toting cowboys used to wear watches on chains and keep them in their waistcoats. But to keep them from getting broken, Levis introduced this small pocket where they could keep their watch.

Just a shame we don't own a pocket watch

Hair Grip

Bobby pins have to be the most basic of hair accessories, and whilst we might be able to do a french plait in the back of the car on the way to school, we still haven't mastered the simple hair grip.

Instead of pushing it in wavy side up, which always leads to it falling out within a matter of minutes. Put it in wavy side facing downwards with the straight edge away from the head. The wavy side was designed to scoop up hair and keep it contained. Smart!

Handy hacks: That diamond patch on backpacks

We always tend to overlook little details in our everyday items that we don't immediately understand, and that is so true for this common feature of a certain type of backpack.

Jansport backpacks are increasingly popular, and many people assume that the little diamond-shaped patch is simply a little decoration. However, they have a name – ‘lash tab’ or ‘pig snout’ – and they’re used to tie extra gear onto your backpack using a cord.

Anything from extra shoes, a torch, a thermos or a sleeping bag can be strapped on using the little ‘pig snout’, saving you valuable time by not having to rummage around in your bag, and also meaning you have more space inside!

Converse

If you've spent years assuming that the holes in the sides of your Converse are merely a design feature, you're not alone, but you're also, well, wrong.

Turns out, they've got two uses. Not only do they provide a little extra ventilation, allowing your feet to 'breathe' as you wear the shoes, you can actually do some pretty nifty re-lacing tricks with them too. Simply thread your standard laces through the sides for a unique take on the usual under-and-over pattern - who knew?

Yankee Candle mini burners

Don't you hate the disappointment of getting to the bottom of your Yankee Candle but not being able to burn the last inch? Well, there's a new hack that will change your use of Yankee Candles forever and ensure that you won't waste a drop of your favourite scent!

One Facebook user revealed a nifty trick that lets you reuse the last bit of wax that struggles to burn once the wick has worn down. It turns out if you pop your candle jar in a pan of boiling water, the wax will melt and you can pour it out into smaller containers to use as burners. Genius!

Straighteners

Picture:Facebook/Gemma Louise Bullock

There's life changing news for all of us who like to do a little hair straightening every now and then - your GHDs could be hiding a GENIUS hack.

Users on Facebook have discovered that there's actually a hidden European plug inside the plug of your favourite straighteners. Facebook user Gemma Louise Bullock uploaded the above picture along with the caption, ‘So I saw a post that if you unscrew the plug on your GHDs there's a continental plug that unclips.... So I unscrewed mine. And look 😆 Iv learnt something new today... Did you know this?? 😂'

Our holidays will never be the same again!

If you've ever looked into your baby bag and thought 'How will I ever find anything amongst all this STUFF?!', you need to watch this video.

The 40-second clip, shared on Facebook by the account Do It Yourself, shows a super simple method for packing baby clothes, giving mums a quick and easy way to keep all of their child's clothes together and save that all-important space in their arsenal.

The method begins by lying a babygro on a flat surface, removing any creases. You then fold a small vest or t-shirt horizontally and place it in the centre of the babygro, and then fold a pair of leggings or thin trousers on top.

The arms of the flat babygro are then folded over the additional outfit, before adding two socks to the bundle with some overlap over the edges. After this, you begin to roll the babygro from the bottom, securing all of the additional clothes in the centre, and then use the protuding socks to stretch over the ends of the roll until you have a tiny tube containing everything you need for an outfit change. Genius!

Watch the baby clothes folding hack in full

https://www.facebook.com/Do.It.Yourself.Page/videos/1248105901872315/?pnref=story

Since it was posted on the 23rd January 2016, the video has received more than 28,000 shares, and grateful comments from parents all over the world.

'Thats really clever, it's a great idea...I wonder if it will work for my clothes when I go away on my hols lol...better start practicing!' one wrote.

There are some critics that say that the small baby socks may become stretched out of shape over time, although this can easily be rectified by using grown up socks, or borrowing a pair from an older sibling.

And whilst commenters agreed that the idea was smart, many of them also spoke about the perks of using Ziploc bags for a similar purpose. 'Then you have something to put the dirty clothes in!' another mum explained.

What's your take - will you be using the baby clothes folding hack, or have you already for a better technique under your belt? Leave us a comment in the box below.

Struggling with storage space? Fed up of apps you just don't need? Wondering why your battery keeps dying too quikcly? All of that is about to change...

From smart selfie taking to organisation tricks you won't believe, here are some simple ways to hack your iPhone and change your phone-using experience for good!

• Tempted by the new iPhone 9? Find out everything you need to know here.

1. Free up some storage

If you're struggling for storage, then try following Reddit user eavesdroppingyou's clever hack, that allows you to get more GBs without deleting anything from your phone. Too good to be true? Follow these steps:

'Just go to iTunes and search for the movie (with a bigger file size than what you have left on storage), click rent and soon you'll get the message saying you don't have enough storage and offers you to go to settings. Click that and magically you will get some storage back (probably it erases some useless data from different apps to try to download the movie).

Repeat the process 4-5 times and before you know it you recovered 1 to almost 2 Gb'.

To get even more storage on your phone, stop your Instagram and Whatsapp accounts from automatically saving pictures and you'll free up loads more room for photos.

On Instagram, turn off the 'save original photo' in settings. On Whatsapp, go to Settings > Chats, and turn of 'save incoming media'. Simple, but effective!

Make sure you also keep on top of things your phone automatically saves, like podcasts you subscribe to. With apps that download videos, like BBC iplayer, don't forget to delete the files after you've watched them - videos take up a lot of storage!

2. Make your charger last longer with this easy trick

Image: Reddit/positivitypack

Tired of having to buy a new iPhone charger cable every month? Make sure it lasts longer with this easy hack, courtesy of the wise people over at Reddit.

Simply grab the spring of an old pen and rotate it around the cable connections area to the end - should postpone another Apple purchase for a while!

3. Get rid of default apps

YouTube user videosdebarraquito discovered a quick and simple method to get rid of them once and for all, giving you back valuable folder space for more important things like Candy Crush.

It's important to note before you give this a try that it only works on phones with iOS9 or above, so make sure you do your updates first! Once you're on the right operating system, it's as simple as this:

1. Put the app you want to get rid of into a folder 2. Hold the app down until it shakes 3. Drag it to the next page in the folder 4. Then drag it to the third page (there should be three dots at the bottom of the folder once you've done this 5. Keep hold of the app, and tap the home button

And voila! Your unwanted app should be gone.

WATCH: How to hide your default iPhone apps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpeP42GH0OY

4. Make you iPhone run faster (in just 10 seconds!)

Another speedy 10-second hack to make your iPhone run faster has already taken the internet by storm - and those who have tried it say that it's totally revolutionised the way they use their phone.

The nifty tech tip was shared on Twitter by IT manager and iPhone enthusiast Marc Forrest, who explained that resetting the phone's RAM was the key to unlocking its much quicker powers.

In his tweet, Marc says that all you need to do is hold down the power button on top of the phone until the slide to power off button appears, and then hold down the home button, located in centre of the bottom of the phone, until the app screen appears.

He then retweeted evidence of the tip having the desired effect:

Marc's tweet received almost 100 retweets and has been shared by websites around the world, helping countless people to reclaim the speed that their phone should have in the first place.

5. Revolutionise your selfies!

Getting tired arms from taking selfies? Most users don't realise that you can use your Apple headphones to take pictures...

All you need to do is press the volume+ button when you're in camera mode and snap away for as long as you please!

6. Charge up in half the time

Tired of waiting for your phone battery to recharge?

Switch your phone to airplane mode (the option located in 'settings', or on the menu you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen), and it'll charge twice as quickly. Genius!

7. Make your battery last longer

Having your phone dying on you is never ideal, so make sure you keep your battery on the green with little tricks like turning down the screen brightness and disabling location services and backgroud app refresh. Most of the time we don't even realise the amount of things that are going on in the background, but this little trick will make a massive difference.

If you're really desperate for more battery, you can also turn off your push notifications, which means apps like email and Facebook will not tell you there are new notifications unless you actively refresh them. To do this, go on Notifications, tap each app you want to manage the Notifications for and then turn the Notification Center toggle to OFF. You will also have to set the Alert Style to None, the Badge App Icon and Sounds to OFF, and turn OFF the View in Lock Screen Option.

Do you have any ingenious iPhone hacks of your own? We'd love to hear them! Simply share in the comments box below