12 down-to-earth cleaning tips from a stately home

With 38 years of experience running Chatsworth, one of the country’s most iconic stately homes, Christine Robinson knows a trick or two to keep things sparkling, using easily available household items.

She shares some of her top tips for keeping things shipshape.

1. Remove sticky residue from labels on bottles and jars

Put a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in a ramekin dish, together with a tablespoonful of cooking oil. Using a soft cloth, or a piece of kitchen paper, rub the label with the mixture and the stickiness will simply wipe away.

2. Get rid of burn residue on an iron

If you have used an iron that proved too hot and something nasty is burned onto the sole plate of the iron, switch the iron off and while it’s still warm, hold a paracetamol tablet in a pair of tweezers and rub it over the stain on the iron and the mess will then just wipe away with a soft cloth.

You can find more tips on how to clean an iron here. 

3. Clearing a blocked sink

Instead of using astringent proprietary cleaners, try clearing a blocked sink by putting down two tablespoonsful of bicarbonate of soda, followed by a cup of vinegar.

After two hours, pour a kettle of boiling water down and the sink should drain freely.

To avoid blockages find out what not to put down the sink.

4. Deter flies the natural way

Flies don’t like the smell of strong aromatic herbs, so try growing basil on your windowsill to deter them from entering.

5. Clean copper pans with lemon

Copper pans that are to be used for cooking shouldn’t be cleaned using ordinary copper polish, which may taint the food. Instead, clean them with half a lemon dipped in salt, and then rinse thoroughly.

6. Bathroom buff with lemon 

Dripping bath taps can leave a stain – rub with half a lemon. Clean a bath with a piece of old net curtain or tights – it’s mildly abrasive.

7. Use lemon for windows too

Instead of using a can of glass spray, squeeze lemon juice into the washing water, and the windows will gleam beautifully. To remove insect spots on windows, wipe them over with a cloth rinsed in cold tea. 

8. Ice the chewing gum

Instead of using a can of aerosol chemical chewing gum remover, place a few ice cubes in a plastic bag and press on top of the chewing gum, which will then harden and can be removed carefully using a knife.

9. Use toothpaste on glassware

Don’t throw away a scratched glass before polishing with a bit of toothpaste, which might remove the scratch.

10. Feather pillows need tennis balls

Plump up feather pillows by putting them in the tumble dryer for half an hour with two tennis balls.

11. Conkers deter clothing moths

To deter moths, rather than using insecticides, try putting a few conkers in the drawer or wardrobe. 

12. Use bread on wallpaper!

To clean grubby wallpaper around light switches, use stale, but still slightly moist, white bread or bread dough and roll it over the dirty marks.