Ice cubes 冰块

Candle wax and chewing gum can both be tricky¹ to remove but ice cubes can help freeze sticky stains so that they become brittle² enough to be picked or scraped.

烛蜡和口香糖留下的污渍都很难除掉，但冰块可以将这些黏糊糊的东西冻住，等它们变脆了就可以抠掉或刮掉。

You can achieve the same result by placing the stained item in the fridge to cool.

把粘上烛蜡和口香糖的东西放到冰箱里冷冻也可以达到相同的效果。

Toothbrush 牙刷

Toothbrushes can be used for different tasks depending on their state.

牙刷可以用于处理不同的污渍，取决于牙刷的使用状况。

Old toothbrushes are perfect for scrubbing mould stains off grout and tricky-to-reach cracks, while new toothbrushes can brush powders off oily stains.

旧牙刷最适合用来把霉菌污渍从难以够到的石灰缝里刷掉，而新牙刷则可以从油污中将粉末刷掉。

For these delicate tasks only use soft brushes to avoid damaging fabrics⁴.

只有柔软的牙刷才能做这样的细活，免得损害织物。

Rubber gloves 橡胶手套

Rubber gloves have long been used to protect hands while cleaning - but they can also be used to remove pet hair from sofas or car upholstery.

长期以来，橡胶手套都是用于在清洁时保护双手，但它们也能用来去除沙发或汽车座垫上的宠物毛发。

Rub the gloved hand over the furniture to create friction⁵ that will help the fur stick. To remove the fur from the glove, simply dunk your hands in hot water.

用橡胶手套在家具上摩擦，可以产生让毛发立起来的静电。要去掉手套上的毛发，只需将手浸泡在热水中即可。

Soda water 苏打水

One of the better known cleaning heroes, soda water is perfect for forcing pigment-based stains such as red wine out of fabrics.

苏打水是比较知名的清洁英雄，它最适合用来去除织物上沾到的红酒等色素类污渍。

However only use makes that are low in salt otherwise you may inadvertently end up setting the stain.

不过你只能用含盐量低的苏打水，以免不小心又留下了新污渍。

Nail polish remover 洗甲水

A manicure spill can be disastrous⁶ but nail polish remover can be a fast-acting way to remove the stain, as long as it's small.

指甲油打翻了结果是灾难性的，但是洗甲水是个去除污渍的快速帮手，前提是弄脏的区域不大。

A blunt knife 钝刀

A blunt knife is ideal for scraping off any solid or bulky part of a stain. However take care not to scratch or damage the surface.

钝刀最适合刮除任何坚固或大块的污物。不过要小心不要刮伤或损害表面。

Paper towels 纸巾

As well as cleaning up spills and soaking up water-based stains, paper towels can also be used to tackle dried candle wax.

除了清理溢出物和吸收污水，纸巾还能用来处理干掉的烛蜡。

The Good Housekeeping Institute advises: 'Place a paper towel over the wax spill (once it's dry), and gently iron over with a cool iron. The wax will lift into the paper towel and away from the fabric³.'

好管家家政机构建议说：“把纸巾放在干掉的烛蜡上，然后低温熨烫。蜡会附着到纸巾上，脱离织物。”

However be wary⁷ of using patterned or coloured towels as they could transfer dye.

不过要注意别用有图案或彩色的纸巾，以免染色。

Cotton buds 棉签

Delicate items require delicate tools and cotton buds can be the perfect fit.

对于那种需要精细工具来处理的精巧物件，用棉签是最合适的。

They can also be used for a range of other handy household chores, including applying vegetable oil on to stuck zips and clearing dust from between dirty keyboard keys.

棉签还能用于干很多其他家务活，比如在卡住的拉链上涂菜油，清扫脏琴键缝隙里的灰尘。

Sticky tape 胶带

Sticky tape is ideal for lifting pollen⁸ particles off clothing and carpets.

胶带最适合从衣服和地毯上清理花粉。

This method also works well for removing other dry debris⁹, such as pet hair.

这一方法还能有效地去除其他干的碎屑杂物，比如宠物毛。

Glycerine 甘油

Less common than the other items but no less helpful.

不像以上提到的东西那么常见，但也很有用。

Glycerine is helpful for loosening tough stains.

甘油有助于软化顽固的污渍。

The Good Housekeeping Institute advises diluting¹⁰ it with one to two parts of water and allowing it to soak for an hour before washing as normal.

好管家家政机构建议把甘油用一份到两份的水稀释后，浸泡一小时，然后正常清洗。