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- Crafts & hobbies How to hem trousers by hand Shorten trousers neatly without a sewing machine using a measured double fold and an almost invisible blind hem stitch.
- Garden How to grow tomatoes From sowing seed indoors in early spring to picking ripe fruit in summer: how to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, a grow bag or a pot on a sunny patio.
- Pets How to get your dog microchipped (and keep the details up to date) Dogs must be microchipped and registered on an approved database by 8 weeks old. Here's how to get it done, check the chip is registered to you, and …
- Pets How to get your cat microchipped In England pet cats, including indoor cats, must be microchipped and registered by 20 weeks old. Here's what to do, what it costs and how to keep the…
- Cleaning & laundry How to get stains out of clothes The basic rules that work for almost any stain, plus what to do for blood, grass, red wine, grease, tomato sauce, sun cream and more.
- Garden How to protect plants from slugs and snails You won't get rid of every slug, and you don't need to, but you can protect the plants they love. Here are the methods that work, based on RHS advice…
- Travel How to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) Find out whether you need an International Driving Permit for your trip and get one for £5.50 at a PayPoint shop.
- Money & paperwork How to get a State Pension forecast Find out how much State Pension you could get, when you can get it, and whether you can increase it – online in minutes or by phone or post.
- Home & DIY How to fix a dripping tap A dripping tap usually means a worn rubber washer (traditional taps that take several turns) or a worn ceramic cartridge (quarter-turn taps). Both ar…
- Car & bike How to fix a bike puncture How to get the tyre off, find what caused the puncture, and either fit a new inner tube or patch the old one, at the roadside or at home.
- Home & DIY How to find and turn off your stopcock Knowing where your stopcock is, and checking it turns, is the most useful thing you can do before a leak or burst pipe happens. Here's where to look …
- Health & wellbeing How to find an NHS dentist There's no catchment area for NHS dentists, so you can contact any practice. Here's how to find one taking NHS patients, what it costs in England and…
- Tech & phones How to find a lost or stolen phone Locate, lock or erase a lost iPhone or Android phone, and take the right next steps if it's been stolen.
- Health & wellbeing How to do hands-only CPR on an adult If an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999, push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, and use a defibrillator as soon as o…
- Cleaning & laundry How to descale a kettle Limescale builds up fast in hard-water areas. Citric acid, white vinegar or lemon juice will shift it in under an hour, without buying a special desc…
- Cooking & kitchen How to defrost food safely Defrost meat, poultry and frozen meals the safe way, and know when you can and can't refreeze, following Food Standards Agency advice.
- Car & bike How to de-ice a car windscreen safely On frosty mornings you must clear all your windows before driving. Here's the quick, legal way to do it without cracking the glass or risking your ca…
- Crafts & hobbies How to darn a hole in a jumper or sock Fill a small hole in knitwear with a woven patch of yarn. It's quick, saves a favourite jumper, and can be invisible or a deliberate splash of colour.
- Crafts & hobbies How to cross stitch for beginners Read a chart, prepare your Aida fabric and stitch neat crosses without knots. A kit is the easiest way to start.
- Crafts & hobbies How to crochet for beginners: chain and double crochet (UK terms) Learn the slip knot, chain and double crochet, the building blocks of most patterns, and how to tell UK from US terms so you don't get muddled.
- Cooking & kitchen How to cook rice on the hob Cook fluffy basmati or long-grain rice on the hob using the absorption method, and store any leftovers safely.
- Money & paperwork How to complain to your energy supplier Make an effective complaint to your gas or electricity supplier and, if it isn't sorted in 8 weeks, take it free to the Energy Ombudsman.
- Car & bike How to clean and lube a bike chain A clean, lightly oiled chain makes gear changes smoother, pedalling quieter, and your chain, cassette and chainrings last much longer.
- Cleaning & laundry How to clean an oven How to deep clean the inside of an oven, the shelves and the glass door, using either a shop-bought oven cleaner or a bicarbonate of soda paste left …