We put fashion tricks to the test to see which will actually save you time, money and space when it comes to your wardrobe

WE have all heard of the age-old solution to stopping a ladder in your tights – clear nail varnish.

But did you know you can salvage sunglasses with it?

The rumour mill is rife with fashion hacks meant to save you time, money and space when it comes to the general upkeep of your wardrobe.

From using tomato ketchup for cleaning jewellery to ironing collars with hair straighteners, there is a whole host of budget-friendly ideas doing the rounds.

But with so many tips, how can you tell the genius quick-fixes from the ones that will only waste your time?

Here, SIOBHAN O’CONNOR tests some of the most talked-about fashion hacks and gives them the thumbs up – or thumbs down.

Soak your silver in sauce for shine

DOES your silver jewellery need to recapture its sparkle? Instead of shelling out on expensive products, raid your kitchen cupboard.

Soaking items in tomato sauce for a few minutes will get them looking as good as new in seconds.

But don’t get any gold mixed into your collection, as this tip only works for silver.

And make sure you have plenty of tissue on standby. It can get messy.

Nail polish a clear winner for sunnies

CLEAR polish might be perfect for giving your nails that glossy finish but it has a few other uses as well.

If your sunglasses need saving because of loose arms, dab a touch of polish on to the screws to tighten them up.
And to prevent buttons falling off your shirts and jackets, keep them in place by brushing it on to the threads.
It is an effective quick fix but you will probably need to carry out a regular top-up.

Shoe laces fix is tried and tested

BOWS can easily come undone and are a chore to constantly re-tie.

So try doing up your shoes this way instead. Start off the usual way. But when it comes to creating a loop with one lace, instead of running the other over and through, go under and through.

Tug on the lace under the bow. If it doesn’t move, then you have done it correctly. It is a life-changer and once mastered, there will be no more tripping up.

Clever trick is straight to the point

WHETHER it is your creased shirt collar or dress hem, don’t bother pulling out the ironing board and waiting for the iron to heat up.

Flick on your straighteners then carefully go over the collar and hems. You can even do cuffs.

If a top is completely creased, the straighteners can only glide so far. But if you are dashing out, this is a clever trick to smooth some wrinkles.

Ring-pull fix for hangers

IS your wardrobe reaching bursting point? Next time you crack open a canned drink, carefully remove the ring-pull tab.

These can be hooked on to the top of coat-hangers to make a hole for a second hanger.

It helps you to double up on space –creating more shopping opportunities.

Shave fuzz off clothes

BRUSHING off fluff is a tedious battle and woolly bobbles are even worse. But what if all you have to do was shave it off with one of your razors?

It works on sturdy fabrics such as denim but not so well over woollies. And don’t use your go-to razor – your clothes might be fuzz-free but your shaver definitely won’t be.

For a last-minute solution, this is good enough but maybe you should invest in a roller brush.

Pack inside to stop creases out

PACKING clothes can cause havoc when it comes to creases, especially for jackets.

However, a supposed tip lets you add a suit blazer to your luggage and keep it wrinkle-free.

Turning the jacket inside-out and folding it should keep the outside protected and only crease the inside.

This might sound like the best news ever – but it isn’t so great in practice.

While the front of the jacket was fine, the back and arms were definitely in need of an iron.

But this tip isn't jean-ius

NOTHING ruins your LBD quicker than a big streak of deodorant under the armpits.

But instead of chucking it in the wash, scrubbing the stain with denim will apparently do the trick, according to those in-the-know. But they are wrong on this one.

Apart from improving your biceps, the stubborn stains just do not budge.

So unless you have got all day, I’d find an alternative “jean-ius” idea to get rid of the deodorant marks.