Sure, having long nails looks great, but when you’re in a morning rush to get ready for the office, those perfectly lacquered cuticles aren’t so practical. Especially when you’re wearing tights. You probably already know that there’s a 99% chance of laddering your tights BEFORE you put them on, but seeing as you should have left the house ten minutes ago, you go ahead anyway. Then lo and behold, ladder.

What to do: Fortunately, hairspray can do a lot more than keep those flyaways in place. Try spraying some over your tights before you put them on. This will stiffen the material and help to prevent them from tearing, meaning you can enjoy both long nails and pristine tights.

You knew better than to put lipstick on before getting dressed, but you did it anyway. Consequently, you’re now left with a big stain that is so obvious, and looks really tough to get rid of. But don’t let that 100 per cent avoidable big red smudge ruin your day, there’s something you can do about it after all.

What to do: Guess what? Hairspray saves the day again! Just spray some directly onto the stain, leave it on for 15 minutes, then wipe away with a cloth and warm water. This should remove  most of the stain, if not all of it, meaning you can wear that light top after all.

READ MORE: Remove Red Wine And Oil Stains On Clothes With These Tricks

The alarm bells should have sounded when you struggled to do the zip up in the first place, but you weren’t going to let that get in the way of wearing your favourite pencil skirt were you? Of course not. Unfortunately, it’s now stuck, and wearing it for the rest of your life shouldn’t have to be an option. Neither should hiding in a toilet cubicle playing tug of war with your own clothes.

What to do: Head to the nearest bathroom and find some soap, then simply rub some against the zip until it’ll budge. It’ll also work with graphite, so if you’ve got a pencil on hand, rub this against the zipper instead.

Why is it that the prettiest shoes are always the most painful? Whether you’re breaking in a new pair, or have a particular pair that always hurts, it never gets any easier. Fortunately, for the days you do choose to grin and bear the pain (then heavily regret your decision five minutes later), there is a quick fix.

What to do: Find some gel deodorant from the nearest chemist, then simply wipe it over the blisters and painful areas for a little relief. It’ll provide a lubricating barrier between your poor foot and your shoe and reduce the friction, so you won’t have to hobble around in pain for the rest of the day.

READ MORE: 10 Office-Appropriate Flats Under $100

It never gets less embarrassing, but we women have curves and it’s just a fact of life that this means the occasional popping button. It’s also entirely typical that this will happen at the most inconvenient moment and in the most public of places. The good news is, with a simple addition to your handbag, you can make sure you’re always prepared in times of disaster.

What to do: Get yourself some trusty safety pins! They’re great for fixing a popped button, and may also come in handy for a few other potential emergencies too. Simply loop one through your buttonhole to keep it in place until you get home, where you can fix it properly.

It happens to us all, but that doesn’t mean it ever gets less annoying. Especially when it happens at the worst possible time, which let’s face it, is also the most likely. If you do happen to be on your way to an important date or meeting, don’t despair; there is a solution!

What to do: If your shoes are leather, rub a little toothpaste into the scuff then wipe it away with a cloth. This should remove all trace of the scuff, leaving them as if nothing had ever happened. If they’re suede, treat them more delicately and brush a rubber in one direction over the scuff until it’s gone.

READ MORE: Here’s How To Buy Shoes Online So They Always Fit

Deodorant marks can be cruel, because all you want is to smell nice but you end up with a white streak on a freshly washed black top.

What to do: Instead of trying to wipe it off with water or whatever else you have to hand, take it off and rub your dress/top against itself. The fibres remove the white mark better than any cloth could, so just keep rubbing until it’s disappeared. This should save you the trouble of trying to wipe it away with water, meaning you can leave the house minus a patchy stained top that’ll only reveal the mark when it dries again.

 But you really want to wear it and simply don’t have the time to break out the iron (although,we’ve got some nifty iron hacks to help you out). What if there was a way to leave your clothes in a room, come back 15 minutes later and they’re all magically crease-free? 

What to do: Hang your clothes up in the bathroom, run a really hot shower and leave them in there with the door closed. Go make your breakfast, then come back 15 minutes later and those pesky wrinkles would have straightened themselves out! You can also use hair straighteners to iron out any little kinks on the collars or cuffs.

READ MORE: 10 Easy Ways To Look Immaculate At Work

Off-the-shoulder tops may be a boho style-staple, but lift your arms up any more than 90 degrees and suddenly you’ve got a frumpy on-the-shoulder monstrosity. This isn’t entirely practical in day-to-day life, especially if you’re trying to reach for things in high places, but don’t worry – there’s light at the end of the tunnel with this hack!

What to do: Get 2 elastic hair ties and 4 safety pins. Open 2 of the pins and hook them over either end of the hair tie. Then pin one end of the hair tie near the armpit inside your top on the front, and the other near the top of the arm on the back, so that it looks like you’ve attached two straps. Repeat on the other side and you’re all done! The elastic ties will pull the material down, meaning you can lift your arms without a hitch. You can watch how to do this here.

Okay, so you thought you could get away with it when you tried it on at home, but now your gal pal has pointed out she can see your bra so you’re going to have to do something about it. No matter how much you fiddle and smooth, that gaping space between shirt buttons is not going away, so best do something about it before heading out for that family meal later…

What to do: Don’t worry, there’s a quick fix – and even better, you’ll be able to find it in any good stationery shop or supermaket. All you need is some double-sided tape to patch up those gaps. Simply tear off a small section and attach directly to your top. It’s also great for keeping collars in place, or for attaching your bra to a strappy top so that it stays put!

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Text: Holly Earp, HerWorldPlus / Additional text: Cheryl Lim