Do you bite your finger nails? Are your stubby little fingers not up to scratch when it comes to peeling off stickers and price labels on articles which you intend giving as presents or selling on ebay?

Even if you have perfect finger nails, surely you must have experienced the frustration when trying to remove difficult deposits such as chewing gum? Please, don't remind me about the ice-cube trick - I'm sure it works perfectly well, but what if you don't have any ice cubes ready?

Even candle wax has met its match with Sticky Stuff Remover. We've had a splodge of candle wax on the carpet since Christmas and although we'd got the worst of it off with ice-cubes and a sharp knife, I used this clever solution on the still highly visible residue and, hey presto! All gone! Our carpet is neither rubber nor foam-backed, so it was OK to use it .. see the exceptions later in review.

It's made in the UK and comes in a 250ml white plastic bottle with a child-proof lid. The only ingredient it lists is 'Petroleum Distillates'. It has a pleasant, citrus smell which I take to be a derivative of orange as orange seems to be a natural source of grease remover. If the product contains anything else, they are keeping it a closely guarded secret as I could find no information on their website (www.desolveit.com) - but they do boast that it is a 'natural solution', so one must assume there are no harmful chemicals - although on the bottle there is a warning that if swallowed it may cause lung damage (so, I'd stick to the Vodka if I was you).

I have used it on those dreadful fluorescent 'Only £1.99! labels found on the cover of paperback books which normally sell for £6.99. Having read the book, I then want to either sell it on ebay or Amazon - but do I want the world and his wife to know exactly how much I paid for it? No. Do I attempt to peel off this sticker and most of the cover beneath? No. Sticky Stuff to the rescue, and the book is undamaged. The solution, although liquid, does have a slightly oil feel to it, but not unpleasantly so.

That's the sticky labels dealt with, what next?

You can use Sticky Stuff Remover on the skin and hair (remember how 2-year-olds love to dip their heads into finger-paints?) but it's important that the treated area is washed thoroughly with soap and water after use.

Directions for use are clear and easy to follow. The warnings I mentioned say that repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking (so if you're going to be using it for any length of time, it might be wise to use disposable gloves). Avoid contact with the eyes (another good reason not to use to remove make-up from your face). After contact with the skin, wash immediately with plenty of soap and water … and this is where I make a dash for the bathroom and wash my hands as once again, I have discovered something, before it was too late, which I would never would have noticed if I hadn't gone carefully step-by-step for the purposes of this review, because now my fingers have a white residue on them - and that's why you need to wash your hands immediately.