Money And Time Saving Cleaning Hacks With Lynsey ‘Queen Of Clean’

December 18, 2020

Curry’s PC World spoke to Lynsey Crombie aka the ‘Queen of Clean’ to get her best cleaning hacks and top tips.

Learn how to make your own cleaning products that save money and cupboard space while learning which cleaning myths should be ditched and which actually work.

Lynsey’s favourite hacks:

Shaving foam is a great carpet cleaner and works well at removing makeup stains
Ice cubes will remove dents from the carpet where furniture has been
Hand sanitizer makes a great stain remover when out and about
Baby oil is great at shining up stainless steel. Use a tiny drop and a clean microfibre cloth for the perfect shine
Rust can be removed using tomato ketchup. Using a wet cloth dab on the ketchup, let it sit a while and then run away
Dust kids Lego using an old makeup brush as it gets rights into those tiny grooves
Remove pet hair using a wet rubber glove
Use hydrogen peroxide to remove sweat patches from the underarm of shirts and t-shirts. Just spray and leave and then wash as normal

How to be thrifty and make your own fabric refresher and multi-purpose cleaner – both lasting for 3 months saving money and space in your cleaning cupboards!

Curry’s PC World asked Lynsey how reliable are the following cleaning myths. Should we ditch or stick?!

Using white wine to remove red wine stains: DITCH

“So I have tried this a few times and it does not work, it just makes it worse. To remove red wine you need a bowl of warm soapy water (not hot) and then add in a good splash of white vinegar, scrub in and then leave for 15 minutes. Come back and using a white cloth blot dry, you will need a few white cloths.”

Using Sellotape to remove lint from clothes: STICK

“This a great tip and really does work, but it can be very time consuming so use a lint roller instead!”

Using an ice cube to remove gum from clothing or carpet: STICK

“Freezing does help to remove gum but one ice cube alone is not enough, if the garment is small enough pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes, alternatively use WD40.”

Using baking soda to clean your sofa: DITCH/STICK

“This will not clean your sofa but it will soak up any odours if sprinkled on and left over night, it is good to add a few essential oils too.”

Using Coca Cola to clean the toilet or kettle: STICK

“If your toilet has bad limescale marks coke will remove them, but the best way to do this is to remove the water from the pan and then pour down 500ml of coke and leave overnight.”

Using baking soda and bleach to clean bathroom floor grout: DITCH

“These two should never be mixed together. Use bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar, make a thick paste, cover the grout and then leave 30 minutes before rinsing clean.”

Putting your sponge in the microwave to kill bacteria: STICK

“This works great, but first dip the sponge in a solution of water and lemon juice and then put the microwave on full power for 5 minutes.”

Using vinegar to remove hard water stains on faucets: STICK

“This works well and to tackle limescale that can be on the ends, soak a paper towel in white vinegar and then wrap around the end of the tap, leave for 15 minutes and then remove.”

Using newspaper to clean windows: STICK

“This works well and goes back years, the ink from the paper acts as an abrasive and will give you really clean windows.”

Using salt and lemon to clean chopping boards: STICK

“The lemon and the salt act as a scour and this leaves your board smelling great and sparkly clean.”

Q&A with Lynsey “Queen of Clean”

Have you got any specific tips for cleaning floors?

Only use a small amount of product when cleaning the floors, too much product creates streaks and can make them slippy. Opt for a floor cleaner and mix into warm water. Steam cleaning is a great eco-friendly method for cleaning floors and is safe for pets and young children.

What’s the biggest cleaning mistake people make?

Mixing products together, this is not only dangerous but expensive. Mixing does not make them work any better it can actually make them cancel each other out.

When it comes to cleaning products, do you think a higher price point equates to a better, more effective product?

Not at all, I actually find some of the more expensive ones to be awful, a basic disinfectant and washing up liquid will always work well and not cost you much at all.

Have you got any specific tips for cleaning certain areas of the house?

Bathrooms and kitchens should adopt a two-step cleaning process, remove dirt and bacteria first using a detergent-based product and then go over with a disinfectant to kill germs. Always allow the product to work by leaving it on the surface to work for a few minutes before rinsing. Use different colour cloths to avoid cross-contamination ie. blue for loo and pink for sink.

If you have a big house, it’s better to contact professional cleaning services.

Do you have any tips for making sure your cleaning routine is both economic and effective?

Plan. Write a list at the beginning of the week for all the tasks you need to do and tick off as you go. I have created a 5-minute challenge that works so well. Set a timer as you enter a room and when it gets to 5 minutes stop. You will be surprised at how much you can get done when you are motivated.

Involve the rest of your family, cleaning is not just one person’s responsibility. The family that cleans together stays together!