Celebs reveal their favourite cleaning products for lockdown spring cleaning
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As more celebrities tackle their own cleaning – some, perhaps, for the first time – they’ve become a lot more vocal about their favourite tips, tricks and products.
Just this week, self-described clean freak and podcast host Kate Thornton traded her favourite tidying tips with fellow cleaning addict, Masterchef’s John Torode.
READ MORE: John Torode admits lockdown obsession with cleaning
“I just think I need some framework in my life,” she told John and fellow White Wine Question Time guest, actress Lisa Faulkner. “I mean I've cleaned the s**t out of this place. I cleaned the wheelie bin on day five.”
Here’s a round-up of products they’re loving during lockdown:
Zoflora Multi-Purpose Concentrated Antibacterial Disinfectant | £9.96 from Amazon
For the uninitiated out there, Zoflora is a concentrated disinfectant that comes in a variety of scents. For Lisa Faulkner, it’s her go-to product.
“It smells lovely,” she said. “I'm obsessed!”
She’s not the only one. Mrs Hinch, a cleaning Instagram influencer with 3.3 million followers, is a massive fan of the highly scented cleaning product.
She often mixes it up with water in a spray bottle to spray over various surfaces and she recommends using it on household items like remote controls, which can harbour bacteria.
Domestos Bleach | £2 from Amazon
“There's something about filling up you sink with bleach and hot water and the smell and you know that everything's clean and it's done,” according to John Torrode.
It’s a staple in anyone’s cleaning kit, whether you’re tackling stains in your loo or, as Kate does, freshening up your cleaning cloths.
“Just leave your cloths in soaking bleach water,” she recommends. “They are as fresh as the day when you get up the next day - and the kitchen smells of bleach.”
Kate joked that if she could release bleach as a perfume “it would be a thing” – but it’s not advisable to dab it behind your ears.
UMI Spinning Mop | £34.90 from Amazon
This is no ordinary mop. This is a mop that spins. When Stacey Solomon shared this on her Instagram, her fans went wild for it!
Stacey wrote: "I've tried so many and this one’s a bit more expensive, but the only one that doesn't break after 5 minutes so I love it!"
Flash Bathroom Cleaner | £1 from The Range
Another product beloved by cleaning guru Mrs Hinch is Flash Bathroom Cleaner. She uses it not only because it does the job so well, but because it also smells lovely!
READ MORE: The 59p trick to make carpets look brand new - loved by Mrs Hinch fans
“Flash bathroom smell is divine,” she wrote on her Instagram account. “I love Flash – always have! I prefer the liquid as it’s easier to use.”
Karcher K2 Compact Home Pressure Washer | £84.98 from Tool Station
While talking about his cleaning schedule on White Wine Question Time, John declared that he was saving his jet washer for later on in lockdown.
“I'm so excited,” he laughed. “My jet wash hasn't actually made the appearance yet outside the box because I'm [saving] it – I don't want to do all my jobs too quickly!”
Kate has also partaken in a bit of jet washing during lockdown, ensuring the exterior of her house and garden look brand new.
She told us: “It’s cheaper than repainting, but just as effective.”
Dettol All-In-One Disinfectant | £1.50 from Amazon
If anyone knows about cleaning, it’s Aggie McKenzie from How Clean Is Your House? She loves a bit of this Dettol spray, especially with pets around.
“Campylobacter is carried by about half of all dogs and cats, which can cause food poisoning in their owners,” she told BT.com.
READ MORE: Brits spend £180m on their pets every month
“If you let pets join you on the sofa, spray the upholstery afterwards with Dettol All in One Disinfectant Spray to kill germs and harmful bacteria.”
Mrs Hinch also loves this product and uses it all round her house.
Eco Egg | £12.99 from Amazon
Aggie’s fellow How Clean Is Your House? presenter Kim Woodburn loves using an Ecoegg when it comes to laundry. It has no harsh chemicals – you just pop it in your washing machine.
It cleans just as well as regular detergent and has been recommended by the National Eczema Society. Aggie recommends using it to clean smelly cuddly toys. Just put them into a pillowcase, tie and knot and wash them with the Ecoegg.
Flash Erasers | £2.95 from Amazon
If there’s one product that Kate Thornton swears by, it’s Flash erasers. These little squares are true multi-purpose heroes that help remove stains of anything.
Kate, who waxed lyrically about them to John and Lisa on the podcast, says she loves using them because they’re kinder to the planet.
READ MORE: This wardrobe dries your clothes for you and reduces ironing
“They're biologically friendly as well and kind to the environment,” she said. “All you do is put a little bit of water on them – no other detergent is used – and they take marks off of everything. Your skirting boards, your dirty walls.
“It's amazing. And you go up and down the stairs and you just take all those marks off your paint work. It's like decorating, but not. It's brilliant!”
Carpet Fresh 1001 Spray | £3.29 from Amazon
If you have pets, this is a great way to get rid of any odours from carpets or rugs. It’s another product endorsed by Mrs Hinch.
“It is wonderful,” she wrote on Instagram. “You just spray it on your rug and leave it. Great for pet odours.”
Gin or vodka | £17 from Amazon
Yes, you can toast your cleaning success, but a clear spirit also makes for a great stain remover.
Aggie McKenzie recommends using it to tackle stains on a carpet or upholstery – although she says to test it on a hidden area first to make sure the colours don’t come out. Cheers!
Personalised storage | £9.99 from Etsy
More of a tidying tip than a cleaning tip, Stacey Solomon loves to showcase her amazing storage on her Instagram account. From clips to hang crisps – yes, really – to neatly labelled bottles and jars, she’s got storage sorted.
READ MORE: Stacey Solomon 'can't stop laughing' as she ends up on Michelle Obama's Instagram
Make like Stacey and get all your storage personalised, including your fridge tidies over at this Etsy store. They also produce personalised spray bottles for Mrs Hinch, so put your order into today to start organising.
Shop some of Kate Thornton’s other favourite cleaning products
Astonish Mould And Mildew Blaster, £1: Dubbed the number one mildew remover, Kate says nothing works quite like this on mould.
Method All-Floor Cleaner, £3: Kate loves this as it doesn’t require any water - just squirt and mop!
Bar Keeper’s Friend, £8.49: It might have originally been sold to pub landlords to keep their brass fittings clean, but this cleaning product has so many more uses. It’s great for all things metal, but also appliances and kitchen counters and is brilliant for removing hard water stains.
E-Cloths, £4.50: This is an eco-friendly way of cleaning as you just need water and no cleaning products. Perfect for high gloss surfaces as well.
Hear John Torode and Lisa Faulkner chat more about their cleaning regime during lockdown, how its affecting their relationship and why they decided to do a recipe a day on Instagram on the latest episode of White Wine Question Time. Listen now on iTunes and Spotify.
