I’m Stacey Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out cleaner – banish grime with my 50p hack & cardboard tube trick is cobweb genius
ALTHOUGH the weather is iffy spring has allegedly sprung and that means getting the house sparkling clean – but it can feel like a hard slog.
Iwan Carrington is Stacey Solomon’s cleaning expert on BBC One’s Sort Your Life Out and he has plenty of quick, easy and very cheap hacks which mean you’ll whizz through those chores in record time.
And his loo trick is genius too…
Shake it up
If you’ve got kids, their soft toy collection can be a real dust trap.
For a quick and painless solution that takes seconds, Iwan says all you need is a bin bag and some bicarb:
“For a quick refresh, I throw teddies into a strong bin bag, sprinkle in some Bicarbonate of Soda, and give the bag a good shake,” he reveals.
“The bicarb removes any dust or odours so they come out looking like they’ve been to the salon.”
If there’s any bicarb left on the teddies you can give them an individual shake if needed.
Blitzing cobwebs
Iwan – who also stars alongside decluttering guru Dilly Carter and carpentry whizz Rob Bent – says: “Spiders have a habit of making their webs in the most hard to reach areas, like the corners of a tall ceiling.
“To remove these I attach the cardboard tube found inside a roll of wrapping paper onto my vacuum cleaner nozzle, so I can reach them without having to get a step ladder out.
“The cardboard tube works perfectly because it won’t leave scrape marks on your walls.”
You know the drill
Cleaning the loo is a job most of us dread but it needs doing regularly.
Iwan says that if you want to keep on top of the grime, without using any elbow grease at all, all you need is a…drill.
“You can buy all kinds of brush attachments for drills,” he explains.
“From toilet brushes and scourers to a scrubbing brush.
“I use these when I’m cleaning the bathroom and the drill does all the hard work.
“If you find a power drill too heavy, you can use a cordless screwdriver instead.
“But remember to wear goggles if you’re using any harsh chemicals, in case of any splatters.”
Go bananas
If you have a lot of house plants, their leaves can be real dust collectors.
You’ll want to avoid using harsh chemicals or polishes on them, but there is a natural solution – bananas. Iwan says: “Banana skins are a fantastic way to remove the dust.
“Just rub the inside of the banana skin gently over the leaves.
“The dust will cling to its wet surface and bananas are full of potassium which is beneficial to plants.”
Feeling fruity
It seems every cleaning influencer in the world has a use for lemons, but Iwan recommends another fruity cleaning hack which will get your hob gleaming for just 50p.
He says: “Half a grapefruit with a sprinkle of salt is a fantastic way to clean your hob.
“The citric acid in the grapefruit is perfect for cutting through grease and the salt gives a little abrasion.
“Wipe away any residue with a damp cloth.”
Put a sock in it
Ever wondered what to do with the endless amount of odd socks you have kicking around?
Iwan says: “A sock over the hand makes dusting a breeze”, he adds.
“The fluffy socks you get at Christmas time work really well.”
“Or wet an old white sports sock and use that.
“It’s really effective as it shows all the dirt you collect.”
Removing stubborn stains effortlessly
According to Iwan, makeup remover isn’t just good for your face.
He says: “Dressing tables will often get make-up stains on them, and makeup remover on a tissue will remove any lipstick, mascara or foundation stains.
“Use a quick swipe of nail polish remover for anything that’s not budging, but always do a test first in an inconspicuous area, to check this won’t damage the surface.”
Shower solution
We often assume washing up liquid has one purpose only – to wash the dishes.
However, it can also be a great product to use in the bathroom.
Iwan says: “Washing up liquid works brilliantly for cleaning bathrooms.
“It removes soap scum and it will also remove the bulk of limescale on Chrome taps.
“Use a washing up wand that contains the washing up liquid in the handle (you can mix in some white vinegar to help with limescale) and keep this in the bathroom for a quick blitz after a shower.”
Simply wipe on and off, then rinse and dry with an old towel, or use a squeegee on glass.
Perfect recipe for a sparkling oven
One of the biggest jobs that we tend to put off is cleaning the oven – which when used daily can get really grimy.
Iwan says: “The oven door can be one of the most challenging areas of our homes to clean, but using a single dishwasher tablet takes all the hard work out of it.
“Unwrap the dishwasher tablet, and wearing rubber gloves, dip it into some warm water and rub it all over the oven door.
“The ingredients in the dishwasher tablet break down all of the grease and grime and then you can simply wipe clean with a damp cloth, or for any really stuck on burnt food use a glass scraper.”