Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do TODAY
Aggie Mackenzie has been keeping us clean and tidy for two decades since appearing on How Clean Is Your House with screen partner Kim Woodburn. Aggie, 65, who was born in Rothiemurchus and now lives in London, moved on to Storage Hoarders. She runs a cleaning website, www. aggiestips.com, and has her own range of household products at Poundstretcher. Her motto is: “Only clean what you have to clean.”
SCRAPING burnt cheese off the bottom of the grill pan. Degunking the bottom of the shower. Freshening up the washing machine. There are some cleaning jobs that somehow never make it to the top of the to-do list.
But, as Aggie Mackenzie knows only too well, these are the ones we need to prioritise. Here’s her ultimate guide to the tasks we hate, the ones we forget and even a couple that we didn’t know we were meant to do in the first place.
Oven
Everyone knows that the best way to keep an oven clean (if you don’t have a self-cleaning model) is to wipe it down after each use. But how many of us actually do that?
If you’ve left it a long time, try this non-caustic remedy. Coat all interior surfaces (as long as they’re smooth enamel) with a thick paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, leave overnight. Scrub with warm water and a scourer.
If baked-on grease is coating the glass of the oven door, apply some soapy water then go at it with a scraper from the DIY shop (the sort used for removing splashes of paint from window glass after decorating). Easypeasy and it won’t leave any scratches.
Dishwasher filter
Remove the filter, take it apart and scrub with a brush and hot soapy water – it gets very greasy. If you make sure that your plates are cleared properly of any bits of rice and the like before loading the dishwasher, that will help to keep the filter unclogged.
Washing machine
Does your washing machine smell? The reason is because we’re all washing too often at low temperatures or using the quick cycle. Bacteria, which produce gases that give off a bad smell, will survive a 30C wash, so when the water drains away, the
bacteria are left behind to build up and grow in number inside the machine, hence the nasty niffs (and eventually black mould on the seal). This happens with laundry that has a high bacterial load, such as bedlinen, underwear and towels. Give your machine a springclean: throw a cup of clear vinegar into the empty drum and run the machine on the hottest wash. Then make sure you do a 60C wash once a week.
Washing machine detergent drawer
If it’s become a bit mouldy or clogged up, pull out the drawer as far as it will go, and you’ll see a flap at the back marked either Press or Lift (depending on your machine).
Do this, and the drawer will pull right out. Rinse well under the tap, removing any hardened or
mouldy detergent with a washing-up brush. Wipe deep inside the cavity (there will be detergent spillage there) before replacing the drawer.
Tops of kitchen cupboards
If there’s a gap between the tops of your kitchen cupboards and the ceiling, the surface will be covered in greasy dust. Clean it off (old-fashioned washing soda solution is the thing here), then place a layer of newspaper over to catch any future grot. Remove and replace every few months and you’ll never have to
clean it again.
Toaster
Unplug your toaster and tip it upside down into the sink to empty out all the crumbs, then use a soft pastry brush to get rid of those last little bits stuck in any crevice.
Fridge
Empty the fridge and place everything into an insulated bag. Remove all the shelves and drawers and wash them in warm soapy water. Wipe down the inside walls with a wrung-out cloth before returning the shelves and drawers.
Radiators
Radiators with lots of nooks and crannies can get very dusty and be tricky to clean. Secure a damp, thin cloth or duster around a ruler, poke it here and there and you’ll be amazed at what will stick to it. You can remove the cover of some radiators quite easily – that way you can get closer in to remove dust. Also a hairdryer or vacuum will shift the dust.
Windows
Clean the windows and let the sun shine in. Invest in a couple of microfibre cloths
specially for glass and mirrors. Wash the dirt off with warm water plus a drop of washing-up liquid using a cotton cloth then dry with the microfibre cloth. Your windows will be streak-free.
Window frames, ledges and tops of doors
Get the ladder out, climb to the places you don’t normally reach and prepare to be horrified.
For general dustiness, use warm, soapy water wrung out in a clean terry cloth – old towels ripped up are ideal. Damp dusting is far more effective than dry – the dust just sticks to the cloth rather than flying around the room to land on a different surface.
While you’re up there, take down the lampshades for cleaning.
You’ll need to change your water and cloths often (you can’t clean with a dirty cloth). Wipe down doors, walls, skirting boards, dado rails, banisters while you’ve got the ladder out.
Pillows
A fair proportion of a pillow’s weight is made up of skin scales, dandruff, sweat, saliva and goodness knows what else, so you need to clean them at least once a year. When the sun’s shining, wash them two at a time in the machine (check the care label first) and put them straight out on the line.
Feather-filled pillows need to dry quickly. If they hang about damp for a few days the feathers will develop mould and they’ll be ruined. If the rain’s back on, stick them in the tumble dryer with a few white tennis balls to stop the filling clumping. For man-made fillings, follow the washing instructions on the label.
Duvets
Single duvets can go into the washing machine. Larger ones normally need to be taken to the launderette.
Wardrobe floor
It’s amazing how mucky and dusty the floor of a wardrobe can get – and this dust will attract moths.
Pull out everything that’s down there and clear out the dust with the vacuum cleaner nozzle, getting right into the corners.
Barbecue
If your barbecue was put away last year without being cleaned, don’t just chuck it away.
Take a handful of scrunched-up aluminium foil across the cooking area – this will quickly remove most of the grot.
Finish cleaning in a sink of hot, soapy water using a pot scrubber. Rinse, dry and light your coals.