Use old-fashioned soap and water – just like granny did
Queen of Clean Aggie Mackenzie’s top tips on how to keep your home sparkling clean and germ-free
As Covid-19 lockdown eases and Scotland gets to grips with a return to work and school, people are keener than ever to reduce the risk of taking the virus from public spaces into their homes.
Fears that it can stay on some surfaces for up to 72 hours and can be carried on our clothes and shoes mean that being in the know about cleaning and, when necessary, disinfecting, are important.
So who better to share her top tips than Scotland’s own Queen of Clean,aggie Mackenzie? Aggie – who became a household name as co-presenter of Channel 4’s How Clean Is Your House? – reckons going back to basics and cleaning like our grannies did with hot soapy water is the way to go.
Aggie, who grew up in Aviemore, tells P.S: “I’m not a scientist, but I do know a thing or two about trying to keep homes germ-free.
“You don’t need much in the way of lotions and potions, you just need to stay on top of your cleaning and washing down of surfaces. I am a believer in using good, old-fashioned soap and water – just like our grannies did.”
Scientists have found that once the soap molecule penetrates the outer coating of the virus, it splits it apart, breaking the virus open and releasing its contents into the surrounding soapy water, which eventually carries them away.
For divorced mum-of-two Aggie, 64, that’s good news. She reveals: “I am not in favour of chemical sprays that I believe are bad for the lungs and for the environment. I prefer microfibre cloths and mops that don’t require any product and can be washed in the washing machine at 60 degrees centigrade afterwards. I’d advise that during the current pandemic, people use them with soapy water. They are widely available and pretty cheap and can be washed time after time.”
Aggie, who, just over three years ago, downsized from her family home to a smaller, detached house in North London where she lives alone, says cleaning routines will vary depending on the size and type of household.
She explains:“if you’re a retired person living alone, you won’t need to clean as often as say a family of four who are at work and school all day and using public transport.
“I certainly don’t clean my house every day. Key areas for everyone though are kitchens and bathrooms, and floors need to be cleaned more frequently if there’s a lot of traffic, or if there are young children crawling and playing on them.
“Focus your efforts on cleaning the areas where germs are more likely to spread, such as the kitchen and toilet. Soap and hot water rinses the germs away, but if you are really worried you can use a disinfectant afterwards to kill anything that might remain. It’s a good idea to clean germ hotspots after use, rather than weekly and to dry surfaces like worktops and chopping boards with a clean, dry cloth because germs thrive in damp and humid places.”